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“Life is dangerous for women in this camp”: In the Central African Republic, survivors of sexual violence lose critical support as funding is slashed
Central African Republic
BANGUI PREFECTURE/BIRAO, The Central African Republic – “Life is dangerous for women in this camp,” said Mariam Zakaria, 32, who recently fled brutal violence and conflict in Sudan, returning to the Central African…
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“The people in Syria are destroyed from war”: A call for peace after violence in the coastal region
Syrian Arab Republic
HOMS, The Syrian Arab Republic – “The people in Syria are destroyed from war. There has been no year that has been okay for us. My generation has suffered a lot,” said Maryam,* a 21-year old woman from Homs in western…
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“Every pregnancy these days is a struggle”: Restoring life-saving healthcare in Gaza
Palestine, State of
GAZA STRIP, Occupied Palestinian Territory – Two weeks into her ninth month of pregnancy, Roozan Abu Jbarah hoped she would manage to give birth safely. “I’ve been having pain and my water broke,” she told UNFPA, the…
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Explainer: Why investing in women and girls benefits everyone
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The right to go to school. To join the workforce. The right to vote. To have a bank account. The right to choose whether to have children. The right to use contraception – or not. The right to…
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Mental health support teams in Ukraine offer a lifeline in a warzone
Ukraine
DNIPRO, Ukraine – A young mother stepped off the train in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, holding a small bag and guiding her five children with her other arm. She had fled the Zaporizhzhia region due to the war,…
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This Valentine's Day, busting 5 common myths about child marriage
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – “I was married at 14, and I lost my first child at 16 during pregnancy,” Ranu Chakma told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Child marriage is common in her…
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Giving birth under fire in North Kivu, as conflict grips the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Congo-Brazzaville
NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, The Democratic Republic of the Congo – As fighting intensified in North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Francine Toyata clutched her pregnant belly, waves of pain coursing…
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Investing in skilled midwives to save lives and brighten futures in Yemen
Yemen
AL HUDAYDAH/SANA’A GOVERNORATES, Yemen – Rokia Dukhna, 22, had been determined to become a midwife since her own mother endured a tragic experience during childbirth.
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Explainer: How does family planning save lives?
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – When a war forcibly displaces tens of thousands of people, UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, equips displacement camps and medical personnel with critical…
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“The new generation is different”: In Djibouti, survivors and allies lobby to end female genital mutilation
Djibouti
DJIBOUTI/TADJOURAH REGIONS, Djibouti – “I still see the knife, and the lady who held me down,” said Hawa’a Mohamed Kamil. Now 30, she was subjected to female genital mutilation at just six years old – an experience that…
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Bridging worlds: A Bolivian midwife blends traditional practices with modern medicine for safer childbirth
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Having witnessed first-hand women dying in childbirth, midwife Ana Choque understands the critical need for timely health decisions.
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Explainer: What is UNFPA and why does it matter?
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Choosing whether, when and with whom to have a baby. Giving birth safely. Living free of sexual and gender-based violence. These are rights now enshrined in international law, yet they are out…
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