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While many might not realize November 19 is World Toilet Day, the international day serves as a powerful reminder that 2.3 billion people around the world lack access to a basic toilet. Safe sanitation for all is critical to good health everywhere and must remain a global development priority. It’s shocking to contemplate that in our modern world, nearly one-third of humanity does not have a clean place to use the bathroom. Toilets might seem […]

On Saturday, the International Day to End Violence Against Women, was marked by marches in Chile, Lebanon, Italy, Mozambique, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Landmarks, from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, to parliament buildings in Bangladesh, Liberia, and Morocco, to Jet d’Eau in Geneva and Table Mountain in Cape Town, glowed orange to mark the beginning of the annual 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence. Dutch government officials wore

By Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund Every year, the United Nations joins in observing “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” to draw attention to the global epidemic of violence against women and girls. This year, as the campaign launches, women around the world have begun speaking out about sexual harassment and assault loudly, urgently – and, at last, they are being heard. They’ve

By Amanda Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Rise, and Jessica Long, Riser with the UN portfolio The question I wake up with every day is, “What is my place in the universe, and what can I do about it?” My name is Amanda Nguyen, and after my rape, I felt despair. I had been struggling to understand the labyrinth of laws and felt isolated by my state’s criminal justice system. I remember witnessing the waiting

By ElsaMarie D’Silva, Founder & CEO of Safecity Last week I spoke at the Women of the Future Summit in London and asked a room of over 350 women delegates from around the world to raise their hands if they have never been sexually harassed in their life. Not a single hand went up. It came as a shock to me as I was honestly expecting a few hands to be raised. But I should

By Marat Yu, Manager, BSR The recent surfacing of numerous sexual harassment allegations – including multiple allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace – have demonstrated how much work remains to be done to create genuinely inclusive workplace around the world. Business can no longer be in any doubt about its duty to stamp out violence and harassment at work. However, if there is another learning from the #MeToo movement, it is that violence knows no borders. It occurs at work, on the way to

By Dr. Daniela Ligiero, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Together for Girls When it comes to sexual and gender-based violence, a lot has happened in recent months. The groundswell of high-profile sexual assault and harassment cases in the U.S. has led to a global debate on the issue, and many once powerful men have seen their careers disintegrate in a matter of days. We also saw massive protests around the world after brutal rapes

By Dr. Josephine Kulea, Founder and Executive Director, Samburu Girls Foundation The Samburu is a Maa-speaking nomadic pastoralist community of Northern Kenya. The community, known for its bright-colored dress and intricate beads, boasts of rich culture, but still has some dark, deep-rooted, retrogressive cultural practices, which mostly oppress women and girls. According to the Kenyan Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) in 2014, 86% of Samburu girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM/C). Although conclusive research

By Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Every four minutes, three young women become infected with HIV (UNAIDS Right to Health report, 2017). They are clearly not enjoying their right to health, nor will they, until we are able to reverse the inequalities and discrimination that fuel HIV spread. Those whose health and future are currently least prioritized must become our focus, if we are to achieve the changes we seek.