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A neglected global crisis for women: Nearly 300,000 mothers died in 2020 from preventable causes
Nepal
In theory, ending maternal mortality should be achievable. Nearly every maternal death is preventable, and the clinical expertise and technology necessary to avert these losses have existed for decades. Why, then, do…
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After more than a decade of war, earthquakes are a catastrophe on top of a crisis for millions of people in Syria
Syrian Arab Republic
Nuha gave birth to baby Huda on 5 February in Lattakia, in western Syria. The young mother remembers feeling so much hope, so much promise, for her daughter. But Huda has yet to sleep a full night in the bedroom her…
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Survivors face new risks in earthquake-ravaged Türkiye as health and protection services brought to the brink
Türkiye
“I’ve seen war, but this is even beyond that.” Fatma, 40, is from Idlib in northwest Syria, but lives with her four children in Adıyaman, in southern Türkiye. She was also heavily pregnant and had an appointment for a…
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“I lost everything in one minute”: Women and girls in dire need as earthquake emergency engulfs Türkiye and Syria
Türkiye
SYRIA/TÜRKIYE – “We were too scared. We left our houses immediately and couldn’t take anything for the birth, not a single baby cloth. There was no one to communicate with and no place to stay. We felt helpless.”
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“Women are not alone”: Painting a colourful call to end gender-based violence in Brazil
Brazil
In December 2022, 12 Venezuelan women and girls gathered at Rio Branco Park in Boa Vista, Brazil, and stood before an eight-metre-high white wall. For them, it was a blank canvas – one that would soon be transformed by…
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7 things you might not know about child marriage
Around the world, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, romance and commitment – an occasion, perhaps, to get engaged or married. But for millions, what should be a joyous moment is not the stuff of fairy tales. Too…
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Rallying men and boys in the fight against female genital mutilation
Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania
“Everything that can harm must be fought.” Babani Sidi Mohamad first heard about female genital mutilation when he was 14 years old. His sisters had been subjected to female genital mutilation, but when he asked why,…
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No trivia: How a virtual safe space in Ukraine is helping teenagers prioritize their mental health
Ukraine
"The chat helps me feel very safe." "It's like talking to a friend." “It’s useful for people like me, who are afraid to talk because they weren’t allowed to show their emotions or feelings since…
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In Sudan, a UNFPA hospital helps women give birth safely despite flooding crisis
Sudan
After being carried for three kilometres through the rain and mud, Nasreen Faroug Balla finally reached the hospital. She was eight months pregnant – and going into labour.
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As drought tightens its grip on Kenya, a motorcycle ambulance is helping women to access critical health care
Kenya
“The hardship brought on by the drought has left many women weak and malnourished. I cannot imagine them giving birth without the support of a skilled health professional,” said Mark Epeyon, a community health volunteer…
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What does it mean to live in a world of 8 billion people, and counting?
Perhaps you’ve heard that we will soon overload the Earth’s carrying capacity – or that, on the contrary, population collapse will crash the global economy. What should you believe, and what should you do about it? Let…
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“Men will no longer do what they want with them”: Indigenous women in Brazil say enough to gender-based violence
Brazil
“I saw the change in the women who didn't have courage, who cried with fear in a corner,” said Lutana Ribeiro, from Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s largest state of Amazonas.
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