TESSAOUA DEPARTMENT, Niger – “Every young girl must have an economic activity. It’s humiliating to ask for money: You have to look out for yourself,” said 17-year-old Maimounatou, who lives in Tessaoua, in Niger’s south-central Maradi region. A rural and generally calm area, Tessaoua is frequently hit by intense flooding. As many in the community […]
BALTI, Republic of Moldova/TAIZZ, Yemen/Port-au-Prince, Haiti/UNFPA, New York – “I caught the last evacuation train, and the next day the train station was bombed,” Katya told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Seven months pregnant and suffering from kidney stones, she fled Ukraine for Moldova. There, she received UNFPA-supported maternity services and gave […]
DARFUR/KHARTOUM, Sudan – Aisha* lost both her parents last year, aged just 17. “I was left alone at home. I couldn’t reach out to any of my relatives because the situation was extremely tense,” she told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. “Then an armed militia took over my neighbourhood [in Khartoum], turning […]
Held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Forum took place from 8 to 17 July. This year’s theme was Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions. The session included a three-day ministerial segment from 15 to 17 July as part of the High-Level […]
Five senior UN officials have welcomed the decision by The Gambia to uphold its ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), calling it a critical win for women’s and girls’ rights. Parliamentarians in the West African country voted on Monday to reject a bill that sought to overturn a 2015 law against the harmful practice, which […]
This is the African Union’s Year of Education, but for girls we have yet to see bold action. Now is the time. Last week, the AU hosted a high-level meeting in Addis Ababa with the aim of galvanizing support for financing and action on the education of girls and women across the continent and remind […]
Environmentalist and Women Changemaker in the World of Wetlands Cécile Ndjebet says women are crucial for sustainable environmental conservation What if the world were a greener and more equitable place to live? Cécile Ndjebet is not just posing the question; she’s actively working to realize the answer. “Women are driving conservation efforts on the ground; […]
NAIROBI, Jul 15 2024 (IPS) – In the heart of Empash village, a fragmented community nestled in Suswa, Narok County, some 62 miles northwest of Nairobi, Naomy Kolian’s story unfolds like a gripping saga of pain, resilience, and unyielding determination. It was here, amidst the familiar surroundings of her home, that she was subjected to female […]
With only 17 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track and just six more years until the 2030 deadline, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has called for a new era of inspiring leadership, ahead of a special event on Monday July 15th, 2024 to galvanize action. The Special Event entitled Keeping the SDG Promise: Pathways […]
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 12 2024 (IPS) – Droughts, cyclones, floods and extreme temperatures – these are the ‘new abnormal’ of a world in which weather-related events are becoming increasingly prolonged, intense and frequent. While Africa contributes only 2 to 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and it is the least responsible for the global […]
