Talking to adolescent girls about sexuality and sexual pleasure is important in ensuring healthy attitudes toward their bodies, relationships, and self-awareness. It’s a topic often overshadowed by stigma, shame, or taboo, but it is necessary to break these barriers for the well-being of young girls. Open, honest, and non-judgmental conversations about sex, sexuality, and pleasure…
Navigating sexuality and pleasure: A rural perspective
Growing up in the rural expanses of Nyanza, sex education was shrouded in silence. The mere mention of sexuality was taboo, a subject too laden with sin and shame to approach openly. In my community, conversations around sex were either hushed whispers or outright denials, deeply rooted in the belief that any discussion could lead…
Empowering adolescent girls to embrace their sexuality without shame
Growing up in Kenya, I’ve observed how conversations around sexuality, especially for adolescent girls, are often limited, filled with stigma, and dominated by silence. Whether in families, schools, or community settings, many young girls navigate their changing bodies and emotions with little guidance. As an advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), I’ve…
#AIDS2018 conference reflection…..now back to reality
It has been a week since the AIDS 2018 conference in Amsterdam ended. Before I get back into my everyday routine or even plan for the few remaining months of the year, I would like to reflect and share my thoughts on this year’s conference. It is reported to be the biggest conference with more…
It’s Time to End TB!
World TB Day is observed on 24 March every year to raise public awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and to accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease. This year’s theme for World TB Day is: It’s Time. These may seem like just two simple words, yet they carry a lot of weight and interpretation. This year, World…
The freedom is coming
“I will play Papa, I will be the Papa. Marietta will play mama, and all of you will be our children.” The conditioning of sexuality stands firmly on its very deep roots. You are supposed to wait until you are of age, hopefully someone of the opposite sex will choose you. You will get married…
Building a community of women that support each other
Kyeitembe, a small village located on the outskirts Kampala in Uganda is my home area. Our house neighbors farms and forests. Growing up in this neighborhood was fun. We often played hide and seek with our friends in the forests until it got dark. Mother always waited for our return with a big stick. My…
My possessed pair of shorts
Sexual freedom to me is like my demon possessed pair of shorts, at least, that’s what my mother used to call them. They were black and green, blue and pink. On a good day you could see a little bit of brown and yellow. In short, my shorts had all the colours of the rainbow….