Shuga: the taboo-breaking African TV show confronting unsafe sex and HIV

MTV-backed serial has to skirt some issues such as homosexuality, but it’s having a strong impact on young Kenyans and Nigerians

For Colombia’s Emberá, telling outsiders about FGM is worse than cutting girls

FGM has long been commonplace among Colombia’s Emberá people, yet secrecy and speculation has enshrouded the tradition. Now the country is belatedly awakening to the possible extent of a previously hidden problem

Leap of faith: why religious leaders have a moral duty to promote family planning

With lack of contraception claiming the lives of thousands of women and children annually, religious bodies must put their global reach to good use

Say goodbye to capitalism: welcome to the Republic of Wellbeing

If governments and companies are serious about meeting the Sustainable Development Goals then they’ll need to ditch their bad habits

Sierra Leone’s secret FGM societies spread silent fear and sleepless nights

Traditional practitioners of female genital mutilation have established deep roots in Sierra Leonean culture and politics, creating a culture of fear among young women and posing a major obstacle to opponents of the custom

Obama’s strong words for Kenya are welcome. But it’s too little, too late

The US president’s personal connection with Kenya gives him influence other western leaders don’t have, but for most of his time in office he has been largely disengaged from Africa

Egyptian activists fear female genital mutilation initiative will fall short

Aggressive government strategy to enforce law against FGM and alter public perceptions lacks reach and fails to emphasise women’s rights, claim sceptics

Female genital mutilation increase in England ‘only tip of iceberg’

Number of girls being treated for FGM rises to 578 in March, as campaigners warn month-on-month increase looks set to continue

My mother’s refusal to undergo FGM has given me licence to dream

To mark international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation, Miriam Jerotich tells how her mother gave her the freedom to define her own identity

What will shape women’s rights over the next 15 years?

Carla Kweifio-Okai: What should be included in the sustainable development goals to promote women’s equality and empowerment, and will they work?