Category: Women
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How My First Period Snuck Up On Me
It was a bright sunny Tuesday afternoon, and there I was, sitting for my KCPE 1Kiswahili paper. Time was ticking, literally, because I was sitting at the front row, with the classroom clock directly in front of me, emphasising the passing of every second with its ticking and tocking. That said, I was in no…
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Women’s Forever Struggles With Taxi Hailing Apps
As a young woman, being able to go out (at night) without needing permission from my parents was one coming-of-age privilege I deeply longed for. And so when the time came for me to explore nightlife, I relished in the freedom that came with it. Luckily for me, I am the youngest of all my…
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Why I Didn’t Like My Hair Sometimes
I have a toxic relationship with my hair. My 4C, tightly curled beautiful hair. I don’t always feel like it’s beautiful. I think it is partly because 4C hair is only praised when it’s long, and only on social media. The Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and all, forced me to sit with my unbraided hair for…
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Unsafe Abortions Are Costing Kenya and Killing our People
Today, communities across the world are marking International Safe and Legal Abortion Day, a day which draws its origins in the Latin America struggles of the ‘90s in pursuit of the decriminalisation of abortion. And so as the world marks this important day—either a celebration of a win for human rights and dignity for societies…
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From Perfect Plans to Unexpected Motherhood
As I sip my coffee and stare out at the parking lot from my office window, I reflect on how, years ago, I had imagined that by the time I get to 30, my life would be perfectly figured out. This is not to say that my life isn’t great, it just took a very…
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A Few More Words About Breasts
Sprout I’m 11 when I first feel an unusual tenderness and slight swelling on my chest. It happens by accident when my hand grazes my nipple and sets little ripples of thunderbolt across my body. The pain is sudden. The discomfort, unmistakable. I know what it is because my friends and I endlessly discuss it…
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A Rare Story Of Surviving FGM And Building Back The Clitoris
If I told you the lady stepping out of the Audi Q7 dressed in a floral sheer kimono and burnt orange palazzo pants is a survivor of FGM, you most probably won’t believe me. Like in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the apparel oft proclaims Anissa*, a sculpted figure with a burnished chocolate complexion. I felt acutely underdressed…
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A Moment in Time with Claire
On a trip to see her grandmother during the pandemic, Claire took a picture of three ladies just before everybody left. Through this photo of her grandmother, her mother and her daughter Claire shares the transcending generational love. All three ladies in this photograph share different elements of Claire and have over time taught her…
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A Moment in Time with Mumbi Matilda
A day that started out chaotic in Mumbi’s household later progressed to reveal family support and love. Through a photo taken by her father of her three aunties, Mumbi shares how she had a front row seat watching her mother’s friendship with her sisters. This pivotal point gave life to how she views family and…