Region: Africa

She led the women’s peace movement in Liberia, which played a decisive role in bringing an end to the bloody civil war in the country. Leymah Gbowee’s work for peace resulted in her becoming one of three women to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

Wikipedia is the world’s most used online encyclopaedia. But of all the millions of articles, four times more are about men than women. And just nine per cent of the contributors are women. Swedish embassies are now doing their bit to change this.

Abandon the clan-driven political system and invest in jobs – these were two of many topics raised when Somali women from civil society, parliament and the police service gathered in Mogadishu to discuss women’s role in conflict resolution. Somalia’s new Prime Minister also visited the meeting and highlighted the important role women have played, and are playing, in building a peaceful society.

A hundred young Swedish and Kenyan feminists met earlier this year at the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi for discussions on topics ranging from dreams to gender roles.

A hundred young Swedish and Kenyan feminists met earlier this year at the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi for discussions on topics ranging from dreams to gender roles.

The Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa recently organised a Nordic film festival for the second year in a row. The theme this year was was ‘youth empowerment’, while last year it was ‘women’s empowerment’.

In the first half of 2016, the Embassy of Sweden in Harare conducted a digital campaign on the theme ‘We should all be feminists’. The campaign involved distributing books, lively digital discussions, and debates on the role of men in promoting gender equality.

A fight against shaming, censorship and antiquated traditions – just some of the factors that affect women’s role in the media in Sudan. This and much more was discussed when the Embassy of Sweden in Khartoum hosted an exhibition and seminar focusing on women and the media.

After the influential midwives4all campaign in 2015, Sweden has sustained the important work within the field of maternal and child health in Uganda. Contributing to an increased workforce of midwives has notably led to improved staffing levels, more women delivering at facilities, increased rates of antenatal care visits and reduced numbers of maternal deaths.

Meet the Global Swedes: Getnet Mengesha Asrat, Ethiopia, student at Dalarna University.