Calls to criminalise sex work in Nigeria as a response to human trafficking misreads the problem

Introduction Recently, several anti-trafficking non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria have called on the government to criminalise sex work. In the forefront of this advocacy are organisations like Coalition for the…

The weakest link

Note: This piece was first published in Issue 64 of Africa in Fact of Good Governance Africa. Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in the world despite making significant…

Steve Biko on our shelves

So, the Chair of African Legal Studies has just restructured a particular section of its library by stocking it with books that are predominantly on colonialism and racism. My first…

Child Labour – Where is Africa Missing It?

Do you ever buy fruits, vegetables, or other foodstuffs from children at your car or bus window or by the roadside on your way to work or school? Are you…

A popular uprising as a game changer? Somalia’s fight against Al Shabab terror

In the shadow of world political events, one of the biggest offensives against terror in over a decade and a half is currently taking place in Somalia. For almost two…

Gender Mainstreaming in African Trade: From Conceptualization to Concretization

Women play a vital role in cross-border trade in Africa and are explicitly recognized under the SDG 5 (gender equality) and Agenda 2063 of African Union (AU) that targets a…

Blind hopes for children’s participation in climate change

The 2021/2022 rainy season in Malawi will among other things be remembered by the devastating images of houses submerged in water, flooded rivers, and roads that have been cut off.…

Launch of the Asli-Ahmed-Award

On 19th November 2022, the africanlegalstudies.blog launched the Asli-Ahmed-Award in close cooperation with the Verein für Entwicklung und humanitäre Hilfe Somalias e.V. Thanks to the gracious support of the Verein…

A study of female circumcision in Ethiopia in view of physical integrity: A human rights violation?

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as Female Circumcision (FC) is a traditionally deep-rooted practice in East Africa. However, most countries in the world and international organisations view it as…

Exhumed bodies of Ethiopian Migrants in Malawi underscore the rising dangers of cross-border trafficking in Southern Africa

Two mass graves were recently discovered in Malawi containing a total of 29 bodies believed to be Ethiopian migrants.[1] It’s a tragic discovery that underscores, once again, the perils of…