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Married at 16, Fatou Bah was determined her daughters would have a different future. Today, she helps protect other girls from child marriage in The Gambia. Through United Nations Population Fund-supported initiatives, mothers’ clubs, religious leaders and community advocates are challenging harmful traditions, keeping girls in school and defending their right to choose their future. With thousands of girls still at risk, their message is clear: “Marriage should never be the reason her childhood ends.”
For women who use drugs, asking for help can mean risking arrest or losing their children. A UN Human Rights reveals how punitive drug policies expose women and girls to abuse, overlook coercion and poverty, and keep them from vital care. Pregnant women can face forced treatment or imprisonment, while mothers may be separated from their children. Globally, only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receives treatment. The report calls for health care that meets women’s needs, alternatives to imprisonment and an end to barriers that deter them from seeking help, with women’s lived experience helping shape policy.
For millions of girls, pregnancy can put health, education and dreams at risk. An estimated 12.3 million girls aged 10–19 gave birth in 2025, a finds. Poverty, gender inequality, child marriage and sexual violence heighten the risks, while stigma and barriers to healthcare leave many without support. Yet adolescent pregnancy is preventable. Comprehensive sexuality education, confidential healthcare, contraception and stronger protection can help girls make informed choices. The report urges governments to turn commitments into coordinated action, with girls helping shape the decisions that affect their futures.
Every girl deserves a childhood and the freedom to shape her own future. Yet more than 12 million girls, about one every three seconds, are married before reaching adulthood. Child marriage denies girls the chance to stay in school, protect their health, and live free from violence. This International Day of the Girl Child (11 October), stand with girls: raise your voice, champion solutions, challenge harmful norms, and amplify girls' leadership. Together, we can end child marriage and ensure that every girl has the freedom to choose her own future - and the opportunity to thrive.
Decades of progress have yet to deliver equal pay. Globally, women employees earn about 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. Despite advances in education, employment and public policy, wage inequalities remain stubborn and slow to disappear. International Equal Pay Day (18 September) calls for equal pay for work of equal value. Greater pay transparency can reveal disparities and encourage employers to act, but effective design and implementation are key to turning greater visibility into real change.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, women are strengthening food security, livelihoods and communities. In Belize, teacher Elevernie Davis has turned a school garden into a living classroom, where children learn agricultural skills while growing fresh vegetables for nutritious school meals. Some students have even started gardens at home, sharing what they learn with their families. Nearly 800 students and more than 50 teachers have been trained. From Belize to Brazil, Guatemala, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic, women are showing how knowledge and opportunity can help build more sustainable food systems. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 offers a unique opportunity to place women farmers at the centre of the agrifood systems agenda and accelerate action.
Writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem denounces violence against women in a speech at UN Headquarters. Utilizing material from the , this production showcases a major force in the feminist movement taking her message to the global stage.
Olympic champion Alysa Liu challenges stereotypes in women’s sport, championing body positivity, friendship, mental health, equality and the freedom to compete authentically.
Indigenous women and girls are leaders, knowledge holders and agents of change. They play vital roles in sustaining their communities, preserving Indigenous languages and cultures, protecting lands and biodiversity, and passing knowledge from one generation to the next. Yet they continue to face deep-rooted inequalities, discrimination and barriers to participation and decision-making. On 5 September 2026, we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls for the first time, recognizing their rights, voices, and contributions.
Lone mothers across Latin America and the Caribbean face rising poverty and insecure work, highlighting the need for stronger childcare, social protection and child support.
In Querétaro, Mexico, 18 women are turning generations-old crafts into new opportunities through a partnership between UNFPA and Prada Group. Artisans including Lupita, Leticia and Manuela combined traditional weaving, embroidery and doll-making with training in fashion, business, women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health. Their work culminated in a 21-garment collection showcased in Mexico City. Along the way, the women gained confidence, strengthened networks of mutual support and developed ambitions to build their own brands and workshops while keeping their cultural heritage alive.
Five years after girls in Afghanistan were barred from secondary education, continues to keep learning opportunities open for girls and women excluded from formal education. Through community-based programmes, UNESCO provides literacy and vocational training, psychosocial support and practical skills that can strengthen livelihoods and resilience. Working with local communities, it helps create safe and accessible learning spaces, build confidence and support women’s future economic participation. UNESCO also continues to advocate for the restoration of girls’ and women’s right to education while expanding alternative pathways for learning.
Five years after the Taliban takeover, Afghan women and girls face increasingly institutionalized exclusion from education, employment and public life. UN Women warns against normalizing these restrictions.
Even during Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dedicated midwives like Francine continue providing life-saving care to mothers and newborns despite the risks.