I AM NALA

Zulaikha Patel is a South African anti-racism activist. She is Best-Selling author in South Africa for her children’s book My Coily Crowny Hair  which affirms black Afro identity. At at the age of 13, she became a symbol of the fight against Pretoria Girls High School's policy regarding black girls' hair in 2016 that prohibited Afros, dreadlocks and braids.   Growing up to an Indian father and bla...

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala come from two different political atmospheres, yet have the ability to build common ground on their shared gendered experiences. Gillard and Okonjo-Iweala are former political leaders with years of expertise as women in government spaces.  They share with Nalafem community insights from their book on Women an...

Today we’re talking with Verlaine-Diane Soobroydoo, a humanist growing up with a Mauritian Indian mother and Congolese father, has taken an unconventional journey of leadership from a career at the United Nations to a published Author. When COVID-19 hit, she felt that the dust settled, realising there is some work she needs to do for healing and her reflections resulted into her first book " Unbou...

Kenya: With over a decade of experience in public service, Rose Wachuka, is a Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff at Chief Justice of the Judiciary of Kenya. In this episode, Aya and Rose talk about politics from an African worldview including Kenyan politics and Tomas Sankara. Rose reveals some bold views on US politics as well as Palestine-Israel politics. Through two songs of her choice from Nort...

Tunisia : Today we’re talking with Maha Jouini, author and activist. Aya and Maha talk about multiple battlefields including dance, history, cyber space, stigma and democracy. Maha explains how Pan-Arabism failed as a movement, how pre-colonial culture was matriarchal, how indigenous culture was feminist culture, how she overcome Tasfih (the practice of Locker to protect women's virginity) into se...

Egypt : Today we’re talking with Fatma Emam ( Fatou Sakory) , a Nubian Egyptian, 3rd generation of internally displaced ethnicity. Aya and Fatolu talk about African feminism, Female genital mutilation, Nubian culture, blackness, right to return, land rights, Arabization and Izlamization of North Africa, religion and Hijab and broader conversation about identity.    Feminists mentioned in the inter...

Nigeria : Today we’re talking with Emmy nominated investigative reporter, Nkiru "Kiki" Mordi, a Nigerian investigative journalist, filmmaker, writer and entrepreneur. She dropped out of school because she was harassed by a lecturer in her school. This ordeal was what led her to shoot the Sex for Grades film with the BBC Africa Eye. Aya and Kiki talk about storytelling, lessons learnt, failures and...

Sudan : Today we’re talking with Yassmin Abdel-Magied , a Sudanese-Australian writer, engineer and award-winning social advocate. Aya and Yassmin talk about demand 7 of B+25 manifesto on Education as well as debate around decolonisation, unconscious bias, and Yassmin's books including Talk About A Revolution, You Must Be Layla among others.  Want to support the Nala Feminist Collective?  Visit our...

Uganda: Today we’re talking with Rosebell Kagumire , a writer, campaigner, pan-African feminist and multimedia communications strategist. Aya and Rosebell talk about demand 4 of B+25 manifesto on Access to Justice and Protection as well as debating concepts of power, colonialism, sexuality and freedom.  Want to support the Nala Feminist Collective?  Visit our website to learn how you can help: htt...

Morocco/Italy: Today we’re talking to Yasmine Ouirhrane, founder of We Belong and Young European of the Year 2019. She is shaping the discourse of a more hopeful, tolerant Europe. Her numerous projects promote gender equality, better opportunities for refugees and the representation of young people from underprivileged backgrounds. Aya and Yasmine talk about demand 3 of B+25 manifesto on Ending Ge...

Libya :Today we’re talking with Hajer Sharief , Peace & Human Rights defender,  Co-founder of Together We Build It. She focuses particularly on youth peace and security and women peace and security agendas.  Aya and Hajer talk about demand 9 of B+25 manifesto on Silencing the Guns and how young women can be part of decision making  in peace and security frameworks, peace talks and negotiations.  W...

Botswana: Today we’re talking with Bogolo Kenewendo, a Botswanan global economist and politician with deep expertise in international trade and development. She focuses particularly on Pan-African development and a passion for accelerating digitization and innovation across the continent. Aya and Bogolo talk about how young women can get more involved in the economic policies being created, and wh...

Tanzania: Today we’re talking with Tessy Yue Li, a young climate justice activist, and co-founder of Y-IDEA, Youth Intra-Dialogue on Europe and Africa, and Zuhura Ahmad, CBD women programme lead at Tanzania Biodiversity Organization, co-founder at Tanzanian Youth Biodiversity Network, and a science teacher. Aya, Tessy and Zuhura talk about how we can integrate more gender diversity into this year’...

In previous COP conferences, there has been a severe lack of young people attending the negotiations that will affect our planet for generations to come. This is the year it changes! Why should the youth have their voices heard any less? They are affected by climate change just like everyone else, and some are taking action. Kenya/South Africa: Today on the show Susan Wairimu & Mthembukazi Bavuma...

The impact of climate change is happening to Africa now, and it’s not getting any better. We need our leaders not just to say they are going to create change, but we need action, and plans set into place today because lives are at risk. Uganda: Vanessa Nakate helps us realize the impact that climate change is having every day on the African continent and the African people. This isn’t something th...

Egypt : Are you feeling overwhelmed about what you can do at COP 27 ?  There’s a lot happening at the conference each year, and if you’re new to it, today’s guest will help ease some of that stress and guide you through what you can do to get the most out of COP 27. Omnia El Omrani is the youth envoy for COP 27 and is helping young people across the African and European Union to make their voices...