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Sex selection leads to dangerous gender imbalance; new programme to tackle root causes
“I’ve been a priest for 25 years. During this time, I’ve met a lot of families ready to terminate their pregnancy just because of expecting a girl,” said Giorgi Ugrekhelidze, a religious leader in Georgia. “In most…
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Women’s needs take back seat under threat of dzud in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia was struck by harsh conditions this winter, raising risks for pastoral and nomadic communities. An estimated 165,000 people were affected, according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Mongolia. The…
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Ninety per cent of Sri Lankan women endure sexual harassment on public transport, UNFPA study shows
Sri Lanka
Ninety per cent of women in Sri Lanka have endured sexual harassment while taking public transport, a new study commissioned by UNFPA has found.
The findings, released last week , offer a stark view into…
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Joy amid uncertainty: Syrian women enter motherhood in displacement
Syrian Arab Republic
Fatima and Rasha welcomed new children into the world on the same day – an experience that would be completely unremarkable if not for their circumstances. Both women are living in uncertainty after fleeing the conflict…
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Four women’s rights activists you need to know
Today, despite decades of activism and promises, women remain disadvantaged in almost every realm – from the workplace and home to the highest levels of business and government.
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Pregnancy complications take one woman from island paradise to nightmare at sea
Kenya
Aisha Tiro Bahero, 30, knows what it means to stare death in the face. Three years ago, while pregnant with her fifth child, she began to haemorrhage dangerously. “I couldn’t stop the bleeding. No one could,” she said.…
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Online course helps aid workers help women and girls
An online course for humanitarians is raising new awareness about women’s needs and vulnerabilities in emergency-affected communities around the world.
“It acted as an eye opener, and it made me realize…
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Former Ugandan circumciser says she will never go back to performing FGM
Uganda
For decades, Turutea Chelangat was one of the most famous circumcisers in the village of Kaworyo, in eastern Uganda. She cannot remember the how many girls she performed female genital mutilation (FGM) on. “There were…
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New programme counters violence in northern Cameroon
Cameroon
"My village was attacked by Boko Haram,” Sylvie Tokofi, 18, told UNFPA in Maroua, capital of the Far North Region of Cameroon. “They killed my uncle and all the men.” After that, her village was no longer safe. “My…
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Reaching women and girls across the line of fire in Myanmar’s Kachin conflict
Myanmar
Since the armed conflict in northern Myanmar’s Kachin State intensified in December, nearly 7,000 people have fled the area, often amid shelling and airstrikes. Among the people on the run are 260 pregnant women. Many…
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On Valentine's Day, say #IDONT
This Valentine’s Day, for its annual #IDONT campaign, UNFPA is partnering with artists to raise awareness about child marriage, which ensnares tens of thousands of girls around the world every single day. If nothing is…
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Family planning a development imperative, leaders at AU Summit emphasize
Ethiopia, Rwanda
Marie Josee Mukankuranga stood before international health and development experts in her home in the Rwamagana District of Rwanda, talking about her community’s need for family planning.
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