Gambians welcome their new president
Welcome home, Mr. President! The Gambia’s new president Adama Barrow returned to his country this week after his predecessor finally stepped down and left the country. Barrow had fled to neighboring Senegal, where he stayed for nearly two weeks, and was inaugurated at the Gambian embassy there. Plans for an inauguration in The Gambia are underway, according to aides.
Marking the end of a 22-year dictatorship under Yahya Jammeh, Barrow’s peaceful transition to power signals the restoration of human rights, as well as hope and public trust.
Women in India demand safe spaces
They’re furious, and they’re letting the world know. On Saturday, thousands of women flooded the streets of India as part of the #IWillGoOut march, a nationwide movement to reclaim public spaces. Enraged by the attacks on women in Bangalore on New Year’s Eve, the march’s organizers rallied behind the right for women and girls to feel safe in public.
In a country where the majority of men blame women for violence against women, progress is slow. But the scope of Saturday’s march, with first-time protesters among its numbers, shows that women are fighting back!
New start-up teaches women in Egypt to drive
There’s a new school in town. Start-up company Direxiona is the first driving school in Egypt dedicated to women. Due to sexual harassment concerns, women often rely on family or friends to teach them to drive. Direxiona offers aspiring female drivers another option. Students are matched with female instructors and also learn to fix their own cars.
