[/media-credit] Miss Albinism Kenya, Loise Lihanda (center) is crowned at the “Beauty Beyond Skin” pageant while Mr. Albinism Kenya, Jairus Jzay (left) looks on.

This week’s most important headlines out of and about Africa.

In this week’s news, beauty goes beyond skin, a Tanzanian professor gets a new job, and a missing Chibok schoolgirl is found.

World’s First Albino Beauty Pageant Held In Kenya

Over the years, many people and organizations have worked to spread awareness of the prejudices albinos face. One such organization is Beauty Beyond Skin Color, who recently hosted the world’s first albino beauty pageant in Kenya. 10 men and 10 women, all of them affected with albinism, participated in front of around 1,000 spectators, including Kenya’s deputy president.
The pageant was organized by Isaac Mwaura, a Kenyan MP who has albinism. Mwaura and the participants used the pageant as an opportunity to not only show that differences can be beautiful, but to also show that albinos are as capable as any other member of society and to petition the government for increased protections from violence and prejudice.

Tanzanian Professor Gets Important Job at UN

Law Professor Chris Maina Peter of the University of Dar es Salaam was voted into the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC). Professor Maina Peter was one of 13 Africans considered for the vacant seat. At present, Africa holds 8 seats in the ILC, with similar numbers being held by other geographical regions. This is not Professor Maina Peter’s first appointment to the UN: he previously worked with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of the Racial Discrimination. Maina Peter and other newly elected members from other world regions will serve a 5-year term on ILC, starting in January.

Schoolgirl Escapes Boko Haram With Infant Son

One of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 has been rescued, along with her 10-month-old son. The girl, Maryam Ali Maiyanga, and her son were discovered by Nigerian soldiers this weekend. They were part of a group of people who had escaped from a nearby Boko Haram site, although Maiyanga was the only missing schoolgirl in the group.

To date, only a handful of girls from Chibok have been found. Of the 276 that were originally kidnapped, 57 escaped shortly thereafter. Another girl was found in May, and 21 were released last month after negotiating with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Nigerian government is currently negotiating further releases, but so far around 196 girls remain missing.

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Raevyn Goates

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