Focus on health – contraceptive linked to women empowerment

Footballers in Australia and Venezuela have revealed harassment and sexual abuse within their respective countries. The new claims comes in the wake of a sexual misconduct case in the United States.

Heavily armed gangs have been stepping up raids on schools and villages in northwestern Nigeria, often taking hostages for ransom.

In Kandahar, the traditional Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, life is full of difficulties and anxiety for women. As the head of a girls-only primary school, Fereshteh Nazari has been able to return to work but along with her colleagues they have not received a salary in two months. Women teachers and girls have been excluded from returning to secondary education. Elsewhere in the ultra-conservative city, men gather to watch traditional wrestling while women are hardly seen in public spaces anymore. One man says: "The international community should not interfere in our internal matters."

"It is sad that there are so few women Nobel laureates" says Göran K. Hansson, secretary general of the Royal Swedish academy of sciences, after only one woman, Maria Ressa, was awarded a Nobel Prize this year.

Allyson Felix says she is proud of fellow sports stars speaking out on mental health issues, although more has to be done to support athletes including those with young children. Felix was speaking shortly before being confirmed as Sportswoman of the Year at the Annual Salute to Women awards in New York. Tennis player Naomi Osaka, who spoke about her mental health problems earlier this year, was given the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. Felix, 35, is now the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time at the Olympics, and no American has won more than her 11 medals, which included a gold and a bronze in Tokyo.

Togolese women say they are pushing back against sexist cyberstalking more than ever. We also report on women construction workers who are helping to change the landscape of the Central African Republic. And Leptis Magna was once one of the most beautiful towns in the Roman Empire, but the Libyan ruins are now on UNESCO’s list of heritage sites in danger.

Despite the threat of violence, we meet those determined to protest for women's rights as the Taliban consolidates its control of the country. Also the Mexican Supreme Court rules that criminalisation of abortion is unconstitutional, paving the way for legalisation. Plus the activists in Togo who are fighting against online harassment of women. This as some 45 percent of women in West Africa are said to be victims of cyber-bullying.

One year after #EndSARS protests rocked Nigeria, police have warned against a repeat to mark the anniversary. The largest protest in Nigeria's history ended after the army reportedly killed at least 12 demonstrators.

Nigerian protesters Legend, Solomon and Samuel were all injured on the night of October 20, 2020 - a night they "can never forget" - when the Nigerian army used live ammunition to disperse a peaceful demonstration at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos. Between anger, deception, and hope, the 'Soro Soke' ('Speak Up' in Yoruba) demonstrators still want their voices to be heard a year later.

Villagers count the dead after gunmen from a suspected criminal gang attacked the village market in Goronyo in northwest Nigeria's Sokoto state, killing 43 people.

On average, 40% of health professionals in the world are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 but this figure hides huge disparities between regions, regrets Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO.

A year ago, Akinwunmi hoisted a pole bearing the Nigerian and ENDSARS flags above his head to draw attention to the protest movement against police brutality in Lagos. Now known by thousands as Flagboii, Akinwunmi keeps waving his flag to "fight for a good country."