Information and news about woman issues

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How Mutual Aid in Sudan Helps Women

Mutual Aid in SudanThe ongoing humanitarian crisis and military conflict in Sudan have severely disrupted state structures and the effective delivery of international aid. As a result, the Sudanese people now rely on volunteer groups that have practically replaced the national service networks. Mutual, women-led aid groups have formed a critical network of sustenance and support, especially for the most vulnerable populations, including women and children.

The Many Aspects of Help

These are some of the ways mutual aid in Sudan has provided support for nearly two years to date:

  • Provides essential products for women, such as sanitary items, personal hygiene supplies, first aid kits and supplements for pregnant women. According to United Nations (U.N.) estimates, more than 15 million women and girls are among the most vulnerable, facing scarce health care and rampant malnutrition.
  • Creates support groups to help individuals cope with the extreme realities of war. Mental health support is offered through both online and in-person meetings. Mutual aid in Sudan provides not only material goods but also safe spaces where women and girls can seek understanding and share their experiences.
  • Organizes shelter and schools, along with child-friendly spaces and day care groups. Sudan’s crisis has caused large-scale displacement. In response, mutual aid groups work to place women and children in safe locations, whether with host families, in repurposed administrative buildings or in refugee camps, building a protective safety net around families.
  • Educates women and girls in mental health, as well as breast cancer awareness. Mutual aid in Sudan focuses not only on direct emergency response but also on spreading information through economic and practical skills projects. These educational efforts aim to ensure that beneficiaries can use the acquired skills to improve their quality of life not only during the ongoing crisis but also after the situation stabilizes.
  • Secures food and water supplies. Volunteers form associations that focus on growing fruit and vegetables. Aid groups donate the produce to community kitchens and sell the surplus to fund other activities. Despite funding shortages, community kitchens remain a vital lifeline for many families and continue operating with the support of aid groups. Volunteers also respond to immediate needs, such as providing water to areas with disrupted supply due to issues like defective wells.

Women Power Sudan’s Aid Network

The mutual aid network consists of more than 700 groups across the country. Most of the groups are built of and led by women. The volunteers receive 95% of all donated funds to act on the ground and the network is mostly self-reliant.

Main channels of communication and planning are social media, especially Facebook, where volunteers interact with each other, as well as people in need. Sudanese citizens rely heavily on the aid provided by the mutual response network for day-to-day crisis management.

Bringing Water and Hope

Mutual aid in Sudan not only provides essential support to women and children affected by the humanitarian crisis. Volunteer groups also bring hope and a sense of solidarity. As one of them, Ibrahim, explains: “The beautiful thing is that we come together and spend time doing this, which is therapeutic and purposeful. Beautiful values have emerged from this hardship and I hope they will continue afterward.”

– Patrycja Pietrzak

Patrycja is based in Cyprus and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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How Reusable Diapers Are Fighting Poverty, Waste & Inequality

Reusable DiapersThroughout West Africa, the lack of essential hygiene items, such as sanitary pads and diapers, has significantly impacted the lives of millions. One in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa skips school during their periods; obstetric fistula isolates thousands of women each year and with 300,000 disposable diapers thrown away every minute worldwide, the waste crisis in these regions is poorly equipped to curb such environmental impacts.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) aims to transform this landscape by launching three regional factories to produce reusable sanitary diapers and pads. This, in turn, will boost employment in local communities and directly address issues of inequality, poverty and environmental degradation.

The Issue at Hand: A Silent Crisis

Across West Africa, 401.9 million people currently face health and education challenges and 60% of them are young people. Obstetric fistula affects a vast number of women as well, where social exclusion risks coming as a result. Furthermore, the lack of sanitary products in schools contributes to school dropouts among girls and the elderly struggle with a lack of products to help manage urinary leaks.

What ECOWAS is bringing to the table is an opportunity to address these gaps by integrating education, health and socioeconomic issues in a way that promotes human development in the region. It also offers a pathway to tackle the current global waste crisis. “This isn’t just about hygiene-it’s about dignity, economic inclusion and breaking cycles of poverty,” as stated by an ECOWAS commissioner during a signing ceremony.

Governments, together with private entities, can ensure civilians receive safe sanitary products by reinforcing product standards and increasing supply. This approach helps restore both dignity and the market for these products.

ECOWAS Reusable Diaper and Pads Initiative

In 2024, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Gender Development Center (CCDG) initiative, launched this project to establish three factories for producing reusable sanitary pads and diapers. The goal is to meet the needs of teenage girls, fistula survivors and older people, advancing both gender equality and human development.

By initiating this project, ECOWAS objectives centered on decreasing the rates of school dropout, enhancing reproductive health for fistula victims by producing affordable sanitary items and providing them with economic independence by creating jobs.

The management of these factories was entrusted to the States. However, it has a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors, including ECOWAS, partners and ministries, which oversee its training, implementation and advocacy.

Countries in the Spotlight

Within West Africa, several countries have positively responded to this initiative, including Sierra Leone, Togo and Liberia.

