"I have exciting news for you," Aamin said to Adaeze. They were having dinner at his favorite restaurant. "What's the news?" she asked. "I got a job in Dubai." Adaeze stared at him. "Dubai?" "Yes. It's at a radio station." He mentioned its name. "Marketing Experts is one of the highest paid opening jobs in …
Coming Clean with Aunt Savitri
I was back in my flat, relaxing on the sofa, after spending most of the day in Shoreditch. Instead of either one of us driving, we took the tube. Shoreditch was very arty with fashionable clubs and bars. It had vintage and design shops which Sarika enjoyed popping into. She picked up a few items …
Anele and Hasani
I'm a young South African Muslim woman in my last year at the University of Cape Town. I'm studying. It was there that I met Hasani, a South African Indian Muslim. The first time I saw him, I was standing in the hallway, waiting for my friend, Mandisa. He was with a friend, an African …
Justice for Dalit Women & Girls
"Dalit women's bodies are being used to assert caste supremacy and keep women 'in their place'," Jacqui Hunt, Eurasia Director of women's rights group, Equality Now. According to Equality Now, there is such a thing as intersectional discrimination which makes it more difficult for girls across India and around the world to access justice for …
Vidhya’s Story
As I watch my daughter playing in the back yard, I think of my sister, Indrani. Twenty years ago, we were forced into marriage when we were teenagers. My husband was twice my age but years later, I was able to divorce him. Indrani wasn’t so lucky. She was murdered in an honor killing for …
No Longer Amish
I screamed but no one heard me. They couldn't. My screams were silent--inside. I screamed because my husband dragged me across the floor over to the bed where he raped me. He had raped me before. The first time he did, I got pregnant but miscarried. When I told my parents about the first rape, …
FGM in America
“To cut off the sensitive sexual organ of a girl is directly against the honesty of nature, a distortion to her womanhood, and an abuse of her fundamental human right”- Joseph Osuigwe Chidiebere Jennifer, seen here as a child, underwent FGM When you hear about female genital mutilation (FGM), you automatically think of Africa where …
Paul Visits Nita
"Hello, Nita," Paul said. She and Angie were fellow graduates of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This was their second meeting. They met last year at the dinner party of a fellow graduate who married a wealthy businessman. He was there with Angie who wasn't at all pleased to see Nita and the feeling …
The Barrister
He got the message and immediately, he left the courthouse. She stood there across the street. Heart racing, he hurried across. "Hello," he said. "I got your message." She smiled. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time." "No, no. You didn't." "I came because I wanted to thank you for all that you …
I Love Him
"You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD" - Leviticus 19:28, NKJV I never thought of getting a tattoo until I met and fell in love with Roger. We met at a book fair four years ago. We were book lovers …
Notes to Women 