harvard essay contest

Harvard International Economics

Essay contest (hieec).

HIEEC provides students the opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Through the contest, students hone their academic and professional skills and exhibit their knowledge. 

HIEE C 202 3 -2024

Hieec 2023-2024 is now closed. .

The 2023-2024  Harvard International Economics Essay Contest is sponsored by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA). This essay competition is open to high school studen ts of any year and is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrat e an accom plished level of writing and understanding of economic the ory. T hrough the contest, student competitors hone their academic and professional skills and exhibit their knowledge to future employers and academic programs. 

Competitors must construct a convincing argument using economic theory and real-world examples. Winning essays will be published on our website  and will be available for the greater Harvard community to read. Essays should focus on argumentation supported with facts and references, although data-based support is also welcome.

Yiheng Lyu​

Audrey Ku k​

Hyoungjin Jin

Juyoung Chun

Kevin Zhang

Matthew Choi

Mikayil Sadikhov

Raunak Agarwal

Vallabh Himakunthala

Highly Commended

Aronima Biswas

Aryan Nangia

Kridaya Gupta

Leonardo Jia

Rohan Mathur

Anagha Chakravarti

Amberlynn Gong

Neha Shanavas

Donghyeon Oh

2023-2024  Essay Questions

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to affect growth, inequality, productivity, innovation, and employment. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, in particular, has greatly increased public awareness about the significance of AI and its implications for the future. What impact will the development of AI have on economic inequality, the composition of the workforce, and economic output as a whole? How can nations prepare for the micro and macroeconomic changes brought about by AI?

Measuring national and global economic activity allows us to understand how economies change in size and structure—how they grow and contract. In addition to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), government budgets, and the money supply, alternatives like the Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross National Income (GNI) are used to assess economic progress. What are the advantages of our current economic indices, including GDP, HDI, GNI, government budgets, and the money supply, and in what areas are they lacking? Which of these indices do you find most helpful, and how can we enhance or combine them to improve our understanding of economic measurement?

Proponents of income redistribution support the idea that redistribution policies will increase economic stability and give more opportunities to the less wealthy. Others, however, are more skeptical and believe it could have negative consequences for economic growth. Current methods of redistribution include taxation, welfare, public services, and other monetary policies. What strategies for income redistribution should the U.S. adopt from other countries? What economic impacts could a wealth tax or super millionaire tax have? What type of redistribution is most effective and feasible? What would be the impacts of the U.S. enacting universal basic income? Discuss the implications of any of these issues and feel free to expand on other areas of economic redistribution.

As the United States weighs the impacts of China’s rise to global prominence, economics and national security have become increasingly intertwined. As a result, the United States government has imposed both tariffs and investment restrictions on China to limit the nation’s access to both US markets and intellectual property (specifically in sensitive industries such as semiconductors). What are the economic implications of these policies for United States firms, consumers, and workers? Discuss the most important perspectives of the US-China trade war and provide suggestions on how both countries can manage the prospect of a changing economic order.

2nd November 2023 – Essay titles released

11:59pm EST 5th January 2024  – Essay submission deadline

Late February 2024*  – Highly Commended and Finalists notified

Early March 2024 * – Winners notified, results published on the website

*We received a high volume of submissions, therefore we anticipate  that it will take us a couple m ore w eeks to release the results. 

Entrants must choose one of the four prompts and write a response to it with a strict limit of 1500 words. Submission must be via the HUEA website and entrants are limited to submitting one essay with only the first submission being considered. Each essay submission will have a $20 reading fee which should be paid upon submission of the essay. If this fee will impose a significant financial burden on your family, please email us. The deadline for submitting the essay is 11:59pm EST January 5th, 2024. ​

Please submit essay submissions via this form.

If the above link does not work, use:  https://forms.gle/9NVDu9WVbU71iPpq6

*Be sure to read all the details in the submission form carefully before submitting, as failure to complete any of the steps correctly may result in your submission not being considered.

The essays will be judged by the board of the HUEA, with the top 10 submissions being adjudicated by the esteemed Harvard professor and 2016 Economics Nobel Prize winner Oliver Hart.

