Louise Donovan

Louise Donovan

Louise Donovan is the deputy editor of ElleUK.com, covering women's rights, gender issues and world news. She is the recipient of an award from the European Journalism Centre (EJC), and her work has been published in VICE, Grazia and ShortList magazine. 

@louisedonovan_

Recent Stories

Lifestyle & Belief

These Kenyan widows are fighting against sexual 'cleansing'

GlobalPost

October 23, 2018

In some rural parts of Kenya, widowhood means you’re of little value. Culturally, widows are considered impure, and tradition dictates that they must be cleaned — or “cleansed” — of their partners’ death. The aim is to chase away the demons; the ritual requires women to have sex — either with a relative or stranger.