June 28
Southern Africa: My Journey With Young Change-Makers in East and Southern Africa
Something struck me during a virtual event I was leading last week. A young person captured in a few words the essence of why we had gathered together. Read more »
June 24
Tanzania: Walking Arm in Arm Towards a More Inclusive Future Where Everyone Can Access Sexual and Reproductive Health
On the outskirts of Dar es Salaam lies a colourful oasis, one where sign language is spoken across the schoolyard and students are adept at assisting one another. Two students,… Read more »
June 03
Uganda: Rising Above - Young Mothers Reclaim Their Lives After Obstetric Fistula
Uganda, Malawi, and Mozambique - Obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that results in incontinence and social isolation, is a preventable condition that was suffered needlessly… Read more »
May 13
Ethiopia: How Midwife Mentors Make It Safer for Women to Give Birth in Ethiopia's Fragile Areas
Imagine being a midwife in a remote, fragile context, like the Afar region in Ethiopia. This hot low-land and desert-like area has been affected by conflict, driving up the… Read more »
May 05
Africa: Celebrating Midwives - Edinah Delivers Babies, One Safe Birth At a Time
Grimacing and sweating, twenty-three-year-old Samiya, a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expecting her first child and is experiencing intense pain while waiting… Read more »
March 28
Ethiopia: Supporting GBV Survivors in Amhara to Recover and Build Resilience
Amina is one of the many women who have experienced conflict-related sexual violence during the devastating two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia. For more than three years, she… Read more »
March 18
South Sudan: From Returnee to Resilience - How Income Opportunities and Cash Assistance Fuel Hope
Fleeing from war, 55-year-old Angelina Yowin Abwol Deng embarked on a perilous journey from her home in Fit-Hab-Khartoum through Kordofan to reach safety in South Sudan, and is now… Read more »
February 27
Rwanda: A Transformative Journey to Reach Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths in Rwanda
Rwanda has undergone a remarkable journey in tackling its high maternal mortality rate over the past decade. From an alarming 1071 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010,… Read more »
February 06
Africa: Defying Tradition, Championing Rights
"Is [female genital mutilation] religious?" Under a tree in the quiet village of Dalocha Woreda in Central Ethiopia region, Nuritu Sirbar, the Head of the Dalocha district Women… Read more »
January 10
Ethiopia: Reviving Tigray's Health System to Prevent Maternal Deaths
On November 22nd, 2023, for the first time in over a year after the conflict, surgeons at Adi Daero Primary Hospital started to bring life into the world again. Forty-year-old… Read more »
January 03
Ethiopia: Beskeshe - Creating a Space to Empower Young Girls
Hana and Mertnesh, both 14-year-old girls, attend Bule Hora Elementary School, in the Oromia region. They share a special bond as members of Her Space, Beskeshe in the local… Read more »
December 14, 2023
Ethiopia: 'Putting My Pieces Back Together' - Azeb's Journey of Recovery With UNFPA's Support After Being Gang Raped
"My name is Azeb*. I am 33 and I live in the Mambuk IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp in the Benishangul Gumuz region, Ethiopia. Me and my family had to flee an armed attack… Read more »
October 17, 2023
Kenya: Young SRHR Advocates Stand Up to Fake News and Stigma
The majority of young people living with HIV, 60 per cent of the global total, are in Eastern and Southern Africa and only 70 per cent in 12 countries in the region have access to… Read more »
October 03, 2023
Ethiopia: Defying Conflict and Child Marriage to Champion Girls' Education and Rights in Ethiopia
"I was very scared when I first entered the safe house. I was lonely and didn't leave my room for a month," said Ms. Alemtsehay*, now 18. Read more »
September 15, 2023
Ethiopia: War, Pregnancy and Hope - Setyelem's Harrowing Journey of Giving Birth in Ethiopia
ATAYE, Amhara Region, Ethiopia--Mother-of-two Setyelem, 29, had been diligent about going for antenatal check-ups during her first two pregnancies. But during her third pregnancy… Read more »
August 09, 2023
Tanzania: Stephen Bikoko - the Visionary Peer Educator Behind Upendo Group's Youth Empowerment Drive in Tanzania
Mother-of-two Melania Zambiliti, 21, wanted something more for herself and her family. Living with her in-laws and working as an ad hoc cleaner at a local restaurant where she was… Read more »
July 26, 2023
Tanzania: Using Art and Animation to Strike Down Female Genital Mutilation in Tanzania
Glory Charles Mlagwa, 25, is a medical expert and public health specialist. She is the winner of the 2022 Spotlight Initiative-supported FGM (female genital mutilation) Hackathon,… Read more »
July 25, 2023
East Africa: Sexual Violence Stalks Women and Girls Fleeing Sudan for South Sudan
"My neighbour Rose* travelled with me to Renk, but her three daughters stayed behind in Khartoum. Later she learned they had been gang raped," said Martha.* Read more »
July 18, 2023
Rwanda: UNFPA Announces Kigali Call to Action At Women Deliver, Calling for Accelerated Efforts to Promote Women and Girls' Bodily Autonomy
Yesterday, at the Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, UNFPA announced the Kigali Call to Action: United for Women and Girls' Bodily Autonomy during its Pre-Conference event with… Read more »
July 14, 2023
East Africa: Crisis in the Horn of Africa
More than 43 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in 2023, 32 million of whom are acutely food insecure. Read more »
July 08, 2023
Ethiopia: As Drought and Floods Threaten Millions in Ethiopia, Midwives Are a Lifeline for Pregnant Women and Newborns
"Saving the life of this baby was a miracle and a blessing for my family. I am immensely grateful," said Amino Bashir, 25, as she held her newborn. Read more »
July 03, 2023
Ethiopia: Tigray's Road to Recovery - How a Maternity Waiting Home Restores Hope for Pregnant Women
Nine-months pregnant with her first child, Tigist Gebrerefael, 23, did not want to experience the agony other women in her rural enclave had endured during childbirth. "I have seen… Read more »
June 26, 2023
South Sudan: Sweden Invests U.S.$8.4 Million for Improving the Health and Well-Being of Women, Girls and Young People
Sweden announced its commitment of 90 million Swedish Krona ($8.4 million) to UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, to implement its fourth Country… Read more »
June 22, 2023
Southern Africa: Sweden Invests $42 Million to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in East and Southern Africa
Sweden today announced a further investment of $42 million for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in an effort to transform the lives of millions of people in East… Read more »
June 13, 2023
Tanzania: Tanzania Can Pave the Way for a Prosperous Future By Prioritizing Rights and Choices for All
In her 25 years as a midwife, Sanura Abdulla Salim has observed what can happen when women deliver several babies in succession without a break. Back-to-back pregnancies can be… Read more »