Hamdiya Katchirika is a Togolese journalist, feminist, and environmental activist. She is the president and founder of the Togolese feminist association Empower Ladies, which primarily fights against period poverty in Togo.
Hamdiya Katchirika | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Journalist, activist  |
Biography
editDuring her childhood, she faced societal prejudices in Togo. For instance, when she had her period, her father refused to let her cook, even though they lived in Lomé, and she describes him as "open-minded".[1] The activist graduated from high school in 2013.[2] In 2019, she participated in the Data Forces Festival in Cotonou,[3] where she presented a conference titled "Women, Data, science, and citizen participation".[4][5] She was also chosen to represent Togo as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.[6][7][8] This opportunity allowed her to study civic engagement at Rutgers University in New Jersey for a while.[8]
She founded the Empower Ladies association in Lomé that same year.[9] She is the president of this association, which primarily fights against period poverty in Togo.[10][11] This is a significant issue in Togo, where prejudices on this topic persist; 28% of the girls surveyed stated that periods are "a woman's dirt, body waste, or an unpleasant smell". Her and her association's goal is to combat these prejudices.[12]
Katchirika, for example, produces and distributes reusable or disposable cloth menstrual pads in remote regions of the country.[9][13][14][15] With her association, she raises awareness among young Togolese girls on these topics through workshops,[9][11] intervening both in villages and Togolese high schools.[16] In these workshops, Katchirika also teaches breast self-examination to fight against breast cancer and enhance its prevention.[17]
The activist is also committed to other issues, such as internet access in Togo[18][19] and the inclusion of Togolese women in this process.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Règles : ces activistes africaines en guerre contre la précarité menstruelle". www.afriquefemme.com (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Début des épreuves orales du bac ce mardi". aLome.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ Lozivit, Martin (2019-03-28). "Le partenariat IRD – BloLab à l'honneur au Data Forces Festival de Cotonou". URBACOT (in French). doi:10.58079/v31l. Archived from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Data Forces 3: Tomberez-vous en admiration devant ces speakers comme moi? ⋆ Elles Médias". Elles Médias (in French). 2019-03-31. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Data Force 3 au Bénin. Nous l'avons fait !". Kelvin (in French). 2019-03-16. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ First, Togo. "10 jeunes togolais vont représenter leur pays au Mandela Washington Fellowship 2019". www.togofirst.com (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Les Etats-Unis accueillent 10 togolais passionnés et ambitieux – Togo Breaking News" (in French). 2019-05-29. Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ a b Infos, 24heures (2019-07-18). "Actualité au Togo et dans le monde – 24heureinfo". 24heureinfo – Actualité au Togo et dans le monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Apprendre le français | Solidarité". Hop-là ! (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "VIDÉO. Santé : la précarité menstruelle en Afrique | TV5MONDE – Informations". information.tv5monde.com (in French). 2021-03-15. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ a b Becquet, Valentine; Ravit, Marion (2023), "" Du Nord au Sud, la précarité menstruelle est universelle. "", Idées reçues sur les menstruations, Idées reçues (in French), Paris: Le Cavalier Bleu, pp. 55–60, ISBN 979-10-318-0634-1, archived from the original on 2024-07-06, retrieved 2024-07-06
- ^ ""On n'a pas demandé à avoir nos règles donc on ne peut pas en avoir honte"". BBC News Afrique (in French). 2021-06-15. Archived from the original on 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ luzdelsol668 (2020-02-07). "Togo : 6 questions à Hamdiya KATCHIRIKA sur les serviettes hygiéniques réutilisables d'"Empower Ladies"". Societé Civile Médias (in French). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Ravit, Marion (2021-12-16). "La précarité menstruelle en Afrique subsaharienne : une question taboue". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "La précarité menstruelle en Afrique subsaharienne : une question taboue | IRD le Mag'". lemag.ird.fr (in French). 2021-12-17. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Avoir ses Règles en Afrique: la vie des femmes menstruées". La Pause by jho (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-06-29. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Empower Ladies aux petits soins des filles à Agokpamé – Togo Breaking News" (in French). 2019-10-31. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Le Togo éligible pour la première fois au MCC". Voice of America (in French). 2018-04-08. Archived from the original on 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ Bamada.net (2018-04-10). "Le Togo bénéficie du MCC". Bamada.net. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "JIF2023: L'ISLA veut voir les femmes exceller à travers le digital". Afrikelles, Le reflet de la femme africaine et son quotidien (in French). 2023-03-09. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.