Akimbo is 500 posts old!

We’re very excited to be publishing our 500th post since the launch of Akimbo in March 2009! The blog is run by the folks in the Communications Program, and we’ve all picked three of our recent favorite posts. Learn more about the team behind the blog and all of our contributors here.

Audacia Ray’s favorites:

• In The Interest of “Equality,” Malawian Woman’s Identity Is Erased: In May, an international human rights story broke about a gay couple in Malawi who were convicted and given a 14 year sentence for homosexuality. However, the reports were wrong – one of the people in the couple was a transgender woman, not a gay man.
• Women’s Health Clinic in Rural Nepal and Street Theater Raises Awareness of Inequity and Violence in Rural Nepal: Last spring, we launched our Young Visionaries contest, which awarded a grant for $1000 to one young person with a vision for creating social change. The winner, Sunita Basnet of Nepal, wrote two blog posts about her project.
• Brazilian Youth on Their Experience of Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Two graduates of our Brazilian partner Grupo Curumim’s youth program talk about comprehensive sexuality education, demonstrating that it isn’t just about body parts, condoms, or diseases, but that it’s also about life skills, confidence, and community.

Kelly Castagnaro’s favorites:

• Prostitutes of God Film Mocks, Belittles Sex Workers: Last month, our partners at VAMP issued a video response to a documentary film posted on VBS.TV, stating that they felt the documentary misrepresented their lives, families, and their workplace.  VAMP’s response shows how women, even women living in rural India who once would not have had the means to watch the video in question,  can utilize the power of technology to speak up and speak out.
• What Does Feminism Mean to You?  Three African Youth Activists Speak Out: Even though I attended the Fourth Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights and had the opportunity to work with Temitayo, Amy, Priscilla and Clara, I never tire of this video.  The tremendous energy of these young feminists took over the room and the entire conference center.  As usual, Clara is eminently quotable: “feminism is all about mutuality in the place of hierarchy.”
• No Excuses: A Living Experience of the Struggle for Rights: Once again, our partner Meena Seshu of SANGRAM says as no one else can: “People have the right to exist how they want to exist.”

Melanie Abrahams’ favorites:

• Prevent Child Marriage: Help Give Millions of Girls a Choice and a Chance: I wish there were no need for a post about ending child marriage, but the fact is that until girls are safe from early and forced marriage, we must continue writing and talking about it. What makes Kelly’s post stand out is that she didn’t only address the problem, but brought a young person’s voice into the conversation and showed people that they really can do something to help. This is proof that although the devastation caused by early marriage is overwhelming, taking a stand against it doesn’t have to be.
• 10 Myths About Sex and Virginity: Debunked: This post on sex and virginity myths was not only super informative—but incredibly fun to read.  Lori’s humor (“magical vaginal barrier,” was one of her more brilliant turns of phrase here) made this post one of the more accessible pieces I’ve read on a subject that is too often treated in a strictly academic manner. We need more thought leaders who understand that information is only effective if people read it in the first place. As long as Lori’s writing, I’ll be reading.
• Standing Up for Youth Health and Rights at the International AIDS Conference: Alex Garita’s post on Rachel Judhistari’s speech at the International AIDS Conference—and about her path to becoming an advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights—is beyond inspiring. Rachel’s dedication and enthusiasm for her work are exactly what we need to secure a just and healthy life for women and girls. She, and others like her, prove that young people aren’t only the leaders of tomorrow, they are the change-makers of today.

Lori Adelman’s favorites:

• Little Women: Early Puberty And What it Means for Girls: Melanie Abrahams tackled the sensitive issue of early puberty with a keen overview of the steps that need to be taken to prevent the hyper-sexualization of young girls. I appreciated that she connected global concerns about early puberty  to the crucial need to fight child marriage on a global scale.
• Has Gender Become Just Another Word for Girls?: This guest post by Siobhàn Foran,  cross-posted from UNICEF’s Back on Track Ask the Gender Expert blog , demonstrated provocative thought leadership and inspired me to consistently evaluate my advocacy efforts for thoroughness and efficacy.
• The World Cup May Be Over, But the Conversation is Just Getting Started: A guest post by Rosemari Ochoa, a participant in IWHC’s San Francisco advocacy training, smartly capitalized on the popularity of the World Cup to illustrate the invariable ways in which environmental justice and sexual and reproductive rights and health are related.