The top three winning essays will be published ( with the author’s permission) on our website. A finalist s list of the top  submissions will be published online and adjudicated by 2016 Economics Nobel Prize Winner Oliver Hart. A list of names that will receive the "Highly Commended" distinction will also be published online​. The judges' decisions are final.

Terms and Conditions

The word limit of 1500 must be strictly adhered to. Any words past the limit will be truncated. This limit excludes references, footnotes, titles, headers and footers.

Essays must be written only by the entrant. Any outside assistance must be declared in the beginning or end of the essay.

Only your first submission will be accepted. Any further submissions will not be read.

References must be included, and any plagiarism will lead to disqualification.

References must be in Chicago or APA format. 

The only accepted document formatting is PDF. Any other format will not be accepted, nor will refunds be given to those who do not follow this rule.

No refunds are granted.

Grades 9-12 are permitted.

The essay must not be entered in any other competition nor be published elsewhere.

No individual feedback of essays will be granted.

The decisions made by HUEA by the final round of adjudication are final.

All winners agree to their names being published on the HUEA website.

Past Winners

2022  prompts an d winners.

In recent years and decades, many countries have seen fertility rates drop, potentially leading to falling populations. Currently, China has a fertility rate of 1.3, one of the lowest in the world. However, in 2021, China experienced GDP growth of 8% with output totaling $17.7 trillion. Will this lowered fertility rate (with potential to fall further) affect China’s economic growth and policy? How so? What, if anything, can the Chinese government do to limit the risk of falling fertility rates?

U.S. mortgage rates recently passed 7%, making the purchase of a new home increasingly unaffordable. Meanwhile, the United States has suffered from a chronic shortage of available housing for decades, particularly in urban areas, leading to what many scholars and advocates call an affordability crisis. Why is housing so unaffordable in the U.S.? What can (or should) be done by private actors, state and local governments, and the federal government to alleviate the affordability crisis?

It is often suggested that a tradeoff exists between economic growth and the health of the environment, especially now as the threat of climate change becomes more dire. What economic risks does a changing climate pose? Can economic growth be consistent with a healthy environment? What policies, either market-based or otherwise, should governments enact to protect the environment while posing the least danger to economic efficiency? 

Central banks such as the Federal Reserve in the U.S. and the Bank of England in the UK manage their nation’s macroeconomies with the goal of ensuring price stability and maximum employment. Globally, inflation rates are rising to levels not seen since the 1980s, particularly in the U.S. and European countries. To what extent should the monetary policies of central banks in various Western countries differ or resemble one another as a reaction to the specific causes of inflation facing their economies?

​ Click below to view each winner's essay

Ashwin t elang  *   nanxi jiang   *   duncan wong, 2019 wi n ner.

https://www.economicsreview.org/post/when-is-one-choice-one-t oo-many

2020 Winners

https://www.economicsreview.org/post/covid-19-and-the-market

https://www.economicsreview.org/post/automation-and-jobs-this-time-is-different

https://www.economicsreview.org/post/making-rational-decisions

REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!

Do you want to win a Harvard Crimson Internship with a Letter of Recommendation?

Welcome to The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2022! The most powerful global essay writing competition for high school students.

The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition provides a platform for young, ambitious high school students to exercise their writing skills in a non-traditional environment.

WHY JOIN HCGEC 2022?

Interested in careers as an editor, columnist, reporter, communications specialist, social media manager, or marketing professional?

This competition encourages students to challenge themselves and explore different writing styles to ultimately strengthen their writing skills.

Each participant is invited to attend best-in-class workshops, explore careers in writing, and compete for exclusive opportunities and global recognition!

GLOBAL PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

Harvard Crimson Internship and a Letter of Recommendation

Global recognition as a top writer by having your essay published on the official HCGEC website, endorsed by The Harvard Crimson

US$5000 Cash prizes

US$5000 Crimson credit from Crimson Education

Harvard Merch !

Registrations close on

Wednesday, january 19th, 23:59 auckland time.

To register you will need:

Parent permission for anyone under 18 years of age.

A credit card for the registration fee: US$15

Includes competition entry and access to participant exclusive workshops & recordings.

An email that is not a school email address.

Are you ready for a journey like no other? Let’s go!

