New evidence suggests mistreatment remains common in maternal and newborn care, with new research across four countries finding that 60 per cent of vaginal exams were done without consent, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Over the past decade, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the widespread impact of mistreatment and the […]
The promise seemed simple: a job, a fresh start, a way out. Instead, Maria* stepped off a boat onto a picture-perfect Trinidadian beach with hope in her heart and into a nightmare that would shadow her for years. On the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed on 30 July, follow the journey of a woman […]
Some 80,000 children are estimated to be at high risk of cholera in West and Central Africa as the rainy season begins across the region, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday, july 30, 2025. “The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission […]
An interagency group from the UN released the flagship 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report on Monday July 28, 2025, estimating a global, yet uneven, decline in hunger since 2022. The report estimates 8.2 per cent of the global population (673 million individuals) experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 per […]
Fariba, a young Afghan woman, had just begun a university degree in 2021 when the Taliban returned to power and banned women and girls from secondary and higher education. This is just one way that the de facto authorities have restricted women and girls’ fundamental rights. Today, Afghanistan has the second largest gender gap in the world after Yemen. “Sometimes […]
The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) has concluded at United Nations Headquarters in New York following a week-and-a-half of substantive discussion between Member States, civil society representatives and UN agencies. At the end of the conference on Wednesday, Member States adopted a Ministerial Declaration by a vote of 154-2-2, with the United States […]
This Friday July 25, 2025 marks the first observation of the International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent, following a declaration last year by the UN General Assembly. It recognises their immense contributions to society, but also acknowledges the challenges they face due to the double burden of racism and sexism. Although woman […]
Digital innovation and technology remain underfunded and underdeveloped across Africa, according to a report on Africa’s development which was discussed at the General Assembly on Monday July 21, 2025. In 2024, only 34 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men on the continent used the internet, compared to global averages of […]
Citing new global agreements on pandemic preparedness, ocean protection and development financing, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres said on Monday July 21, 2025 that recent “signs of momentum” show multilateralism can still deliver. Addressing ministers at UN Headquarters in New York, he called for urgent action to rescue lagging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid war, inequality and fiscal strain. “Transformation […]
Worldwide, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have occurred in recent years due to climate change and resource depletion. This is according to a new report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the International Drought Resilience Alliance on the global impacts of droughts from 2023 to 2025. […]