  • Sierra Leone: With the approval of the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Isata Mahoi and in partnership with ECOWAS, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the government and ECOWAS to implement the project at both local and national levels. The plan also includes producing underwear for young people, with additional funds allocated for this purpose.
  • Liberia: The ECOWAS Commission, with funding of $40,000 from the West African Health Organization (WAHO), launched the reusable sanitary pads project in Liberia. It aims to improve the lives of 10,000 girls in Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado counties. The initiative also includes promoting awareness of sexual and reproductive health among young girls.
  • Togo: The project was also launched in this country, with funds directed toward its fistula program and support for both survivors and young girls who struggle to access hygiene products during their periods. To boost production, 100 seamstresses were trained and 5,000 reusable sanitary pad kits were distributed across 12 schools in Togo. This initiative helped establish a sustainable production model that supports employment and women’s empowerment.

The Bigger Impact

Using reusable pads and diapers offers a major environmental advantage, especially since disposable versions are among the biggest global contributors to plastic waste. More than 300,000 diapers are thrown away every minute, ending up in landfills and polluting the environment and oceans. This issue is even more serious given how difficult they are to recycle, often taking years to break down. By promoting a circular diaper and pad industry, this initiative could prevent 38 million tonnes of waste each year.

What ECOWAS proposed and initiated was far beyond just hygiene; it is about dignity, breaking cycles of poverty within West Africa and socioeconomic inclusion.

– Liz Mendes

Liz is based in Vancouver, Canada and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Clean Water and Empowerment: Women-led WASH in Nepal

Women-led WASH in NepalIn the rural town of Thantikandh, Nepal, women once sat at the ends of water and sanitary decisions. Now, they are leading efforts to bring safe water and toilets to their community. Supported by SNV Netherlands Development Organization, the local WASH Coordination Committee is recognized for including Nepal’s women and people with disabilities in leadership. Within just 18 months, the area saw a sudden increase in participation in planning safe water access and cleanliness programs.

Chair of the WASH-CC, Mr. Dhir Bahadur Shahi, says, “Previously, we had little knowledge about the particular WASH needs of people with disabilities and women. The Disability Inclusive Development (DID) training, the inclusive WASH assessment and several activities organized by the WfW-BFL project sensitized us. These motivated us to include people with disabilities and women in the WASH-CC at [both] the rural municipality and ward levels.”

Women at the Helm

Across Nepal, women are leading a quiet yet powerful revolution in water and sanitation. In one of the SNV-supported programs, 20 out of 24 hamlets (tole) in Nepal are now managed by women-led WASH committees. In fact, these groups oversee everything from water safety to menstrual hygiene programs and public toilets.

Since placing women in charge of decision-making, projects have seen stronger follow-through and more sustainable outcomes. What was once considered “household work” has now become community leadership, as these women guide a future focused on reducing disease, saving time and improving livelihoods.

The Water and Poverty Connection

While access to water in Nepal has improved dramatically, challenges still remain. UNICEF reports that 95% of Nepalis now use an improved water source; however, 71% of all the water sources and more than 90% of those used by the most vulnerable group are contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. Furthermore, a recent BMC Public Health study among the Indigenous Kumal community revealed that 40% of households use surface water as their primary source of water.

Unsafe water leads directly to disease and a missed income, as women often bear the heaviest burden and walking long distances for clean water may still make families sick.

Solutions in Motion

To close these gaps, inclusive programs are changing the way water projects are managed. The Water for Women Fund’s partnership with SNV has reached more than 52,800 people in Nepal through community-led water and sanitation programs. These projects prioritize Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), ensuring women, people with disabilities and marginalized groups lead the way.

In Sarlahi District, women now head 20 of the 24 local water management committees. Their duties include overseeing sanitation campaigns, managing water billing and advocating for menstrual hygiene in schools. These systems have shifted WASH efforts from temporary aid to sustainable and locally owned solutions.

Beyond Access To Real Empowerment

Water access is only one part of the story, as empowerment fills the remainder. Indeed, through programs like SNV’s “Family Leadership” initiative, women now serve as chairpersons of local WASH committees and lead community outreach. In several Indigenous communities of Nepal, women manage sanitation systems, maintain toilets and run health workshops that reach hundreds of households.

This leadership has built significant trust within communities and strengthened local governments’ capacity to sustain progress. As SNV’s field reports note, women’s involvement has turned WASH work from a top-down effort into a community-driven movement.

The Bigger Picture

Nepal’s journey toward clean water and sanitation is as much about equity as it is infrastructure. With women-led WASH in Nepal, the country is improving health, education and economic opportunities, particularly for those who have long been excluded from decision-making. From Thantikandh to Sarlahi, women have demonstrated that access to clean water can also unlock opportunities for power, dignity and change. Nepal’s progress offers a model for how inclusive leadership can turn basic.

– Tiana Hermes

Tiana is based in Boulder, CO, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Changing Weather Drives Gender-Based Violence in Somalia

Gender-Based Violence in Somalia

Prolonged droughts, failed rainy seasons and displacement are raising everyday risks for women and girls. The result is a sharp rise in gender-based violence (GBV) in Somalia, turning a climate emergency into a public health crisis. The solutions exist. From safe spaces to bringing water closer to homes, programs cut risks and restore autonomy. 

