Retail workers’ landmark U.K. win brings hope for future equal pay cases
Women at fashion retailer Next successfully argued their work was equal to mens despite doing different jobs. What does the ruling mean for workers?
Louise Donovan
Louise Donovan is an award-winning journalist, focusing on investigations and global reporting. She covers human rights, labor exploitation and international supply chains, often at the intersection of climate change or health.
Prior to this, she worked closely with the editorial team of Kenya’s largest newspaper, The Nation, teaming up with Kenyan journalists to cross-publish stories in both African and international outlets.
Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, TIME, The Associated Press, CNN, Foreign Policy and Vice World News, among others.
Louise’s groundbreaking stories have taken her across the globe, from Africa to the Middle East and Latin America. Several have led to systemic changes in garment factories and helped rescue migrant workers in exploitative conditions.
She won a One World Media award for her reporting on sexual violence in India, while her work examining the deadly consequences of curbing reproductive rights in Kenya was shortlisted for the Anthony Shahid Award for Journalism Ethics. In 2021, she won the ILO’s Labor Migration award for reporting on domestic workers in the Gulf using TikTok, published with The New York Times.
Previously the Deputy Digital Editor of ELLE UK, Louise edited the multiple award-winning Warrior series published in partnership with The Fuller Project.
“We’re tired” – Ten years on, Yazidi women survivors still wait for justice
Before dawn on the morning of August 3, 2014, heavily armed fighters from the Islamic State group (IS) swept across the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, taking over the Yazidi homeland and embarking on a campaign…
Reporter’s Notebook: How heat impacts fashion’s global workers
From floods to rising temperatures, workers in fast fashion’s global supply chain are on the frontlines of climate change
Fast fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries. Its global workforce is paying the price.
Around the world, fashion’s mostly female labor force are grappling with working conditions made increasingly unbearable and unhealthy by climate change.
New Hope for Pakistan’s Mistreated Workers
Germany’s new Supply Chain Act could help curb some of the world’s worst labor injustices.
From South Korea’s feminists to the secret beauty salons of Afghanistan, read women’s inspiring stories from around the world
We’ve teamed up with 14 international news outlets to shed light on the most pressing issues facing women globally.
‘A wake-up call’: After alleged metaverse rape, calls to protect women and girls grow
Sexual assault and harassment are largely unregulated in virtual reality, despite rising reports of psychological harm caused by rape in the metaverse.
COP28: How climate change hits women and the world of work
With scientists declaring 2023 likely to be the hottest year ever recorded, discussions at this year’s COP28, the annual U.N. climate summit, have never felt more urgent. As diplomats and leaders gather in Dubai from Thursday, one…
African fashion is booming. It could create millions of jobs for women.
African fashion is booming as the continent’s middle class expands. It could create millions of jobs for women.
Soccer’s fight for workers’ rights
Women soccer stars are seeing some success in their push for equal pay. The same isn’t true for the women in FIFA’s supply chain.
Reporter’s Notebook: Migrant women in Qatar’s hotels speak out
Migrant women working in Qatar's World Cup hotels have said they were ignored when they made allegations of harassment or abuse.
Female migrant workers speak out about harassment in Qatar’s World Cup hotels
As the FIFA World Cup starts, migrant women working in Qatar's hotels say their allegations of harassment or abuse have been ignored.
Eighteen months in, Myanmar’s garment workers face widespread abuse under military rule
New research documents the alleged abuse of over 60,000 garment workers under military rule, with Zara, H&M, Lidl and Bestseller linked to the most cases.
Reporter’s Notebook: A toxic trash site in Kenya is making women sick
While it’s understood that exposure to the toxic chemicals found on dumpsites can result in cancer, respiratory problems and skin infections, relatively little attention has been paid to their impact on the reproductive health of…
From the Archives: Group that helps FGM survivors wins prestigious UK award. Meet the founder.
Stigma can stop survivors of female genital mutilation from seeking help, but Hawa Bah, who was cut at eight, reaches those suffering in silence to get them the care they need.
‘The smoke enters your body’: A toxic trash site in Kenya is making women sick
As rubbish piles up on a vast dumpsite, the women who sift through it for their livelihood are suffering reproductive health problems that scientists say have been overlooked.
Related: Air pollution’s impact on women’s health is not getting the attention it needs, scientists warn
Related: Air pollution’s impact on women’s health is not getting the attention it needs, scientists warn
She made jeans for Americans. When they stopped shopping, she turned to sex work
As the garment sector—one of the Lesotho’s largest employers—crumbles during the coronavirus pandemic, a 30-year-old factory worker turns to sex work to make do.
Violence spikes as Myanmar garment workers say factories are colluding with the junta
With tensions rising in alleged military-linked factories, brands such as Mango and Zara have cut ties in recent months. But at what cost to the mostly female workforce?
