Young women in Sub-Saharan Africa are more than twice as likely to become HIV positive as young men. Credit: Nastasya Tay/IPS
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 2 2016 (IPS) – When Lebogang Brenda Motsumi was 16 years old she fell pregnant, terrified about what her life would look like, she went to a backdoor clinic for an abortion.
The abortion failed, and she gave birth to a baby who later passed on.
Motsumi knew that she needed to be more careful so she went to a health clinic to get contraception and learn about prevention.
“Instead of supporting me the nurse interrogated me about why I was having sex, this discouraged me from ever goi…
Gender equality and women empowerment at the heart of ICPD25. Credit: Joyce Chimbi / IPS
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 2019 (IPS) – Every day 830 women die while giving life. At least 33,000 girls are forced into child marriage with 11,000 girls undergoing female genital mutilation. These are some of the cruel realities young women face every day. However, there is renewed hope that delegates expected to attend the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Nairobi this week will re-energise and breathe new life to the Cairo Promise.
“The Summit is a call to action to accelerate progress towards the world we imagined in 1994,” Arthur Er…
Jul 9 2020 – During the pandemic, forced return of migrants has become a major issue of concern for intergovernmental bodies and the global civil society engaged in migration issues. The United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM) has urged states to suspend forced returns during the pandemic, in order to protect the health of migrants and communities, and uphold the human rights of all migrants, regardless of status . UNNM has called for a halt to arbitrary expulsions and reiterated that their protection needs must be individually assessed; and that the rule of law and due process must be observed . It reminded the states that these obligations under international law can never be put on hold and are vital to any successful approach to combatting Covid-19 for the benefit of all .
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People wade through water during floods in the Kurigram district of Bangladesh. Credit: UNICEF/G.M.B. Akash
NEW YORK, Jul 13 2021 (IPS) – Could the next wars be triggered by climate change?
Until recently, the question might have seemed like science fiction, but now it is very real. Ethiopia and Egypt are locked in an over the Nile, as a combination of dams and shifting weather patterns pose existential risks to both countries.
In the Sahel region, climate-driven changes in have contributed to a massive in conflicts, while oscillations in the size of Lake Chad are into the terrorist group Boko Haram.
From driving Caribbean fishing communities into or…