News headlines for “Human Population”
Only 1 in 7 Countries is Led by a Woman – as Global Political Power Remains Dominated by Men
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (IPS) - Across the world, women remain vastly under-represented in political leadership, with the most powerful decisions still overwhelmingly made by men. In 2026, only 28 countries are led by a woman Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a woman leader, according to the latest data released by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.
Public Flogging in Afghanistan Strips Women of Dignity
- Inter Press Service

KABUL, March 12 (IPS) - In the bone-chilling Afghanistan winter, a woman was dragged into a public square early this year and publicly lashed for a crime she may or not have committed. According to the ruling handed by the Taliban Supreme Court, the woman and the male culprit who was jointly accused of extra-marital affair received 30 lashes each and a one-year suspended prison sentence. The sentence was carried out in the presence of several local officials and residents in a province whose name is left out to protect the victim.
The Most Appropriate Response to Falling Birthrates? Embrace Them
- Inter Press Service

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, USA, March 12 (IPS) - As birthrates continue to decline in many industrialized countries, anxious governments are running out of schemes to keep women procreating.
Tanzanian School Launches Energy Club to Promote Clean Cooking
- Inter Press Service

DODOMA, Tanzania , March 11 (IPS) - A cloud of steam rises from a giant aluminium pot as Maria Joseph, a middle-aged cook in a toque blanche and faded apron, plants her feet firmly on the tiled kitchen floor. With both hands clasped around a wooden paddle, she plunges deep into the mound of rice, threatening to burn at the bottom.
Gender Discrimination: It’s Time to Flip the Narrative
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, March 10 (IPS) - We have heard it all: When a woman raises her voice, she’s too emotional. When she stands her ground, she’s too difficult. When she leads, she’s too ambitious. If she wears dark suits they whisper ‘why does she always look like a man’. But oh my gosh! if she shows up in a colorful dresses and high heels….
International Women’s Day 2026 - Justice for Women and Girls Needs Action and Political Will
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, March 9 (IPS) - On International Women’s Day (March 8), global leaders and advocates gather around the rallying cry to strengthen justice systems for all women and girls in a time of increasing pushbacks on gender equality.
International Women’s Day 2026 - A Resistance Stronger than the Backlash
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, March 9 (IPS) - Consider what International Women’s Day looked like a few years ago, and what it looks like now: the same date, the same global moment of reflection, but a vastly changed global landscape. Gender rights are facing the most coordinated and wide-ranging attack in decades. Anti-rights forces are dismantling protections secured after generations of struggle, destroying infrastructure built to address gender-based violence and realise reproductive rights and rewriting legal frameworks to roll back rights, with a specific focus on excluding transgender people. This is the result of a deliberate, carefully crafted, handsomely funded and globally coordinated strategy.
International Women’s Day 2026 - This Year’s International Women’s Day Calls for Electing a Woman as the next Secretary-General
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, March 9 (IPS) - As we observe International Women’s Day (IWD) this year, the global community does so in a time of continuing turbulence, conflicts and uncertainty about the future of our planet.
International Women’s Day 2026 - The Gender Architecture of Betrayal: Stop Elite Impunity
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, March 9 (IPS) - International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), which was commemorated March 8, under the theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls“, calls for action to dismantle all barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls. It demands an end to systemic violence and misogyny, including calls for justice for Epstein survivors.
Turning Waste into Hope: A Youth-Led Model for Sustainable Change
- Inter Press Service

TOKYO, Japan, March 6 (IPS) - From the beginning, this project was a collaboration between student teams in Japan and Korea. Although we live in different countries, we shared one common question: How can young people reduce waste while supporting families facing food insecurities?

