“Sexual Freedom”, I read aloud the two words in front of my 70-year-old granny and I watched her shift uncomfortably in her chair, knowing then and there that my mission was complete. What mission was that I know you wonder, and the answer is very simple: I wanted to see whether or not my grandmother…
My experience with the triad of gender-based violence, HIV and sexual and reproductive health
*This post is a transcript and was translated from isiXhosa On Friday last week, a friend shared the link to a Facebook live chat and suggested I join. I noticed that the chat had something to do with gender-based violence (GBV), so I decided to give it a go. When it ended, I was triggered…
We walked, we survived, we conquered! Learning about breast cancer
Marking October as ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ is a global drive to raise awareness of this devastating disease across all races, age groups and socioeconomic groups. Breast cancer is said to be the most common cancer in women worldwide, impacting more than two million women a year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in…
Understanding unplanned pregnancies
Maybe you know or have heard of a teenager who became pregnant unintentionally. Or perhaps you have had this experience? It is certainly quite common – in 2017 nearly 123 000 babies were registered in South Africa by mothers in their teens and more than 3 000 of these were born to girls aged 10 to…
A tribute to women in the HIV/AIDS space
Yet another year passes where we celebrate and honour women of 1956 for their bravery in South Africa. On 09 August 1956 over 20 000 women of all races and ages from all walks of life marched to the Union Building in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws that restricted free movement. The pass laws…
Inside My Purse heads to Canada for Women Deliver 2019
The time is now—a global discussion around women empowerment is underway. Bridging the gender gap is now a full-force movement with a loud voice. Women Deliver is the largest international gathering on gender equality and the health, rights and well-being of women and girls. The conference is being held in Vancouver, Canada this year between…
Love Positive Women
A disclaimer: I am not so young anymore. However, I go through these streets as the people’s favourite aunty, the coolest prevention activist, young people say I am “oppit”, or in more traditional lingo, “with it”. As February, the legit month of love, has come to an end, I’m reflecting on love, relationships, sex and…
Love, sex and STIs
Disclaimer: The following are the views of the author and should not be taken as medical advice. Please speak to a health professional to seek medical advice. So often you get into a relationship, things become serious and you start being intimate with that person. The classic boy meets girl, they fall in love and…