GRASSROOTS FIX

  A leadership fellowship has drawn 1,491 applications from 84 countries, with 100 young women selected from 19 countries for a 10-week programme aimed at preparing them for leadership and decision-making. The scale of interest in the 2026 Girls for the Boardroom Fellowship (G4B) places a spotlight on a question confronting institutions across countries: how can young women be prepared not only to aspire to leadership, but to enter and influence the spaces where decisions are made? The fellowship, organised by The Girls PrideInitiatives for Sustainable Development (TGPI), brings together young women for leadership development, mentorship and learning. Selected facilitators and mentors are expected to share their professional experience, lead learning sessions and provide guidance throughout the programme. The demand comes against a persistent gap in women's representation in formal decision-making. In Kenya, women currently occupy 23 per cent of seats in the National Assembl...

The release of UNESCO's latest Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report should be welcomed as a milestone for education in Africa. After decades of investment, policy reforms and advocacy, the continent achieved gender parity in primary school enrolment in 2021 and is edging closer to parity in lower secondary education. Yet the report also reminds us that progress is far from complete. In 2024, Africa still had only 93 girls enrolled in upper secondary school for every 100 boys. That is an achievement worth celebrating. But celebration should never become complacency. The danger with the language of "gender parity" is that it can create the illusion that the education challenge has largely been solved. Numbers can tell us how many children enter school, but they cannot tell us whether education systems are fair, whether learners acquire meaningful skills, or whether the most vulnerable children are receiving the support they need. Kenya illustrates this contr...

As the world turns its attention to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Africa stands at a pivotal crossroads. The continent arrives with a powerful agenda centered on climate justice, equity, and resilience. Yet, despite its moral authority as the region most affected by climate change but least responsible for it, Africa’s success at COP30 will depend on one crucial factor, unity. Without collective purpose and coordination, the continent risks walking away with unfulfilled promises and missed opportunities. African negotiators are preparing to push for concrete outcomes that could redefine the continent’s climate future. Their priorities are clear: scaled-up climate finance, the full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, a fair and just energy transition, and equitable access to global carbon markets. However, these goals can only be achieved if Africa speaks with one voice and resists the fragmentation that has often diluted its influence in global climate negotiations. A...