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HIR Academic Writing Contest Fall/Winter 2021 Medal Winners

The Harvard International Review is a quarterly magazine offering insight on international affairs from the perspectives of scholars, leaders, and policymakers. Since our founding in 1979, we've set out to bridge the worlds of academia and policy through outstanding writing and editorial selection.

The quality of our content is unparalleled. Each issue of the Harvard International Review includes exclusive interviews and editorials by leading international figures along with expert staff analysis of critical international issues. We have featured commentary by 43 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 4 Secretaries-General, 4 Nobel Economics Prize laureates, and 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Inspired by our growing high school readership around the world, we created the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest to encourage and highlight outstanding high school writing on topics related to international affairs.

Congratulations to all Fall/Winter 2021 medal winners on the quality of your submissions!

Alexander Gianola Cook . Stevenson School . “ China’s New Silk Road and The Scramble For Africa ”

Yueyang Lu. Shanghai Weiyu High School. “ Farm-to-Table: Will China Take a Seat within the Fresh Food Movement?”

Yilin Cai. Basis International School Shenzhen. “ Locked-up Santa, the Forgotten Cost of Travel Restrictions”

Mia Liu . Shenzhen College of International Education. “US Bar on Huawei: The First Steps Towards De-Globalization”

Zara Haque. Greenwich High School. “ Power Struggle: The Regional Implications of Germany’s Nuclear Phase Out ”

Longhao Chen, Fengshuo Wang . Lansdale Catholic High School, Allendale Columbia School. “ Two Superpowers Moving Apart: Hong Kong's Future Positioning as an International Financial Center.”

Gongkai Yuan. Hangzhou Foreign Languages School. “ New Forms of Global Education: Taiwan’s Soft Power Initiative in the Wake of Confucius Institute Closures”

Yi Xin. Beijing Huijia Private School. “ A Bleak Sky: Call to Reform Africa’s Aviation Industry”

Parmis Mokhtari-Dizaji. Phillips Exeter Academy. “ COVID-19 as a Driving Factor in the Isolation of Supply Chain Networks in the World and an Accelerator of Deglobalization”

Xuan Jin. Shanghai Pinghe School. “ Offline and Online: Increasing Hate Towards African Residents in China”

Silver Medal

Tianxin Yu. Shanghai Pinghe School. “ End of Slavery? Trafficking and Forced Labor of Illegal Latin American Immigrants in South Georgia”

Tiffany Wen. The Lawrenceville School. “ China's Divided Policies: Encouraging Globalization Yet Implementing Isolation”

Jessica Wang. The Bronx High School of Science. “ Frenemies: The Sino-Japanese Relationship”

Chenyue Liu, Yixuan Chen. Cheshire Academy. “ Global Crisis: The Uncompromising Trade War”

Angelina Richter. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. “ What the Upcoming “Surface Land Race” Means for Global Relations”

Xiyan Liu. Crofton House School. “ The Paradox of Pollution: The Environmental Impact of Space Exploration”

Wenhan Pei. Qibaodwight High School. “ India's Going Electric: Hyundai Invests in the Electric Vehicle Market”

Chenghou Wang, Zhenhao Li. Chengdu Experimental Foreign Languages School. “ Cyber Attacks Occur Frequently:Only Worldwide Cooperation Can Push Cybersecurity Forward”

Margaret Li. Eastside Preparatory School. “ Laws for LAWS: A Topic for International Discussion.”

Langrui Cao. Mingde High School of Changsha. “ HUAWEI in a Dilemma: Pursuing Globalization but Thriving in Isolation”

Isabelle Ravanas. Walter Payton College Prep. “ The Philippines Under Duterte- Increasingly Alone”

Yifan Zhou. BASIS International School Guangzhou. “ Chinese Education: The Pros and Cons Brought by Globalization”

Jiaqi Shou. Hangzhou Foreign Language School. “ An International Sea Power Storm Over Jersey Island”

Luming Jia. Beijing No.101 High School. “ Within an Ace of Success: How Globalization in the Aviation Market Might Hinder Independent Innovation”

Jiayu Pan. Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU. “ Where to go: Tourism industry in Thailand in the face of COVID-19”

Bronze Medal

Arrnavv Chawla. Fravashi International Academy. “ Our Link to The Sea”

Jiarun Yao. The Masters School. “ Invalidated Privacy Shield, Turbulent Data Policies, and the Blurry Future”

