Seven decades after risking arrest, torture and even death to challenge racist laws, many women say their fight for freedom in South Africa is unfinished as they continue to grapple with high rates of gender-based violence, poverty and inequality. A United Nations Women-supported study in 2024 found more than one in three South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Kano State in Nigeria married off 1,500 couples in a single ceremony on Friday as part of a government initiative to help low-income residents cover marriage costs and support family stability.