Whether they are single, married, separated or widowed, women must be able to enjoy the inviolable right that they are not dependent on anyone, the United Nations has said, marking International Widow's Day.    More

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Dita* never imagined that she would be a single mother at the age of 33. But after enduring 10 years of an abusive marriage, she found herself alone and struggling to raise two children. Her husband had seemed nice enough at first.    More

Drawing attention to the harrowing traumas of child victims of sexual violence, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for greater recognition of the fact that it is "not OK" for children to be touched inappropriately as well as for raising awareness among youngsters that under-age sex can lead to pregnancy...    More

The United Nations population agency today urged governments and development partners to expand midwifery programmes and promote an environment where midwives can effectively serve the needs of women and their families.    More

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Elizabeth was exhausted after four hours of contractions at the Petite Place Cazeau clinic, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Finally, with gentle guidance from the midwife, she gave one last push. Stifled cries filled the delivery room. The nurse presented a baby girl to the new mother.    More

From rude comments and unwanted touching and groping to rape and murder, sexual violence and harassment has reached pandemic proportions, according to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), which recently launched a campaign in Mexico City to tackle the issue on public transport.    More

ADEN, Yemen - Thirteen-year-old Hosson is a ninth grade pupil at 26 September School in Malla district, Aden. She is one of the top performing students in her class, and loves to teach younger children maths. But despite her academic success, she is regularly bullied by her classmates.    More

LUSAKA, Zambia - "I have seen girls become pregnant, become victims of violence and become HIV-positive, and I don't want to become one of those girls," said 13-year-old Lydia Mwelwa, a student at Kabulonga Basic School in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. "I'm happy they have taught us in school how we girls can protect ourselves," she added.    More

Whether through earning or learning, over 2000 Afghan women are helping themselves. Pickled vegetables, mushroom production and complementary feed preparations are the FAO initiatives that - in collaboration with the national Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and donations from the governments of Germany and Luxemburg - are reaching...    More

In 2012, Malala Yousafzai made headlines all over the world when she was shot by the Taliban for speaking out on the right of education for girls. But instead of silencing her, the brutal attack only served to embolden the Pakistani teenager, who has used her voice to promote the right of every child to safe, free and quality primary and secondary ...    More

"The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." So said Rose Schneiderman, a prominent trade union leader of the early 1900s. That's the motto of Bread and Roses, whose founders Sneh Jani and Olivia Head believe in helping refugee women to flourish through training and employment.    More

SANA'A, Yemen - On 26 March 2015, the conflict in Yemen dramatically escalated. Two years later, it has become one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. An estimated 18.8 million people - two thirds of the population - are in need of some kind of assistance or protection, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Needs Overview.    More