New York Times: Can One of Africa’s Most Powerful Women Stop Sexual Violence?
Patrick Adams, freelance journalist

“What hope is there for girls in Africa if, in the country led by one of the most powerful women on the continent, rape is repeated with ‘terrifying regularity’? That’s how UNICEF has described the situation in Malawi, where the low status of girls, limited access to the justice system and a taboo around talking about sex has given way to an epidemic of abuse and high rates of child marriage. … Few leaders could offer more hope to the girls and women of their country than the president of Malawi, Joyce Banda. … As president, Banda has made it a priority to improve women’s health, most notably through a new initiative to reduce maternal mortality…” (3/18).