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Joint UN programme aims to empower over 1 million girls in Mozambique
Mozambique
“Before I entered the safe space, I was shy, and it was difficult for me to express myself. I spent my free time after school with vulnerable girlfriends my age who had left school to marry, and some were even pregnant…
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Campaign brings condoms, HIV testing and hugs to the Olympics
Brazil
The #EuAbraço, or “#iEmbrace,” campaign is a massive public health initiative targeting Olympics spectators, fans and athletes with condoms, sexual and reproductive health information, HIV testing, information about…
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Escape from Fallujah: Pregnant residents describe life on the run from ISIL
Iraq
Residents of the long-embattled city of Fallujah are accustomed to hardship. But even for this battle-tested population, life under the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) was a nightmare,…
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Dispatches from the road: Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd on conflict, abuse and healing in Ukraine
Ukraine
"It’s amazing to me, on this, my first trip to Ukraine, how beautiful it is, and how much ugly gender violence there is. Every fifth Ukrainian woman has suffered from physical and/or sexual violence. Between 2007…
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As crisis escalates in Yemen, pregnant women need essential care
Yemen
Civilian fatalities are mounting in Yemen, with some of the deadliest episodes of violence taking place in the last two months. UNFPA estimates over 400,000 pregnant women are caught in the conflict, requiring essential…
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Periods not a problem thanks to pad-making club in Malawi
Malawi
After finishing class for the day, Fatima Muhammed and Deborah Chavula head to their school’s sewing room to make sanitary napkins. It is an unusual after-school activity, but a vital one: They distribute the pads to…
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Girls in Uganda become SDG "ambassadors," fight teen pregnancy with poetry
Uganda
Talking about sexual and reproductive health is not easy, especially in the conservative corners of Uganda. But the girls of Buddo Secondary School found a powerful way to address the issue: poetry.
“Plan…
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Emerging from slavery, Yazidi women struggle to recover
Iraq
“Do not blame me for repeating my story, as what happened to me is the unforgettable story of my life,” Golleh*, a Yazidi woman, said. She had been abducted by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known…
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Women face "unspeakable" sexual violence in South Sudan
South Sudan
“I never felt so empty and helpless,” Tabitha* told UNFPA. She is one of at least a hundred civilians to be sexually assaulted in the wake of South Sudan’s most recent hostilities.
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Upsurge in sexuality education seen in countries with high HIV rates
South Africa
DURBAN, South Africa – Zandile Simelane was just a teenager when her life was turned upside-down. “At the age of 17, I was diagnosed with HIV,” she told UNFPA at the recent International AIDS Conference in Durban,…
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Brazilian funk music sensation Dream Team do Passinho calls for "More Rights, Less Zika"
Brazil
Funk music stars from Brazil’s favela communities are calling for people to “get together for more rights, less zika” in their newest single. The band, Dream Team do Passinho, partnered with UNFPA to produce the song,…
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Girls call for tearing down gender barriers in Republic of Moldova
Moldova, Republic of
“I feel that if I were a boy, I would have more possibilities to find a stable and better employment,” 14-year-old Amina told UNFPA. Sadly, her suspicions are well-founded.
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