Zhou Shen, Feiyu Lin. Hangzhou Foreign Language School Cambridge A-level Centre. “ An Evolving Autopilot Industry: How Google and Tesla Head to Different Directions”

Fanghao Shen. Phillips Academy Andover. “ Anxiety, Automation, and AI On Methods of Identifying and Mitigating the Risks Posed by Technological Innovation and Automation”

Xiaohe Chen. Beijing Royal School. “ Becoming a “Global Citizen”:The Controversy of Bilingual Education under “Coro-nationalism”

Jiayi Wei. Keystone Academy. “ Climate Change and Extreme Weather: The Irreversibility of Globalization Resulted in Impossibility of Isolation”

Yufei Chen. Beijing 101 middle school. “ Loosen or fasten: globe supply chain restructuring in post-COVID-19 era”

Zhiyang Zhong. TABOR Academy. “ The Diversity Problem:Financial Globalization and Minority Groups”

Jia Han. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “ Carbon net zero: new dominance?”

Zhiyi Chen. The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. “ Harmony vs Hostility: Policy for International Students in the United States During COVID-19 Pandemic”

Leo Li. Benjamin N. Cardozo Highschool. “ The Ramifications of Cryptocurrency Regulation.”

Haoyu Guan. St. Stephen's Episcopal School. “ Smart Production for Service Production: the International Cooperation of UAV Delivery”

Naviya Kamdar. D Y Patil International School. “ The Exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar”

Zhehao Zhou. Hangzhou Foreign Language School Cambridge A-level Centre. “ Global Anger Grows Over Brazil’s Handling of Deforestation at COP26”

Baoyi Ouyang. Guangdong Shunde Desheng School. “ Vocational Education in China: Will Vocational Schools Become as Important as Universities in the Future?”

Yuanheng Yue. Shanghai World Foriegn Language Academy. “ Metaverse: The Iron Curtain of the New Cold War”

Ruoyu Zhou. Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School. “ Victim in the Global Economy : How to Humanise the Experience of Migrant Workers?”

Yifei Li. Beijing 101 middle school. “ The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: climate ambition and trade protection”

Aadya Medha Akkipeddi. The Commonwealth School. “ Globalization vs Isolation”

Ka Yan Choi. Shanghai High School International Division. “ Globalization Versus Isolation in Public Health: Coronavirus and Gain-of-Function Research”

Jiajun Li. Basis International Parklane Harbor. “ Social integration assessment: foreign merchants in Yiwu”

Winning Essays

The Harvard GlobalWE Board members and essay contest managers read over all submissions and vote on the winning essay by year and school or region. In its selection criteria, Harvard GlobalWE does not advocate a specific ideology or agenda.

Harvard GlobalWE has published 99 winning essays from our Essay Contest from the past five years in a coffee table book. We are excited to announce that a limited number of books are available to share with individuals who donate $99 or more (for 99 essays!) to Harvard GlobalWE. Donate today to receive a copy of the book. Take a look at the essay contest book here . Please visit our Donate page to make a contribution and receive a copy of the book.

Congratulations, 2023 Winners!

Please read the 2023 Winning Essays here .

Congratulations, 2022 Winners!

Please read the 2022 Winning Essays here .

In a world where only the most tangible things can be characterised as real, as existing, we often forget that challenges can also come from within, from places which we easily ignore. In China, the greatest challenge that women and girls face is the language formed through the ancestral ideology: 「三從四德」1.

“You are the dancing queen. Young and sweet. Only seventeen.”

Amidst the cacophony of off-key singing and crackling party poppers, I gently blew a gust of air towards the enormous cake, snuffing out the flickering candle in an instant. A great eruption of applause filled the room as beloved friends and family flooded towards me to exchange their congratulations. It was another momentous day for me — I finally became a dancing queen.

It was a normal day after school, and she had gone to the train station with her friends. 5 girls in a circle, they were just casually waiting for the train to arrive, and chatting about how one of them had been followed several times while heading home and what self-protection measures they should adopt if the situation calls for it. Ironically, during that conversation, a man approached from behind her. She had not realised what he was doing, until her friend chased after him and told her that he had been filming her under the dress.