Water Scarcity Forces Longer, Riskier Journeys

Only 52% of people in Somalia have access to a basic water supply. When regulated systems fall short, families turn to distant or unsafe sources. Fetching water is usually the job of women and girls and the long walks can expose them to harassment and assault. This proves climate instability drives gender-based violence in Somalia.

UNICEF and partners extend pipelines, drill boreholes, repair systems and support community-led sanitation efforts so that water is closer to homes. Shorter walks mean fewer chances for abuse and more time for school and work.

Overcrowded Displacement Camps Heighten Protection Risks

Climate shocks destroy livelihoods and push families into cities. In many IDP sites, cramped shelters, poor lighting and unprotected latrines increase exposure to sexual violence. In 2021, Somali women and children made up 93% of reported GBV survivors and 74% of reports came from displaced communities. Lack of lockable latrines, privacy and lighting are major risks.

Changing climatic conditions are driving GBV in Somalia by worsening displacement, straining services and increasing the daily dangers women and girls face in overcrowded camps. Evidence shows that practical steps can significantly reduce GBV risks in overcrowded IDP sites. Safety audits in Baidoa revealed that camps lacking lighting or secure shelters left women particularly vulnerable at night.

In contrast, latrines equipped with locks and solar bulbs improved both safety and dignity for users. Together with better fencing, lockable shelters and alternative fuel sources to reduce firewood collection risks, these measures help create safer, more protective environments for displaced families.

Food Insecurity Drives Harmful Coping Strategies

Drought, conflict and price shocks erode income. Families face impossible choices that can increase GBV in Somalia, including survival sex and child marriage. UNFPA notes spikes in rape and IPV linked to displacement and scarcity.

Harmful practices like Female genital mutilation (FGM) are also used to increase girls’ “marriageability.” Cash assistance with protection measures, safe and inclusive distributions, plus GBV risk mitigation in food security programs. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights how integrating gender analysis into food responses lowers risk while meeting needs.

Shocked Health Systems Limit Survivor Care

Climate and conflict damage roads and clinics, making reaching medical and psychosocial support harder. UNFPA reports gaps in rape treatment, case management and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in rural areas and camps, which can trap survivors in unsafe settings.

UNFPA’s One-Stop Centers and Women & Girls’ Safe Spaces provide confidential, survivor-centered care under one roof, from clinical services to legal referrals. In Bosaso, a UNFPA-supported One-Stop Center is fully operational and serving survivors. As weather changes are driving GBV in Somalia, these safe spaces are vital lifelines, ensuring women and girls have access to protection, support and pathways to recovery.

Women-Led Adaptation Reduces Exposure and Builds Autonomy

Women are leading climate solutions that also reduce exposure to violence. Training in solar energy, water systems and climate-smart livelihoods places women at the center of risk reduction. UNICEF’s Youth Empowerment Center in Dollow trained displaced youth, including young women like Amina, to install solar panels.

Bringing reliable power and water closer to homes reduces the need for trips to distant, unsafe locations. The UNDP and its partners are also scaling up water infrastructure and nature-based solutions in Somalia. As a result, thousands of women-headed households are gaining reliable water access, reducing the time spent on risky journeys.

Why This Is a Global Health Issue

Gender-based violence in Somalia is fueled by drought, displacement and stressed systems. Changing weather patterns are driving GBV in Somalia by worsening displacement, deepening poverty and heightening daily risks for women and girls. It raises trauma, maternal health risks and disease exposure in crowded sites with weak WASH services.

Tackling it means pairing climate finance with GBV prevention, expanding access to safe water and sanitation, investing in survivor services and backing women-led adaptation. These steps save lives, restore dignity and strengthen resilience to a changing climate, offering Somali women and girls a safer and more hopeful future.

– Lucy Williams

Lucy is based in Wrexham, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Education for Somali Women: Rebuilding a Nation

Education for Somali womenThe African country of Somalia has been ravaged by war for decades. Conflict began in the late 1980s and worsened after the fall of Siad Barre’s military government in 1991 at the hands of clan-based militant movements—the Somali National Movement (SNM) in the northwest, the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF) in the northeast and the United Somali Congress (USC) around Mogadishu. Over the next 30 years, Somalia’s conflict would take many different forms, according to BBC News.

In August 2012, after years of clan violence and Islamist insurgency, Somalia’s first formal parliament in more than two decades was sworn in. The following month, Somalia’s parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, marking the first presidential election since 1967, according to BBC News. Today, Somalia remains at war with Al-Shabab—an extremist Islamist group—yet the government has turned much of its focus toward reconstruction and long-term stability.

According to the United Nations (U.N.), 4.4 million Somalis are projected to face acute food insecurity through the end of 2025, and 1.85 million Somali children are likely to experience acute malnutrition. Somali government initiatives and nongovernmental organizations are working to support vulnerable populations, but shrinking international support threatens to stall progress.

Still, Somalia’s situation is not unsalvageable. The nation’s recovery depends not only on government institutions but also on its citizens’ resilience and commitment to rebuilding—a mission many Somali women have taken to heart. Women have become increasingly involved and influential in Somali politics, education, entrepreneurship and peacebuilding, according to the U.N.

Below is a closer look at how women across Somalia are leading the way toward a brighter and more stable future.

