Lebanon: a month after hostilities began, newborns spend first weeks displaced and a growing health crisis unfolds, while against time, attacks, displacement and shortages trying to deliver emergency support.
“Join me on my journey as a midwife in the world’s largest refugee camp, where I face high-risk births, scarce resources, and daily emotional challenges.” Kindness Ngoh
In the , mobile ultrasound services do more than save lives, they offer reassurance and moments of joy to expectant mothers. Discover what this support means for women
The space for women, young people, and marginalized groups to speak openly about their rights is shrinking worldwide, with issues like gender‑based violence, reproductive choice, sexual abuse, and discrimination increasingly treated as taboo. International Women’s Day urges action to dismantle structural barriers to justice, from discriminatory laws to harmful social norms. In Georgia, six women working with ‑supported organizations share their vision for equality and the steps they are taking to advance justice for women and girls.
In Benin, UNFPA-supported youth center murals, created with artist Larenson Djihouessi, showcase creativity while promoting safe spaces and essential support.
Amid Sudan’s escalating war, Anna and her children flee South Kordofan after surviving attacks that killed others on their route. Now displaced in Abu Al Naja camp, they join tens of thousands uprooted as Sudan faces the world’s largest displacement crisis. A United Nations Population Fund‑supported mobile health team provides medical care, mental‑health support, safe deliveries and services for survivors of gender‑based violence, despite shortages. For families like Anna’s, with homes destroyed and no safe return, the camp offers essential care and dignity.
Akimatou, a 22-year old entrepreneur, is . After becoming a mother at 16 and leaving school, Akimatou turned her second chance into a mission - using bold comics and open conversations to help girls in Benin take control of their bodies and futures. Now a thriving entrepreneur and mentor, she’s transforming her own story of hardship into hope for an entire generation. Her work is part of a UNFPA-supported comprehensive sexuality education initiative that has driven big gains in reducing school-related pregnancies and expanding girls’ opportunities
Women and children displaced by violence in Sudan are walking for up to 40 days to reach safety, with pregnant women giving birth along the way. UNFPA, led by Fabrizia Falcione, is on the ground providing urgent healthcare and support to save lives amid this crisis.
As societies go digital, technology is reshaping child marriage, both enabling harmful practices and empowering girls to resist and seek support.
One Kenyan man is breaking tradition to stand up for girls - nearly 30 years ago, a student asked Patrick Ngigi for help and this changed the direction of his life. “In 1997, I was working as a head teacher when a girl came to me and pleaded for help [...] I took her to my mother’s house because we didn’t have any rescue centres available. That is how the Mission with a Vision rescue centre began.” The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) .
Amid freezing temperatures and repeated power outages, Kyiv doctors continue performing life-saving Caesarean sections, relying on backup systems and resilience to protect mothers and newborns.
As violence and winter grip northern , pregnant and displaced women face life-threatening risks as homes, safety and access to healthcare collapse.
Amid the , displaced health workers supported by UNFPA are delivering life-saving maternal and reproductive care to women and girls in Northern State camps.
In Paraguay, where nearly 8 out of 10 women have experienced some form of in their lives, young female scientists, athletes, musicians and others are working to fight that fate, joining an anti-violence campaign spearheaded by , the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency. The initiative – – uses social networks, music concerts and community activities like mural painting to raise awareness of the right to live in a world free of violence. It has garnered support from public and private sector partners, civil society organizations and sports institutions, building momentum ever since its launch in 2022. Here, young women involved with the initiative, including Jennifer - a karate champion and teacher - on how dreams can be achieved when girls lift each other up – and can live their lives without violence.
Throughout 2025, the world read about the record number of conflicts and climate crises tearing apart countries and communities. We heard how steep cuts to humanitarian funding are spelling disaster for millions of people. We watched as AI expanded and digital violence against women and girls took a dangerous new turn. But we also saw ordinary people stepping up and doing extraordinary things: From the to the teenagers helping each other in the Philippines, so many individuals showed courage, resilience and a refusal to give up in the face of immense odds. Girls at a safe space in eastern Zambia perform a role-play scenario about peer pressure.