My family and I are always exhilarated whenever the Olympics play on television, gluing our eyes to the screen no matter what we are doing - brushing our teeth, eating lunch, playing card games, etc. Squeezed onto our too-small sofa, my family and I anticipated the next contestant - Gong Lijiao, China’s Olympic shot putter, with an impressive track record to step up to the plate. My sister’s eyes sparkled looking at Gong’s well built and muscular body, as she aspires to become a great athlete just like her. That day we witnessed Gong throw her best shot yet, 20.58m (China's shot putter Gong Lijiao wins her first Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, 2021), winning gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Without a question, humanity has made staggering social progress. We have entered an era where women’s rights have made it to the spotlight, and gender equality is an issue people are both willing and eager to discuss. Yet what is happening here in China tell us that women and girls in the country still face obstacles when voicing out any “feministic” views or simply sharing their experiences regarding issues like sexism or sexual harassment. This, I would say, is the biggest challenge women and girls in the country face as of today.

As the title says, I will be explaining what the biggest challenge women and girls face in my home country – Nepal. The Himalayan country is known for its summits and is also the birthplace of the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha. But behind this façade is an underlying horror of mistreatment of women and girls in Nepal. I will be looking into the biggest challenge Nepali women and girls face from the perspective of gender discrimination, gender-based violence with an example of a deadly custom.

A modern fusion of western diversity and Chinese traditions, Hong Kong is known as one of the most progressive cities in the world. As "Asia's World City", Hong Kong prides itself in the significant advancements made toward creating a diverse and accepting society. However, beneath the acclaimed surface of statistics, the unconscious solipsism that led to age-old prejudices such as gender preferences continue to plague Hong Kong's society today.

Known as a city with a multitude of languages, Hong Kong houses 7+ million citizens of diverse cultures. Home to a treasure trove of traditions, our city has always been proud of its status as ‘Asia’s World City’— a place of sustainability, prosperity and advancement. Yet, discrimination and marginalisation of queer women persist; no matter in the field of education, institution, representation or legislation. Women in the LGBT community, irrespective of age, continue to be stigmatized for what they believe in. Then why, if this city proclaims to be progressive, prevails its silence on the injustice queer people carry on to face to this very day?

To this day, I remember.

I remember when the world was pure and white, when I would hold dear to my parents’ hand -- colossal, warm and sturdy -- to walk the streets of hawker food stalls, go out for Dim Sum and pay Chinese New Year visits. I remember the praising gazes and compliments I was met with, about how beautiful I looked in flowery dresses, stylish shorts and fitting attires, which made me so fond of dressing up -- once.

“What in the world are you thinking?”

My mother began her tirade.

“There is a reason I never let you cut your hair short—it accentuates your round face and brings out your unattractive features. Looks are important, especially for women! You’re lucky you don’t have any interviews for universities at the moment—I can’t imagine how you can face others with an appearance like this.”

‘Mom, where are you?’ I was sobbing since I was witnessing my classmates leaving the kindergarten one by one. At that time, I was merely five years old and I was the last kid leaving the kindergarten. ‘Why couldn’t you come pick me up earlier? What caused the delay?’ When I finally saw my mother, I questioned her anxiously. ‘It’s all because of work. You should know I have to work hard to make a living. I have been occupied since I was back in the office this morning so I came late.’ Mom stared at me and said tiredly. ‘If so, why didn't dad come instead?’ I asked perplexingly. ‘That’s because your dad is a man. Men are born to focus on building their careers instead of taking care of household chores.’ Mom said involuntarily. Looking at my exhausted mother who is obviously drained by her work and roles as a working mother, I cannot help but to reflect upon women’s status in society. The seed was sprouted in my heart - why are men allowed to be career-oriented but not women?

What is your first impression of Hong Kong ladies? Astute? Sober? Dogged? Elegant? Or amiable? Seems like females in Hong Kong are so glamorous and exquisite. Incontrovertibly, they have a higher quality of life in Hong Kong compared to others megalopolis, but they still face a myriad of predicaments nevertheless. In this article, the deplorable situations that females need to defy will be stated out in three dimensions: Society, Kith and Kin, Individual.

