With bombs raining down on hospitals and United Nations shelters, the people of #Gaza have nowhere safe to go. In Gaza, 50,000 women are currently pregnant. Almost 160 women will give birth every day amid the violence. UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. 

Mariam is among the more than 100,000 people, who have fled into Armenia following the escalation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. About one third of the refugees are reportedly under 18, and approximately half are women and girls, who face a  heightened risk of gender-based violence.

On World Mental Health Day, UNFPA Regional Champion Shudufhadzo Musida raises awareness about mental health and speaks up for women and girls, who don’t feel seen, heard, or understood.

Only one third of countries have committed to upholding the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in their national climate plans.

Portable ultrasound machines are bridging a dangerous gap in maternal health care in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

14-year-old Cleiton Adriano, is challenging the stereotypes around masculinity and promoting women’s rights.

My body is my own: claiming the right to autonomy and self-determination. Five things you need to know about consent

All too often, people who contribute the least to climate change are affected the most. Such is the case in Bangladesh, one of the most climate disaster-prone countries in the world. Floods, cyclones and extreme storms frequently displace people from their homes. Women and girls pay the highest price. Humanitarian needs directly impacting them – including access to contraception; safe births; protection from violence – are often overlooked in times of crisis. "When climate disaster strikes, it is a disaster for women and girls," said Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, "we have to change the mentality to prioritize what women and girls are going to need".

UNFPA embraces femtech to boost period awareness in Burkina Faso and the Republic of Moldova.

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Their mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The agency promotes gender equality and empowers women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures in more than 150 countries.

They make up 49.7% of the global population, yet women and girls are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies. This pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of school, the workforce and leadership positions; limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health and sexual and reproductive lives; and heightens their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices and preventable maternal death, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.

The world is more connected than ever, thanks to our always-evolving technology. But with such advancements come opportunities for harm, with predators finding new ways to perpetuate gender-based violence, using technology for harassment, cyberstalking, doxing, sextortion. UNFPA brings us the stories of three world-changing women who are working to combat digital violence – creating new laws, technologies and support systems – and to end gender inequality, which creates an imbalance of power and a vulnerability to violence, both in the real and virtual worlds.

This year’s World Population Day focused on unleashing the power of gender equality. Women and girls make up 49.7% of the global population, yet they are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies. We must advance gender equality to create a more just, resilient and sustainable world. When women and girls are empowered by societies to exert autonomy over their lives and bodies, they and their families thrive. UNFPA highlights the need to advance gender equality to help realize the dreams of all 8 billion of us on our planet.

When Tropical Cyclone Freddy slammed into Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi, 32,000 pregnant women were due to give birth within weeks. The destruction of homes, health facilities and travel routes during the cyclone made childbirth much more perilous. Around 5,000 of the women could expect to experience complications in their final months of pregnancy or during childbirth, which, without access to skilled care, could prove fatal. A climate crisis is an obstetric emergency. After a two-hour journey on an ambulance recently repaired by UNFPA, Mercy, 37, gave birth to healthy twin boys.

Silvia Francisco joined the UNFPA programme, aimed at empowering younger generations across Angola to take charge of their sexual and reproductive health – to help an HIV+ relative.