News stories by Fairuz Ahmed

New York, Mar 02 (IPS) - Manjo Sheik, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from India, says women have multiple obstacles to overcome.

New York, Dec 21 (IPS) - This is an age where pandemics are raging, millions live in war-torn strife, yet women are judged on their skin tones and height, says matchmaker Hirion Shah.

New York, Nov 18 (IPS) - "I was told to wait and cry it out. How could I explain to them that I have been crying for years? That was not the solution," asks Azra Zeng, a divorced mother of four in an interview with IPS. "I wanted to speak to someone. I wanted to seek help where I could feel whole again. It felt that I was dying from inside, but no one could see."

New York, Oct 05 (IPS) - Telemedicine and health-related information have experienced a massive uptake since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year. While online health services are seen as a panacea for many ills, disinformation and fake news reports have tarnished their credibility.

New York, Aug 11 (IPS) - Screens, devices, and smartphones replaced the human touch and day-to-day interactions as COVID-19 protocols forced millions of people into harsh lockdowns and prolonged isolation.

NEW YORK, Jun 22 (IPS) - For Dr Farzana Khan, a frontline worker and a second-generation immigrant from Pakistan living in California, social media helped her connect and realign herself during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW YORK, Jan 04 (IPS) - A cherished snapshot of a happy mother and a smiling grandmother is universally associated with a good childhood. In the movies, TV, or media, a broken or depressed mother’s face is hardly seen. But the reality is somewhat different. The measures communities and society take to ensure that women and girls are protected and supported are often questioned.

NEW YORK, Dec 14 (IPS) - The United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign marked the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (25 November to 10 December 2020) at a time when COVID-19 exacerbated the conditions women operate under.

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (IPS) - This year, the world commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, instead of celebration; however, its progress has been impeded by the COVID-19.

NEW YORK, Nov 16 (IPS) - This is a crisis without a quick fix that could take years to resolve unless there are concerted efforts to address its root causes, says Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes.