'The world has nearly two billion 10 to 24 year olds; of these, 86 percent live in developing countries. While much literature on young people's health focuses on the problems and risks they face, there is a great deal of evidence that most get through the transition to adulthood without significant behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties. In fact, among this age group, positive changes in overall health have clearly outweighed the negative changes. Society must harness the energies of you more...

'This report provides highlights of a September 2003 consultation in Rome with UNFPA and many of its partners. It provides lessons learned from ten pilot projects that used a programme guide created by UNFPA to help health care providers address gender-based violence. It also summarizes presentations from ten experts on gender-based violence and recommendations from the three working groups.'

'The fight against poverty must be based on the realisation of human rights for women and men. The contribution of both women and men to development must be acknowledged. Women must be able to take part in societal decision-making and welfare development on the same footing as men. This will require an active effort to strengthen women's rights, participation and influence.

This action plan sets targets and stakes out the course for the realisation of women's rights and gender equality both a more...

'This publication, which consists of two parts, underscores the importance of population issues, including reproductive health, as a critical component of national efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs. The first part highlights key arguments on the benefits to be gained when governments make reproductive health and rights a development priority. The second part includes the 'Stockholm Call to Action', a list of practical ways to invest in reproductive health which was endorsed by a num more...

Female genital mutilation has no known health benefits. On the contrary, it is known to be harmful to girls and women in many ways but tragedy is that between 100 and 140 million girls and women in the world are estimated to have undergone such procedures, and 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk of undergoing the procedures every year. Female genital mutilation has been reported to occur in all parts of world and it is most prevalent in Africa, some countries in Asia and Middle East and more...

"Women and girls have reproductive health needs that must be addressed during an emergency situation. Unfortunately, the international community has not always recognized reproductive health care as necessary during an emergency. Neglecting RH in emergencies has serious consequences: preventable maternal and infant deaths; unwanted pregnancies and subsequent unsafe abortions; and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Fifteen percent of all pregnant women will experie more...

The objective of this project is to empower adolescent girls and women by addressing their education, reproductive health, and livelihood needs. In 2006 Population Council researchers conducted a baseline survey of over 3,000 girls and women aged 10–45 in six rural woredas (districts) of Ethiopia's Amhara region.
Based on the findings of the survey, the Council designed a program in which girls and women in that region are mobilized into separate groups led by five trained adult female mentor more...

Since the violence began on 27 December, the Nairobi Women’s Hospital and the Coast General Hospital in Mombasa have reported a two- to three-fold increase in the number of women and children seeking treatment for sexual assault. “Sexual violence is not only occurring as a by-product of the collapse of moral and social order in Kenya brought on by the post-election conflicts,” Ward said. “It is also being used as a tool to terrorize families and individuals and precipitate their expulsio more...

Afghan women have much to celebrate on International Women's Day. Yet their precarious situation still warrants international attention and support. Although Afghan women have now regained most of the freedoms that they lost under the Taliban's gender apartheid, they still constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan. Worsening security and violence threaten the freedoms Afghan women have fought for over the past seven years. The Taliban have been able to regroup and expand their more...

This blog from the ODI by Cora Walsh and Nicola Jones notes that, after decades of work to tackle gender disparities in healthcare, gender remains a significant factor in the poor health of millions around the globe. This year the UN theme of International Women’s Day is ‘investing in women’, and the blog reiterates why this is particularly important in health policy. It also offers four concrete steps to be taken in order to more effectively invest in women's health in developing contexts more...