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Portable ultrasounds give pregnant women a ray of hope amid crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, Democratic Republic of the Congo – “Most of the women here have never had an ultrasound scan in their lives – even though on average they’ve already given birth more than five times,” said Charmante…
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Rescued from the earthquake in Morocco, midwife Maria delivers babies and saves lives as catastrophe unfolds around her
Morocco
MARRAKESH, Morocco – “Trapped under the debris, I thought I was going to die,” said Maria, a midwife in Talat N’Yaagoub in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.
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Green shoots of hope spring from the depths of war in Yemen
Yemen
AL HUDAYDAH, Yemen — “Giving up on school was the hardest part for me,” said Hiam. “I still feel deep sadness, but fate takes you down paths you don't want, so I learned to live, fight, and strive to reach my goals…
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Not your typical boys’ club: Mozambique’s school meetings engage students against gender-based violence
Mozambique
BEIRA, Mozambique – “Men think that women should be submissive towards them and accept everything … If a woman refuses to follow the man’s rules, she ends up being beaten.”
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Women in Guinea-Bissau speak out against female genital mutilation: “I’m lucky to be alive”
Guinea-Bissau
BURUNTUMA, Guinea-Bissau – “In all four of my deliveries I had a haemorrhage” said 39-year-old Djenabu Sano, reflecting on the consequences of female genital mutilation on the births of her children.
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Against the odds, Malawian girl overcomes child marriage, agonizing labour and obstetric fistula
Malawi
NKHATA BAY, Malawi – Jacqueline was just 15 when she fell in love with a boy from another village. The two eloped, initiating a customary marriage rather than a formal one. But Jacqueline kept the relationship a secret…
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“What’s left to be destroyed in my life?” Flash floods deepen the catastrophe in Yemen
Yemen
SA’ADA GOVERNORATE, Yemen – Shaima left school at just eight years old to support her family’s farming business in Hajjah, in northern Yemen. Conflict had erupted and the country’s economy went into freefall, leaving…
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Empowering young people in Ecuador to understand their bodies and defend their rights
Ecuador
ESMERALDAS, Ecuador – “RuranKapak for me means freedom, knowledge, breaking myths,” said 20-year-old youth leader Janny Caicedo Corozo. “It’s about helping young people who don't know their rights and need to know…
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Five things you need to know about consent
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Everyone has the right to make their own choices about their bodies. Yet millions of people are denied their right to say no to sex – or yes to the choice of a marriage partner or to the right…
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Beating the odds: Resilience, hope and safe births at a UNFPA mobile clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, Democratic Republic of the Congo – Although heavily pregnant and in pain, Kaindo Bembeleza waited patiently along with dozens of other women on a row of benches under a tarpaulin tent.
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Fadma and the forest: Learning from the past for a flourishing future in rural Morocco
AGADIR, Morocco – “Women play an irreplaceable role in preserving the Argan forests,” said Jamila Idbourrous, director of the Union of Argan Oil Women’s Cooperatives in Agadir, Morocco.
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UNFPA embraces femtech to boost period awareness in Burkina Faso and the Republic of Moldova
Burkina Faso, Moldova, Republic of
CHIȘINĂU, Republic of Moldova/OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — “I used an app before but forgot to enter the dates, but with this watch you can easily see every day of your menstrual cycle. I think it's important to…
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