Driving Economic Recovery Through Entrepreneurship

For a nation rebuilding from decades of war, expanding economic opportunity is essential to reducing poverty and strengthening support for struggling citizens. In 2019, Somalia launched the Gargaara Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Financing Facility, designed to fund aspiring Somali entrepreneurs and small businesses.

According to the World Bank, by June 2024, Gargaara had lent more than $23 million to MSMEs across the country, with women-led businesses receiving half of all loans—at least 800 in total. Yet, despite this equal distribution by number, the total monetary value of loans to women was significantly lower than that of male-run enterprises, highlighting a persistent gender gap in capital access.

Even so, Gargaara and its partners at the World Bank have committed to expanding their reach—onboarding more Somali financial institutions, increasing available credit and building lending capacity—all with the goal of supporting a greater number of women-owned MSMEs. Their efforts underscore how vital women entrepreneurs are to rebuilding Somalia’s economy.

Expanding Women’s Political Influence and Representation

Women in Somalia are increasingly taking leadership roles in politics. In March 2025, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on women to get involved in political and security work during a state iftar dinner with more than 100 women leaders, according to AllAfrica News. He praised the work women were already doing—supporting troops and caring for the wounded—and urged them to join political parties, run for office and organize beyond clan divisions.

At the local level, progress is already happening. In Hirshabelle State, women have been elected to district councils and trained in leadership, advocacy and peacebuilding through programs supported by Finn Church Aid (FCA) Somalia. FCA also works with “peace mothers” and female councilors to organize community forums where women, elders and local leaders discuss policy and inclusion. Women now hold roughly 23% of council seats in these areas.

Education for Somali Women

Education for Somali women has been a struggle for generations, but the script is finally starting to flip. “Historically, two groups of patriarchs denied Somali female children schooling—those were the Italian and British colonists,” said University of Minnesota Professor Abdi Ismail Samatar. “It’s really the liberation movement in the 1950s and then the country’s independence in 1960 and thereafter, where female children’s education was expanded. So those challenges still exist.”

Education has become one of the most powerful tools for Somali women to rebuild their lives and communities. According to the U.N., educator Amina Abdi Ali has helped more than 450 women in Kismayo learn to read, write and improve their math skills through a local adult literacy program. Larger initiatives like the Somalia Girls’ Education Programme, led by the U.N. Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and CARE Somalia, have also focused on keeping marginalized girls in school by removing barriers that prevent them from learning—especially in rural areas. According to the World Bank, the Rajo Kaaba program recently awarded scholarships to more than 2,000 Somali girls, allowing them to study in fields such as teaching and nursing.

Peacebuilding and Social Healing

After decades of warfare, civilian bloodshed and displacement, women in Somalia are taking it upon themselves to advocate for peace. One way they have done this is by establishing the Joint Programme on Women, Peace and Protection (WPP) in May 2022. With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), U.N. Women and the United Nations Transition Mission in Somalia, the WPP has taken steps to localize peace and security for women in Somalia.

The WPP has already achieved major accomplishments, illustrating its importance as a program for sustained peace. These include the development and launch of a Local Action Plan (LAP) with presidential endorsement, the formation of a Peace Working Group bringing together diverse community leaders and the establishment of a One Stop Center that supports victims of sexual violence, according to the UNDP.

Looking Ahead

“Over the last 35 years, women really have been very crucial to keeping Somali society together—not only the family, but the whole society,” said Abdi Ismail Samatar. From running businesses and creating jobs to taking leadership roles in politics, expanding education for girls and young women and pushing for peace at the local level, women are at the heart of Somalia’s recovery. Their efforts show that rebuilding the nation is not just the work of governments or aid organizations—it is also the work of women who refuse to let their communities fall behind.

– Jordan Venell

Jordan is based in Edina, MN, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Women in Fisheries in Sri Lanka: From Wreckage to Renewal

Women in Fisheries in Sri LankaThe Indian Ocean tsunami tore through Sri Lanka’s coast in 2004, destroying not only boats and nets but also the very social safety nets that kept the economy afloat. During the loss, women in fisheries in Sri Lanka stepped up. They organized a framework to provide mutual aid circles that transformed into cooperatives that process dried fish, market shellfish and advocate for the waters that feed their families.

Only two decades later, many of these groups are now stable, central businesses that have become anchors in the community. These women didn’t just survive; they changed who held power in coastal life. According to Sri Lanka’s Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management, S.S. Miyanawala, “Therefore, it is necessary to change the way we ‘invest.’ We need to focus not only on addressing the consequences of disasters but on reducing the underlying causes of vulnerabilities and enhancing the preparedness and resilience of people and communities.”

Mutual Aid To Market Power

In the early days of Sri Lanka, women traditionally leveraged skills such as salting, sun-drying and selling items to support household incomes. A comparative study from Ambalangoda shows households with women in fisheries in Sri Lanka differed significantly from those who chose not to, showing increased income and access to credit.

By formalizing into cooperatives, these networks evolved into small enterprises and some partnered with NGOs to reach better markets. After the war and tsunami, initiatives in Jaffna educated widows, showing them how to produce higher-quality dried fish for fair-trade outlets, turning a coping strategy into dignified work with a generous return. Today, dried fish remains a crucial, affordable protein for low-income households, stabilizing local demand while co-ops experiment with better processing and quality control.

Measurable Advances in Gender Equity

Women in fisheries in Sri Lanka have become symbols of economic resilience and their leadership has brought new skills, leverage and measurable gains in gender equity. WorldFish’s synthesis on women’s empowerment in small-scale fisheries outlines four pathways: embedding gender in every innovation stage, strengthening agency and leadership, improving resource access and transforming norms through collective action. These are the levers Sri Lankan co-ops pull, from leadership training to negotiating landing-site space and prices.

Sri Lanka’s dried-fish sector adds a vital dimension: well-being. Women’s control over processing and trade shapes income, social dignity, mobility and decision-making. Outcomes ripple into children’s education and household resilience. In a system still marked by informality and gendered barriers, collective organizing is the difference between uncertainty and progress. These cooperatives aren’t only about sales and personal growth.

They’re also about cultivating and repairing reefs, lagoons and mangroves. In Puttalam District and beyond, women’s groups tied micro-enterprises to ecosystem repair, focused on replanting mangroves, monitoring nurseries and campaigning for local protections. That work reduces storm surge, improves water quality and shelters juvenile fish, all classic “nature as infrastructure” benefits that make both catches and communities more resilient to the next shock.

Why It Matters Now

With supply chains evolving and climate extremes intensifying, Sri Lanka offers a living lab for community-first recovery. U.N. and national analyses of post-tsunami reconstruction emphasize community decision-making and moving recovery efforts locally. Women’s cooperatives became durable nodes in that local governance fabric because they knit income, care work and conservation.

International guidance has caught up with what these fishers practiced out of necessity. The FAO’s handbook on gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance urges countries to center women in rules, markets and services. This approach is reflected in Sri Lankan co-ops that negotiate access to space, credit and training while advocating for better post-harvest infrastructure and quality standards.

What Success Looks Like

On the ground, success is pragmatic, not flashy. In Sri-Lanka, this success looks like predictable cash from a cooperative drying shed, a microloan that upgrades a smoker or a daughter who stays in school because fees are paid on time. Success also looks like a mangrove belt that blunts the next cyclone or a woman who chairs the meeting where the landing schedule is set. In places where formal jobs are scarce, these wins matter.

And the women who succeed scale their rewards out to the community. When collectives share methods such as pricing, grading, hygiene, bookkeeping and performance spreads horizontally. Partnerships with groups like the Small Fishers Federation (Sudeesa), international NGOs and university programs bring training and research to community doorsteps. At the same time, co-ops carry data and lived expertise back up the chain to policy tables. That two-way flow is how “pilot projects” become norms.

The Unfinished Work

Though there has been much progress, such as improved access to cold storage, challenges remain, including exposure to price shocks, credit terms that penalize informality and co-op bylaws that can still marginalize women at the harvest end of the chain. However, the evidence base is clear and growing: when women organize across the fish value chain, households diversify their income, nutrition improves and communities invest in the ecosystems that sustain them.

This policy isn’t charity; it funds what already works, including women’s collective enterprise tied to coastal stewardship. The lesson from Sri Lanka’s shores is simple: resilience is built locally by the people with the most at stake. When those people are women in fisheries who run the books, manage the drying racks, negotiate prices and plant mangroves, the result is more than just recovery. It’s a fairer, more durable coastal economy.

– Nicole Fernandez

Nicole is based in Reno, NV, USA and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Global Girls Glow in Uganda: Ending Period Poverty

Global Girls Glow UgandaPeriod poverty is a leading barrier to education, health and gender equality. It is defined as the inability to access safe, hygienic and educational means of managing menstruation. Financial difficulties, limited education or health care and negative social stigmas can cause this.

Global Girls Glow is a leading international organization that works in countries around the world to empower women to reduce period poverty. By leading with “by girls, for girls,” the organization empowers girls to change the stigma around menstruation, educate and make hygiene products more accessible. By “recognizing agency, exercising voices and building power, it inspires the next generation of young female leaders in their communities, their countries and in the advocacy of reducing period poverty globally.”

Understanding Period Poverty in Uganda

In Uganda, period poverty is a significant nationwide issue. Most concerningly, girls miss 18% of the school year due to absences caused by periods and inaccessible and unhygienic menstrual products. Only 22% of girls in Uganda have access to sanitary pads. This has an immediate knock-on effect on their health, education, income and career prospects.

Additionally, Uganda grapples with a significant negative social stigma against menstruation, which girls experience in their schools and communities. This further perpetuates the vicious cycle of gender inequality. Absence from school can result in increased occurrences of child marriages and domestic abuse.

Schools can often be safe spaces for girls, yet 23% of Ugandan girls aged 12-18 drop out due to the inability to manage their periods. Reducing period poverty isn’t just about access to affordable and hygienic products. It is about safety, education and empowering Ugandan girls to remain contributing members of society without the fear or limitation of being held back by their period.

Global Girls Glow in Uganda 

Global Girls Glow addresses all aspects of period poverty. It focuses on creating safe spaces, raising voices and educating. Program Officer and Manager, Faith Vosevwa and Program Manager Mukonyo Muendo spoke with The Borgen Project, saying that they lead with “by girls, for girls” because ‘we believe when we center girls’ voices, we ensure that they are not just beneficiaries but more of active participants.”

