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Dispatches from the road: UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd on the horrors facing Rohingya refugees
In mid-February, humanitarian advocate, writer and actor Ashley Judd travelled to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to meet Rohingya refugees who have escaped violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. There, she visited UNFPA-…
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Mayon volcano eruption displaces pregnant women and new mothers in Philippines
“I was washing clothes near my house when I heard the eruption from Mayon Volcano,” Jiassal Balatinsayo told UNFPA. Eight months pregnant and residing just over 6 km from the volcano erupting in the village of Santa…
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Escaping violence, refugee mothers in Angola find relief in safe childbirth
Towards the end of Yvonne Mboi’s pregnancy, she recalled, “I realized I was too big. I was afraid.” These concerns loomed large after her harrowing flight from conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Teen moms in Peru pinpoint need for sexuality education, health services
"I became pregnant at 14 years old,” Angie told UNFPA. Now 19, she lives with her son in a low-income area on the margins of Peru’s capital, Lima, in the densely populated Villa El Salvador District. Angie recalls…
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Mozambique programme empowers girls to fight gender inequality, child marriage
“We are equal to boys and can also contribute to society,” said 17-year-old Lidia Suale Saide. Lidia knows what it means to stand up for these beliefs. One year ago, she refused her mother’s attempt to marry her off.
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Mothers too young: Inequality fuels adolescent pregnancies in Thailand
“I had plans for my life, but since I got pregnant I had to plan for my life in a different way,” said Fern*, 18. “If I knew this was going to happen, I would have just focused on my studies. I would not have bothered…
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Displaced by crisis, South Sudan midwifery students focus on saving mothers
Nyomon Lilian will never forget the day she decided to become a midwife. A few years ago, in her hometown of Kajo Keji, in South Sudan’s Equatoria region, she watched as her neighbour bled out after giving birth.
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Ethiopian women and girls see “remarkable results” in ending child marriage
Not long ago, the sight of a 10-year-old bride was a common occurrence in Ethiopia’s Kolla Tembein District, said Daniel Hagos, the district’s chief administrator. But the community’s women and girls are mobilizing to…
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A safe pregnancy is every woman’s right: Midwifery care saves lives in Myanmar
Ngun Hlei was lucky to have seen a midwife during her third pregnancy. Many women in Myanmar don’t. “I felt very unwell for many months during that pregnancy. But what could I do? I carried on with my work making snacks…
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