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Two wheelchairs and a stroller: Overcoming barriers to parenthood in Belarus
Belarus
When Anya Shevko, 29, became pregnant, she had to weigh herself at a recycling centre because the local maternity clinic did not have suitable scales. Even visiting the clinic was difficult because Anya is in a…
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“Your voice is your weapon”: Taking on sexual harassment in Egypt
Egypt
“Your fear is controlling you,” instructor Amany Abdel-Aal told a roomful of women at a Wen-Do self-defence class, held in a cheerfully painted youth centre on the outskirts of Cairo.
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Men take a stand against gender-based violence in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Recent weeks have seen several high-profile cases of gender-based violence splashed across headlines. Millions of women around the world have demanded an end to these abuses – and, increasingly, people are calling for…
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Evacuees waiting to return home after Bali volcano alert
Indonesia
Escalating volcanic activity at Mount Agung in Bali prompted Indonesian authorities to issue an SOS alert, the highest-level warning, on 22 September. By 6 October, over 139,000 people had been evacuated.
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Gender inequality, lack of information fuel teen pregnancies in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste
“I knew a little bit about how a baby is made, but not too much,” said Natalia, 19, in Aileu, the rocky highlands of Timor-Leste. Her 1-year-old daughter, Afeena, was sleeping nearby. “I had no education about this at…
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Sexual violence devastating, humanitarian needs mounting in Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh
“My sister was killed after gang rape in front of me, and they threw hot water on my body,” Fatima*, 30, told a case worker at a UNFPA-supported women-friendly space in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Almost 600,000 Rohingya…
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From child bride to beauty expert: one Jordanian woman’s story
Jordan
On most weekday afternoons, you can find 22-year-old Hiba* working at a salon in Amman. But what few of her clients know is that she was once a child bride – an experience that haunted her for years.
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Ten actions for a more equal world
Vast inequalities threaten economies, communities and nations, says The State of World Population 2017, UNFPA’s flagship report, released today.
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Young women emerge as responders, leaders in Nepal flooding
Nepal
Flooding in southern Nepal this August affected over a million people, displacing tens of thousands . The destruction was widespread in Rautahat District, where 20-year-old Priyanka Singh lives.
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Girls speak out on inequality
Despite years of efforts and advances, full gender equality has yet to be realized. There is not one country in the world free of gender-based violence or discrimination. And in too many places, the burdens of…
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HIV prevention efforts must reach vulnerable girls and young women
More than one in five adults in Swaziland are HIV-positive, according to the most recent data, and the rates are highest among women. Despite these dangers, young people – and young women in particular – often lack the…
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Safe spaces offer relief as fighting in Marawi rages on
Philippines
Jamela Sani stood before a group of girls and new mothers, explaining that violence against women is an abuse – and that help is available. They were gathered in a tent in Pawak, a village about five kilometres from the…
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