Girl participation is at the heart of the charity’s programs; Vosevwa shares that “They share ideas, sit at the decision-making table and evaluate the outcome.” These programs are built by the girls who want to learn about their bodies and empower Ugandan girls to advocate for themselves and for others.

Muendo adds, “Women have always been treated as second-class citizens, not just in Africa but globally. When half of the population is not empowered, when they are disenfranchised, then we are leaving half of the country behind.”

Girls for School Pads

In Uganda, Girls for School Pads was founded by 18-year-old Kashish, a Glow Club member, who challenged community views on periods. She and her team use community-led methods like visiting schools and rural areas, hosting discussions and education forums. Glow Uganda works with local organizations to share information about events, as these voices are familiar to communities.

Girls for School Pads offer affordable period products and demonstrate how to make and properly wash pads to improve access to menstrual products. A hygienic and self-sufficient way to combat period poverty has been created. Muendo adds that GLOW Uganda distributes menstrual hygiene packets annually, including age-appropriate information booklets, underwear and menstrual products.

Community-Led Approaches

The signature program, GLOW Club, offers a curriculum for club members, which is facilitated by local mentors on a weekly basis. The club provides a safe space for girls to ask questions about menstruation and their bodies. There are several techniques GLOW Uganda uses to encourage girls to speak freely and openly. Vosevwa discusses their anonymous sharing sessions, supportive spaces within community-based centers and schools. Girls can drop by to ask questions about menstruation, sex and their bodies.

Vosevwa shares that the most common questions include topics such as family and community expectations, safety, rights, bodily changes and gender differences — for example: “Why are boys given more freedoms than girls? Is it normal for my body to look or develop differently from others? What is safe sex? And how can I protect myself from pregnancy and infections?”

GLOW goes beyond providing these safe spaces, which females facilitate, to ask these questions; it ensures that girls receive the correct, age-appropriate information to make changes. This alleviates anxieties and develops a sense of cultural understanding and acceptance. Vosevwa notes: “Most girls they work with are schoolgirls who can communicate with teachers, peers, parents and school staff.” Events occur in churches and community halls through word of mouth, strong local relationships and partnerships.

Advocacy & Impact Story

Girls for School Pads alone have reached 500 women and girls. About 60 girls have been able to continue their education through the Girls for School Pads scholarship program. Vosevwa shared a story about a girl from Mityana, Uganda. Initially, she had little self-esteem when she was introduced to GLOW Uganda at a local event. After participating in one of the GLOW clubs, she passed on her newly learned information to her friends.

Her mother took note and passed it on to other mothers. That girl mentored more than 30 girls in her community. The impact was tremendous; she went from a “girl who did not believe in herself to a girl who believed she could bring change.”

Advocacy is at the forefront of GLOW Uganda. Many girls and women come from communities where they are being silenced. Through advocacy training and programs, girls become curious, ask questions, share stories and become confident and vocal. Destigmatization involves having normalized conversations about menstruation, alongside providing education and correct, age-appropriate information, which empowers Ugandan girls.

Going Forward

Girls for School Pads and Global Girls GLOW are changing the landscape of period poverty for girls and women across Uganda. By leading with “by girls, for girls,” every aspect of period poverty is addressed, as no girl is left behind. Instead, they become influential voices that empower Ugandan girls to advocate for themselves and inspire girls globally.

– Jule Riemeschneider

Jule is based in Oxford, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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UNFPA-UNICEF: Supporting Adolescent Girls in West Africa

UNFPA-UNICEFIn the heart of West Africa during September 2024, floods devastated large portions of northeastern Nigeria. Millions of Nigerians were displaced and thousands of children and adolescents lost their belongings, including clothes, school bags, uniforms and shoes.

Yasmin Sherif, the Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, described how disruptions caused by natural disasters like this have serious consequences for adolescent girls in West Africa. These girls already face high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) such as abduction and sexual violence, as well as child, early and forced marriage (CEFM).

CEFM in West Africa

An estimated 30% of adolescent girls in Nigeria are married before the age of 18 and approximately 27% of girls aren’t in school. With rooted cultural beliefs already limiting the participation of adolescent girls in West African society, the Malala Fund found that CEFM further reduces their opportunities. It decreases women and girls’ chances of finishing secondary or higher education by 23%.

In 2018, CEFM affected between 30% and 40% of adolescent girls in Liberia and Mauritania. The rates were higher in Nigeria at about 40%. Well-paying job opportunities for teenage girls in West Africa decline even further when they are blocked from education.

Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FMG) is a human rights violation with long-lasting consequences on psychological and physical health, with an especially high prevalence in West Africa. Roughly 18% of adolescent girls are affected in Nigeria, 38% in Liberia, 75% in Burkina Faso, 83% in Sierra Leone, 88.6% in Mali and 94.5% in Guinea. As a consequence of social norms, gender biases and false beliefs about female genitalia, the practice is often a prerequisite for adolescent girls’ passage into adulthood or marriage.

UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on FGM Elimination

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) coordinate the Joint Program, utilizing funding from nations around the world to provide technical assistance. The U.S. was the second largest contributor in 2023, with $5 million donated and $29.2 million raised, outpacing the European Union and Canada.

Collaboration is at the heart of the program from the grassroots to the national levels. It enables it to be the world’s largest FGM elimination effort. The Joint Program’s primary mission seeks to partner with national governments, NGOs and private sector entities to “shift underlying social norms within affected communities.” To protect millions of adolescent girls in West Africa, the Joint Program leads advocacy efforts and supports national and subnational-level policymaking.

It also provides financial assistance to help countries address the issue directly. Other efforts include establishing community surveillance systems, mass media messaging to garner international attention, organizing grassroots entities into powerful coalitions and developing prevention and protection services. Thousands of arrests have sprung from the Joint Program’s enforcement and FGM legislation support.

When the program launched in 2008, FGM affected 30% of girls and women aged 15 to 49 in Nigeria. A decade later, the prevalence dropped to 20%. Burkina Faso is an especially successful example wherein FGM rates were consistently between 72% and 76% from 1999 to 2010, falling to 68% in 2015 and 56% in 2020. Unfortunately, the rate in Mali from 2008 to 2019 fluctuated between 85% and 91%, highlighting the need for further support.

UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program To End Child Marriage

The U.S. contributed $500,000 to the Global Program in 2023, which began in 2016 and is scheduled to end in 2030. It is now in the third and final phase (2024-2030). This program focuses its efforts in West and Central Africa, where six of the top 10 nations affected by child marriage reside.

By supporting school retention rates, mobilizing communities and delivering cost-effective services, the program empowers adolescent girls in West Africa. Through direct advocacy for national policy frameworks and assistance to governments in implementing them, the program further helps them become independent members of society.

As a direct result, multiple nations within the African Union have endorsed the African Common Position to End Child Marriage and the Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa. Moreover, several African states have begun developing and executing their national strategies and action plans to end CEFM, with the assistance of UNICEF and UNFPA.

The European Union and Canada were the largest contributors to the Global Program in 2023. However, U.S. funding directly benefits adolescent girls in West Africa by expanding resource and opportunity access, empowering young girls and women and securing government commitment to protection from GBV.

The Future of US Support for West African Girls

The U.S. has contributed to significant efforts at reducing GBV, CEFM and FGM among adolescent girls in West Africa. Established programs continue to increase girls’ access to education, expand their economic participation and reduce their exposure to incidents of violence and oppression. While CEFM and FGM rates continue to decline globally, adolescent girls in West Africa still persistently suffer from the highest rates of occurrence. This trend has been consistent over the last 25 years.

Since the release of the U.S.’s 2016 Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls, new challenges have arisen in humanitarian conflicts, natural disasters, crises and access to digital technologies. In the updated 2024 report, the U.S. Office of Global Women’s Issues declared that Africa’s child population will be “an essential determinant of any success in achieving greater economic growth, democracy and stability.” The U.S. thus reaffirmed its commitment to empower adolescent girls in West Africa and around the globe.

– Shea Dickson

Shea is based in Newton, MA, USA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Telehealth: An Initiative To End Maternal Mortality in Honduras

Maternal Mortality in HondurasThe historic site of Cópan, located in the western highlands of Honduras, is world-renowned for its magnificent ancient Mayan ruins, but behind the famous carved stone monuments and hieroglyphic stairs, the region suffers from extremely high maternal mortality rates and a lack of access to health care services. This development reflects a greater trend of inequality and misinformation, which presents a life-threatening problem for Honduran mothers and their infants.

Maternal Mortality in Honduras: A Grave Problem

As of 2024, the maternal mortality rate in Honduras clocked in at 58 per 100,000 live births. One significant contributing factor to these alarmingly high rates is a widespread lack of access to health care, especially in rural areas. Honduras ranks among the nations with the lowest physician density in Latin America. However, approximately 57% of live births occur in rural regions. Consequently, a dangerous shortage of medical assistance and knowledge exists in highland regions like Cópan, which is a five-hour drive away from Guatemala City, the nearest metropolitan area.

Even though Honduras has taken strides in reducing maternal deaths in the past few years, its rates still surpass those of comparable countries such as Mexico, Nicaragua and El Salvador. The statistics are grim. Approximately 4.2% of all deaths in women ages 15-49 are due to maternal complications, more than double that in the United States. The majority of these deaths are the result of severe bleeding and infections, which could be prevented if not for the lack of quality health care in rural areas.

Misconceptions Impacting Infant Health

The neonatal mortality rate in Honduras is correspondingly high, at an average of nine deaths for every 1,000 live births. Without their mothers, many infants are subject to neglect and other potentially harmful practices, which include feeding the infant with a damp, honeyed cloth and wrapping a band around its umbilical cord. In villages where the nearest medical facility is hundreds of miles away, it’s easy for dangerous misconceptions like these to spread.

However, researchers theorized that educating community members could bridge the knowledge gap and increase awareness of healthy postpartum practices. A health care intervention system was implemented in more than 5,000 households in the Cópan region to test this notion. During this period, families were regularly visited by community health care workers who instructed them on birth-related topics such as infant care, illness prevention and reproductive health.

