Limited educational opportunities for girls and barriers to completing 12 years of education cost countries between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings, says a new World Bank report launched ahead of the July 12 United Nations Malala Day.    More

Fatimata, 12, had a narrow escape after resisting an arranged marriage, but her case reflects a wider problem among Malian refugees in Mauritania.    More

Fifty years ago, world leaders recognized family planning as a human right. Yet safe and reliable forms of contraception remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of people.    More

Fishing has traditionally sustained communities in the Lake Chad Basin area, supporting nearly 30 million people living along its shores in Chad, but also Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. However, the once huge lake which covered 250,000 km2 has now shrunk to one tenth of its original size, largely due to unsustainable water management and the corrosive...    More

Around South Sudan, UNFPA supports programmes to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including training social workers and health staff to sensitively and professionally meet the needs of violence survivors. At one facility, the Family Protection Centre, located in the Juba Teaching Hospital, these and other services are integrated together...    More

Excessive bleeding after childbirth still kills around 70,000 mothers a year and currently, Oxytocin is the first-choice medication, but it must be kept cold, unlike the new drug, Carbetocin. The study, partly led, among others, by the World Health Organization ( WHO) and published on Wednesday, suggests that the new drug which can be stored at normal...    More

On its opening day, a major United Nations forum on the peaceful uses of outer space, was issued a clear challenge to break through the so-called "glass ceiling" that prevents women and girls from achieving their full potential; especially in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.    More

There are 92 countries which lack national policies ensuring that new fathers get adequate paid time off, to spend with their newborn babies. "Positive and meaningful interaction with mothers and fathers from the very beginning, helps to shape children's brain growth and development for life, making them healthier and happier, and increasing their ability...    More

Canada, along with the European Union, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the World Bank, announced an investment of close to $3.8 billion CAD, marking a fundamental shift toward improving access and reducing barriers to quality education around the world. The announcement represents the single largest investment in education for women and girls...    More

Addressing a leading forum on development in Brussels, known as European Development Days, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that the joint Spotlight Initiative was a key element for making Goal 5 on women's empowerment, of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, a reality.    More

While the number of child marriages occurring among Syrian refugees in Iraq is not available, research conducted among Syrian refugees elsewhere suggests a link between the poverty and instability facing displaced families like Aysheh’s, and rising pressure for girls to get married. Feeling helpless, Aysheh sought help from the UNFPA-supported Zahrat...    More

Girls around the world lack basic knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health and struggle to access menstrual health supplies. Many grapple with shame and taboos surrounding menstruation. These issues undermine girls’ health and rights. Girls can be subjected to stigma or miss school due to difficulty managing their menstrual hygiene. These...    More