Imagine a world where streams defy gravity, flowing uphill against all odds. An Ethiopian proverb uses this rare image to explore the intricate dynamics between gender and leadership.
Some see it as a metaphor for women’s extraordinary ability to achieve what seems impossible—like making a stream run uphill. Others may interpret it as a reflection of societal scepticism, where both women’s leadership and uphill streams are seen as impossible.
However, natural phenomena like at Kenya’s Kituluni Hill show that streams can indeed appear to flow uphill, challenging our perceptions of what is possible. But is this incredible defiance of gravity real? Or is it a trick of the eye?
In the dual world of impossibility and illusion, choices are limited: women either achieve the unimaginable, or their leadership remains fantasy. True progress means moving beyond duality. Let’s explore the proverb from a fresh perspective, by flipping it on its head.
What if streams must run uphill for women to lead? This suggests that significant obstacles must be overcome for women to hold their power. The real question is: Do we want to create a world where women can live fully without having to defy gravity? If so, why?
The Niles journalists delve into what we collectively stand to gain when the limitations and barriers surrounding women are removed so that their—and our—basic human needs are fulfilled, not only to survive and live well but also to live free and belong.
What do you need?
Editorial
SURVIVAL
Survival 101: Stop the war, protect the future
Interview / Esther Muwombi
Virunga: How violence destroys choice
Photo-essay / Daniel Buuma
Women leading water conservation in Kajiado County
Sola Arasha
Women navigating the Nile: Survival charts a path towards change
Rita Opanji James
Amua: A journey towards self-determination in Migori
Photo-essay / Curity Ogada
A tale of two rivers
Pius Sawa
WELLBEING
Together strong: The first female farmers’ union in Upper Egypt advances fairness and equality
Sara Gamal
Zuri: A journey to give back blossoms in support and wellbeing
Mugume Davis
Surrounded by water, deprived of access: The paradox of scarcity at Lake Victoria
Daniel Remo Msangya, Jasmine Shamwepu, Veronica Modest
Toxic water, unequal impact: The gendered toll of industrial pollution
Sharon Musaki
Women of Ukerewe innovate in cooking, challenge the patriarchy and protect resources
Lilian Ruggua
Trading fish for freedom
Winnie Cirino
Soil, water and dignity: Untangling gender and power in the Nile Basin
Data story / Joyce Chimbi
FREEDOM
Guardians of the Nile: Women’s synergy protects the basin
Keziah Wangui Githinji
Free to grow? How the gender of money defines economic futures
Ferdinand Mbonihankuye
Ganobia Hora: Young women embody ecofeminism in southern Egypt
Enas Kamal
Women in STEM open the door to freedom
Innocent Kiza, Okello Jesus Ojara
Ripple effect: Gender equity in water governance key to prosperity and sustainability
Comment / Raphael Obonyo
IDENTITY
Shaping identities through leadership
Raphael Obonyo
A relentless pursuit of solutions
Annonciata Byukusenge
Women uniting wildlife and tourist trails
Diana Kibuuka Nakayima
Eco-caregivers: Nurturing the future
Comment / Keziah Wangui Githinji
Bold bonds
Pauline Ongaji
Building the foundations of transformation
Esther Muwombi, Mugume Davis Rwakaringi