As soon as my eyes landed on the topic of this essay, I was fraught with uncertainty and hesitation. If truth be told, I seem to have never experienced sexism and gender inequality that bothered me. Being a student in a single-sex school, I see girls of my age dominating the sports ground and triumphing in a host of competitions, taking up leadership positions on campus. We have had our first female Chief Executive after 20 years since the handover, ridding us of the stereotype that the female sex is the weaker sex. I feel fortunate to be a girl living in Hong Kong in this day and age, and yet, I am asked to probe into the difficulties that females in Hong Kong encounter today. I therefore scrutinize my life and observations, and I uncovered that such a sense of satisfaction could be the biggest challenge. Are we authentically content with what we have now, or is there still an immense curb on women?

In China, one of the major challenges and issues women or girls face is patriarchy. Sadly, bias in family status and discrimination in the workplace are still common in our society.

“Becoming yourself is really hard and confusing, and it’s a process. It’s often not cool to be the person who puts themselves out there.” - Emma Watson

It is indeed true that society cares too much about unnecessary conventions for women, and we, as females, care too much about society’s perception of us.

Women and girls in the United States struggle with many issues, from misogyny to sexual assault to domestic abuse and so much more. But now that the U.S. Supreme Court might possibly overturn the case “Roe v. Wade , ” the threat to the right to abortion is the single biggest challenge facing women and girls in my country. When it comes to legislating women’s reproductive healthcare, it genuinely terrifies me how one human being can believe they have jurisdiction over the body of another human being. What’s equally terrifying is that the government abdicates responsibility for its life once a child is born. And while the father should remain accountable, it’s often the mother who is entirely in charge of her offspring. She’s probably the one who will have to find a way to feed them, bathe them, and earn money to take care of their every need. For a variety of reasons, I understand why women, including teenage girls, undergo the process of abortion.

Roadmen. Lads. Chavs. Birds. Britain is home to our own dictionary of descriptors for teenagers, ways to describe both females and males that categorise and label people into narrow confinements, used daily in secondary schools nationally without a second thought. Seemingly harmless to outsiders, this lingo holds more weight than its appearance on the surface, and ingrains a culture in the UK; a culture of toxic masculinity, of female belittlement and of strict, rigid gender definitions.

February 17, 2022, social media users would open their phones, check their messages, then go on Instagram. Below the various stories of users they follow, they face a disturbing post from 19 hours ago. The post would contain the photo of a smiling girl with a horrendous text overshadowing half of the photo, translating to '16-year-old girl murdered cruelly by having her throat slit by Hüseyin Can Gökçek. Upon reading about her story on news sources, the users would soon realize that she was a teen bride and coerced into marriage by a man five years older. Sadly, the post explained why Sıla no longer lives with us in this earthly realm. We, as women, no longer want to fear going outside, or to have 155 on speed dial; we no longer want to fear for our lives in our own homes and our trusty neighborhoods, or to fear our fathers, brothers, husbands, coworkers, and teachers. We no longer want to hope to give birth to boys, so we won’t have to fear for their safety every time they leave or meet up with their friends. The anxiety Turkish women experience is a core component of everyday situations we navigate, and this fear has reached its apex.

Imagine living in a country, where nearly five-hundred women become the victims of femicide each year. Every time you sit before the TV, a gut-wrenching feeling rises from your body; a feeling you are well acquainted with. You know what’s about to come, and you give rein to your foolish hopes; maybe not today. You turn on the TV and encounter a picture of her on the big screen. She looks content and peaceful, juxtaposing the somber reporter standing right before her picture. He looks at the camera, and says “She was only sixteen.” Her friends and family do not seem to be astonished by the frightening news. They say it was her dress, her smile, her failure to be a loyal and obedient wife. It was her fate. No one deems it a necessity to acknowledge her parents who forced their young daughter to marry a grown adult, the police officer who disregarded her desperate cries for help, and the man who stole away her hopes, her dreams, and eventually her life.

‘Woman’s hand chopped of by estranged husband in Busia.’ This was the headline of a Kenyan newspaper this month. During this season, there have been several depressing headlines highlighting abuse of women. Statistics from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey show that 41% of women reported having experienced physical or sexual abuse aggravated by economic hardship, health concerns and increased stress occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many women in Kenya are disenfranchised and seem to have few options when they are the victims of abuse.