Worldwide, an estimated 650 million girls and women alive today were married as children. For some of these women and girls – this means a life of being denied their rights. Denied a seat in the classroom. Denied a chance to make their own decisions and denied a voice. In the places where child marriage is most prevalent, the practice… Read more →←
Topic: Big picture
My sister is a nurse. She’s one of the female health heroes on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response, and she’s not alone. Women make up 70 per cent of health and social sector workers globally. Think about your latest social media feed. Caregivers overwhelmed with the dual care burdens of paid and unpaid work, from ensuring… Read more →←
On a recent trip to South Africa, I often heard it said that low-income groups have “good access to bad food and bad access to good food”. While the wealthier people can afford a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts and lean meats, nutritious food is either too expensive or simply not sold in local shops in poorer areas. What people… Read more →←
The earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 left more than 220,000 dead, 300,000 injured and 1.5 million homeless. Countless families were broken up and 750,000 children were directly affected. UNICEF staffers were there as well, suffering through the situation. Below is the story of Gabrielle Lafortune, a driver at UNICEF Haiti. During… Read more →←
“It’s calm now, but be ready to leave at any time,” come the instructions over the car radio. We’re driving east, through heavy snow, towards the mining settlement of Zolote 3, on the frontline of east Ukraine’s nearly 6-year old conflict. The so-called ‘frozen conflict’ in Europe’s backyard is still active and for the… Read more →←
As the New Year begins, it is time to bring new urgency to safeguarding the rights and protecting the lives of children affected by armed conflict. Around this time last year, I reflected on the failure of the international community to protect children living through war. Today, I am writing at the end of another devastating year –… Read more →←
I grew up in the suburbs of Ghana’s capital, Accra. Every four years, as elections approached, the nation was constantly reminded, through TV ads and tailored songs, to reject violence. In the months preceding the elections, our TV screens would be saturated with images of people in other countries who have been injured or displaced… Read more →←
In Niger, it is not uncommon to hear that if a menstruating woman touches sowing seeds, the harvest will not be abundant; that a woman must not braid her sister during menstruation, otherwise she will induce hair loss; that menstruation is a woman’s business and a man must not talk about it — the numerous rumors about menstrual… Read more →←
When you sip your next green tea, you might stop for a minute to take in the aroma of the leaves, revel in the steamy warmth, perhaps appreciate the energising taste. Chances are you won’t be thinking about a small family in the hills of Rwanda. They are indeed related but not the way you might think. This is a story of parenting and… Read more →←
On the International Day of the Girl, we sat down with Lucy Wanjiku, HIV activist and mother, to hear about her experience as a young woman living with HIV in Kenya. She shared her hopes, dreams and fears for the future of girls in sub-Saharan Africa. What challenges did you face as a teenage girl in Kenya? What are you doing to address… Read more →←