News headlines for “Women’s Rights”, page 64
Afghanistan earthquakes: ‘Staggering’ health consequences
- UN News

Families in western Afghanistan, who have lost everything to a series of devastating earthquakes, need urgent assistance to withstand the harsh winter, the UN relief wing reported on Friday.
South Asian Community Health Workers Say Their Work is Work
- Inter Press Service

KARACHI, Oct 19 (IPS) - “Professionally, I am still where I was 23 years ago when I started working as a lady health worker (LHW),” said a disgruntled Yasmin Siddiq, 47, from Karachi. “I will probably retire in the same capacity, as a Grade 5 government servant, without any hope for upward mobility.”
Somalia: Insecurity worsens, civilians pay the price
- UN News

Insecurity persists in Somalia, with extremist group Al-Shabaab and fighting in the Laascaanood region taking a heavy toll on civilians, the UN envoy for the country told the Security Council on Thursday.
Women’s sexual and reproductive rights an ‘unfinished agenda’
- UN News

UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday called for progress on the ‘unfinished agenda’ of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights at an event in Geneva to mark the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The Taliban's War on Women: The Ongoing Struggle in Afghanistan
- Inter Press Service

Oct 12 (IPS) - The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasonsAfghanistan can be likened to an open prison, where nearly 20 million women struggle daily for their freedom. What these women demand is a simple right – the right to lead dignified lives, equal to their male counterparts. Unfortunately, this aspiration seems distant and despairingly unattainable.
Undocumented Afghan Women Fear Eviction from Pakistan
- Inter Press Service

PESHAWAR, Oct 12 (IPS) - Amid a looming threat of forceful eviction, Afghan women who arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban’s takeover in Kabul have asked the host country to allow them to stay because they want to continue their education.
Maldives Election: What Now for Civil Society?
- Inter Press Service

LONDON, Oct 12 (IPS) - Ahead of the presidential election, Solih faced accusations of irregularities in his party’s primary vote, in which he defeated former president Mohamed Nasheed. The Electoral Commission was accused of making it harder for rival parties to stand, including the Democrats, a breakaway party Naheed formed after the primary vote. The ruling party also appeared to be instrumentalising public media and state resources in its favour. Solih’s political alliances with conservative religious parties were in the spotlight, including with the Adhaalath Party, which has taken an increasingly intolerant stance on women’s and LGBTQI+ rights.
Kazakhstan's Interfaith Initiative: Fostering Global Harmony through Wisdom and Leadership
- Inter Press Service

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Oct 11 (IPS) - In the heart of Central Asia, a nation renowned for its rich cultural diversity, multi-ethnic society, and spiritual traditions has emerged as a global beacon of interfaith harmony and understanding. Over the past two decades, Kazakhstan’s Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions (The Congress) has played an instrumental role in promoting dialogue, forging unity, and advocating for peace among diverse faiths worldwide. Rooted in Kazakhstan’s deep spiritual heritage and wisdom, this initiative has evolved into a symbol of international cooperation and tolerance. As we reflect on its remarkable journey and look ahead to its future under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, it becomes evident that the Congress is poised to make even greater strides toward fostering global harmony and unity.
Mexico on the Rights Path
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Oct 10 (IPS) - Mexico’s Supreme Court recently declared abortion bans unconstitutional, effectively decriminalising abortion throughout the vast federal country, so far characterised by a legislative patchwork.
To End Child Marriage in Southern & East Africa, Governments Need to Strengthen Laws & Implementation
- Inter Press Service

GENEVA, Switzerland, Oct 10 (IPS) - Almost one third (32%) of women aged 20 to 24 in Eastern and Southern Africa - around 50 million – were married before 18 years old. To address this pervasive problem, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum has adopted the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage, a legal framework providing a comprehensive, integrated approach to ending child marriage and protecting children already married.
Global Issues