Along with increasing parents’ likelihood to visit a health facility and breastfeed the infant shortly after birth, the intervention also decreased potentially dangerous practices. The study showed that providing health care services can significantly increase maternal and infant health, demonstrating an urgent need to implement medical services in rural areas.

The Pan American Health Organization

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency comprising 35 member countries in North, Central and South America. Since its founding in 1902, it has collaborated with governments and other organizations to address key problems in Latin American health care. Its achievements are lengthy and include extending the hemisphere’s life expectancy, eliminating numerous fatal diseases and spearheading the world’s first global immunization week. However, the organization’s work is far from over.

An interview with PAHO director Jarbas Barbosa illustrates exactly how the organization’s innovative solutions propel it into a new era of health and connection. Barbosa is no stranger to hard work; soon after obtaining his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Campinas in São Paulo, he embarked on a decades-long journey in public health.

Upon interviewing him about the PAHO’s vision for the future, his passion for improving the lives of others is clear in his promise that, “as director, I am committed to expanding our engagement to improve the health and well-being of all people in the Americas.” He believes that by investing in solutions that address common health problems, PAHO can address the root causes of other prevalent issues affecting Latin America, from political corruption to climate instability.

However, he emphasizes that the PAHO can’t expect to do this independently; instead, “Successfully meeting all these challenges requires effective coordination across sectors.” To do this, PAHO collaborates with influential groups like the World Bank and invests in new research and technology to best address the needs of the Latin American population.

PAHO’s Maternal Telehealth Initiative

So, what do scientific studies on rural health care intervention and the PAHO’s goal of technological collaboration mean for maternal health in Honduras? The answer is a groundbreaking telehealth initiative that enables essential medical assistance for pregnant women living in rural areas.

In collaboration with the Latin American Center for Perinatology, the PAHO has established a teleconsultation pilot, in which women are provided with routine blood-pressure testing and virtual check-ins throughout their pregnancy. As a result, potential maternal complications can be addressed before they become life-threatening.

The program also utilizes the help of community volunteers, who are trained to take vital readings and spread information about immunizations and healthy habits to their community. Bremen de Mucio, a Regional Maternal Health Advisor at PAHO, calls the initiative “a standout example of collaborating to address health care challenges and improve health equality.” While it is too early to observe its long-term effects, telehealth is undoubtedly a significant step in identifying warning signs and reducing pregnancy-related deaths.

– Grace Gonzalez

Grace is based in Oakton, VA, USA and focuses on Business and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Eco-Friendly Agricultural Innovations Led by Women in Kenya

Women in KenyaIn 2018, a group of women in Kenya formed the Habsa Women’s Group to combat the effects of climate instability and food insecurity in their community. In the small town of Malkadaka, the effects of unstable climatic conditions have been disastrous. Droughts and floods kill livestock and crops, making multiple families have limited access to food and suffer from malnutrition and hunger. Innovations led by women in Kenya aimed to make food more accessible by improving their farming tactics with new agricultural innovations. 

Assistance From Action Against Hunger

The group partnered with Action Against Hunger to achieve its goal of creating a more sustainable agricultural system. The women began by learning the basics of crop cultivation, starting with corn and later expanded to onions and kale. Their progress faced numerous obstacles, including limited access to farming equipment and funds, as well as recurring droughts and infestations, all of which made achieving success significantly more challenging.

With the assistance of Action Against Hunger, the organization provided training on maintaining crops, pest management, rotational farming and drought-resistant seeds. It focused on eco-friendly strategies like intercropping, sunken garden beds and innovations in building a solar-powered water pump to help increase water retention during severe weather conditions. A fence was constructed to keep unwanted pests out of the crops.

Growing Success

Thanks to the hard work of these women in Kenya and with support from Action Against Hunger, the harvest successfully produced tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, hot peppers, kale and more. The Habsa Women’s Group earned a profit of approximately $463. This profit allowed the group to invest in improved farming tools and enhance its members’ livelihoods.

Women in Kenya often face restrictive gender roles that limit their income opportunities. Through this project, they helped reduce food insecurity and challenged these norms. Action Against Hunger further supported the Habsa Women’s Group, empowering the women to teach others about farming and nutrition.

The Village Savings and Loan Association

Action Against Hunger established the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), providing women with financial literacy training and encouraging independence. With new confidence and knowledge, they learned to manage earnings, plan for the future and strengthen their community’s economic foundation.

Participating in financial decision-making enables women to earn more. It ensures most of their income supports their families, improving overall health and well-being. Building on the success of the innovations led by women in Kenya and the Habsa Women’s Group, Action Against Hunger is expanding support to nearby communities, connecting them to additional markets in Isiolo County to increase income and business reach.

The organization also aims to boost crop yields, raise profits and enable more sustainable livelihoods for women and their families.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Habsa Women’s Group shows the great potential of eco-friendly alternatives in agriculture. It seems promising that the group will continue to grow. The use of climate-smart technology will continue to spread throughout Kenya, hopefully eventually ending the ongoing food insecurity crisis with nutritious food grown by local people in the community.

– Bowie Aldrich

Bowie is based in Syracuse, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash