Female genital mutilation is a practice deeply rooted in cultural traditions around the world. The World Health Organisation defines it as comprising all procedures that involve removal of parts of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The cut is practised for various reasons. Some communities use it as a rite of passage. Some […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Dec 2022 (IPS) – In September 2021, in the midst of a pandemic-related lockdown, a 15-year-old Muslim girl from Colombo, Sri Lanka was married off by her relatives to a much older man. A local women’s rights group reported this case to the national child protection authorities, however, because child marriage is […]
Zimbabwean women embrace jobs in the mining sector, thanks to incentives provided by the government and mining companies Sporting a designer work suit, helmet and 14-pound hammer resting on her shoulder, 46-year-old Petiner Makupa seems to be pondering her next move as she sets off for work one morning. As the country grapples with economic […]
The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 (IWD 2023) is, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality […]
In the last of our Year In Review features, we honour the work of activists helping to protect women’s rights, which once again, came under attack in many countries throughout 2022. It often takes considerable bravery to stand up for the rights of women. The UN, which is committed to empowering women and girls, works […]
