Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM, is an “abhorrent violation of fundamental human rights” said the UN Secretary-General on Monday February 7th, 2023, marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance against the scourge, which remains a threat for a staggering 4.2 million girls this year. ntónio Guterres said that the practice of genital cutting, prevalent in […]
Rooted in gender inequality, female genital mutilation limits opportunities for women and girls around the world to exercise their rights and realize their potential. While progress has been made—girls today are a third less likely to undergo the harmful practice than 30 years ago—there’s much more to be done. Men and boys can be a […]
Joint Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation NEW YORK, 3 February 2023 – “This year, 4.3 million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation, according to the latest UNFPA estimates. This number is projected to […]
UN agencies have welcomed a pledge by 12 African countries to end AIDS in children by 2030, announced on Wednesday february 1st 2023 at a meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The first ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in children marked a step up in action to ensure all boys and […]
DISPLACEMENT CAMP, Nampula province, Mozambique—Fátima António, 18, the mother of a five-month-old boy, told UNFPA she was “apprehensive and hesitant” about using contraception. She is not alone. Nampula province has a worrying trend of nearly half of all girls aged 15 to 19 being teenage mothers (AIS 2015). Fátima had decided to start using family planning […]
Opinion NEW YORK, Jan 24 2023 (IPS) – “Is it a sin to be a girl? We don’t want to be at home and illiterate. We want to go to school, study and be intelligent.” In just a few words, this plea for education from a young Afghan girl has captured the world’s attention. Her […]
The head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday underlined the need to achieve gender equality globally and fight hate speech, particularly that which targets women and girls online. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay made the appeal in her message to mark the International Day of Women in Multilateralism, which highlights their […]
Kidnapping by militants in Western Africa is nothing new. However, security experts say many criminals are now abducting women and children to use them as bargaining chips for political attention and fundraising. At least fifty women in two localities, north and west of the town of Arbinda, in Burkina Faso’s northern region, were kidnapped by […]
Sierra Leone has passed a law requiring public and private entities to reserve 30 percent of their jobs for women in a bid to tackle gender imbalances in a male-dominated society. In addition to the 30 percent quota, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act assures women at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, equal […]
The agency announced on Thursday that it was dedicating the International Day of Education on 24 January, to the country’s women and girls. “No country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education. Education is a universal human right that must be respected,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “The international community […]
