I grew up in Apartheid South Africa, but I also experienced it change into a democracy.

It’s really crazy how the system of apartheid didn’t just oppress people based on the color of their skin, but also turned ethnic groups against another. White supremacy also fueled the way we perceived beauty. I remember, year after year, watching Miss South Africa beauty pageants and being in awe as tall, white and blonde women almost always became the prized queens of the pageant. And I remember how ugly it made me feel that I would never be considered ‘beautiful’ if beauty pageants, Barbie dolls and models on the covers of magazines were anything to go by.

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Too many times I have been told to dress “right”. Often times I have been asked if I dressed a certain way to gain more “male attention” or to be more precise, to “tease men”. Every day, I am reminded that if I stay out too late, I could “invite trouble”. The list goes on.

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South Africa is a country riddled with crime and corruption, negative press reports and many of the issues that tend to plague developing countries. But there is also another side to the coin, one that sheds light on the hope and courage of its people who get up each morning and attempt to make a difference on the lives of people who surround them. Former bodybuilder and fitness instructor Claude Maphosa pulls no punches when it comes to uplifting his community.

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Her hair is tied up in a top knot. Thick kohl lines her eyes up to the temples. Her forehead is painted in red, with a silver agni chakchuu – the third eye, which is known as the fire eye – staring out from the center. She sits playfully on her mother’s lap while one by one people kneel down to offer her flowers, donations or simply to touch her feet. She appears shy to me, as if not used to receiving strangers. Despite the shyness, her eyes sparkle with curiosity.

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While the “Islamic State” (IS) has lost most of its cities in Iraq and Syria, thousands of Yazidis it kidnapped are still missing. Activists say some are being hidden within IS families. Judit Neurink reports from Irbil.

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Does a sex joke constitute sexual assault? Or only if they grab your bottom? A survey shows that tolerance levels vary across Europe. EU countries deal differently with sexual harassment, and Germany often lags behind.

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Time to hang up that Bunny suit … and bring out your Superwoman costume. About eight years ago in South Africa, I started my own magazine. It was born out of the idea that mainstream publications did not represent the real beauty of the people who surrounded me. I had subscribed to Cosmopolitan magazine since I was 16 and had read the issues cover to cover. I scanned the percentage of advertising in each issue and deconstructed the content, themes and styles until I got bored by the predictability.

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