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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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“A dream to achieve”: Making Myanmar more disability-inclusive
Myanmar
“I applied for a job at a local sewing shop. When they saw my physical impairment, they rejected my application without any other reason,” said Myo Myo, a 19-year-old woman living in Yangon, Myanmar.
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Severe drought fuels malnutrition and reduces hospital deliveries among pregnant women in Kenya’s Turkana County
Kenya
“I have never experienced a drought as bad as this in my life,” 28-year-old Akure Ewar told UNFPA. At seven months pregnant, she complains that she is hungry and often feels dizzy when going about her day. “The dry…
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8 reasons for hope in the new year
“If it bleeds, it leads,” is an old newsroom adage, highlighting the media’s disproportionate attention given to grisly disasters. A look back at 2022 will surface many doom-laden headlines, grim pronouncements and dark…
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