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Female village head in China changes rules to empower women
ANFEITANG, China – Yuan Qing’s father passed away when she was 5 years old. When her mother remarried and moved to another village, Ms. Yuan was raised by her aunt. In their small village in the Anhui Province,…
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Married at 12; a single mother at 16 in Yemen
Yemen
At 16, Ghada* was illiterate, with no work experience, no job prospects – and the mother of three children.
One of seven children herself, she had been married off at 12 years old by her father, a farm…
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Changing perceptions to end a harmful tradition in northern Iraq
Iraq
SULAYMANIYAH, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – “Come with me, we need to go to the bakery, my mother told me one morning. That day, I experienced fear, deception and excruciating pain. I was only seven,” Dania* explained…
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Commitment to supporting childbirth amid Afghanistan’s deteriorating security situation
Afghanistan
DAIKUNDI, Afghanistan – As the security situation deteriorated in Afghanistan in recent weeks, the delivery of reproductive health services, including safe childbirth, was seriously affected. Najaba, 36, experienced…
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For breast cancer survivors and supporters in Palestine, a chance to come together
Palestine, State of
When Bahia was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had to contend not only with a frightening disease but also with a social stigma that left her feeling rejected and isolated. “I was bullied by my own community. They…
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Telemedicine connects women in the Brazilian Amazon to remote health services
Brazil
PARÁ, Brazil – Mainara Andrade tries to be diligent about maintaining her health, but access to a gynaecologist has long been a problem in her community.
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Faith leaders fight child marriage in Zanzibar
Tanzania, United Republic of
STONE TOWN, Zanzibar, Tanzania – Sheikh Is-haka Vuai leads a group of imams in openly opposing child marriage in his community. It is not an easy role, he says.
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Saving the lives of pregnant women amid escalating conflict in Syria
Syrian Arab Republic
DAMASCUS, Syria – “It was the worst experience of our lives, especially after ten years of crisis in Syria,” said Najwa* about her recent life-threatening ordeal, which exemplified how maternal and child health can…
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To secure an equal future, girls need equal access to digital tools and information
Digital technologies are fueling explosive growth, innovation and connection around the world. But these tools are also creating new kinds of inequalities.
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Midwives continue to deliver amid uncertainty in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Despite challenges, midwives throughout Afghanistan are continuing to operate, bringing critical life-saving care to women and girls in need.
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With emergency funding for family planning, a glimmer of hope amid crisis
Zambia
Some 12 million women and adolescent girls lost access to family planning services in 2020. As an adolescent mother, Christabel Mwewa's story highlights why bridging the funding shortfall is more important now than…
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Feminist-led grassroots organizations bring critical relief to women amid pandemic
Nepal
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought misfortune to millions around the world. And for many women, like 21-year-old Rama Mahato*, of Ghaletole in southern Nepal, it came with a shadow pandemic: an increased incidence of…
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