https://www.girlsglobe.org Gender equality, human rights and social justice. Fri, 23 May 2025 11:36:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.girlsglobe.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/girlsglobe_icon_green2-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 https://www.girlsglobe.org 32 32 128553070 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/23/neha-mankani-midwifery-and-the-climate-crisis/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/23/neha-mankani-midwifery-and-the-climate-crisis/#respond Fri, 23 May 2025 11:35:50 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66577 Neha Mankani is a community midwife and global health practitioner from Pakistan with a strong focus on reproductive health and rights in crisis situations, emergency response and climate-affected communities. 

Neha is the Humanitarian and Climate Engagement Advisor at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the founder of the Mama Baby Fund; a financial emergency fund for maternal and neonatal healthcare in Pakistan. She has extensive experience in SRHR and maternal and neonatal health clinical practice, programming, and midwifery advocacy both at the local and global levels.

In this episode, Neha shares stories from her work with the coastal communities outside of Karachi, Pakistan and why she stared Mama Baby Fund. As a midwife with the ICM, Julia and Neha talk about how to build resilience in communities affected by the climate crisis and the critical role that midwives have.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/23/neha-mankani-midwifery-and-the-climate-crisis/feed/ 0 66577 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/05/protecting-woman-centred-care-in-a-world-of-crises-why-midwives-must-be-at-the-centre/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/05/protecting-woman-centred-care-in-a-world-of-crises-why-midwives-must-be-at-the-centre/#respond Mon, 05 May 2025 09:15:42 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66531 After the initial shock of a crisis — whether caused by conflict, climate change or natural disasters — daily life continues to unfold. Yet even as communities face devastation, life goes on. Pregnancies continue, and women and gender diverse people go into labour and give birth. A moment that should be joyful and safe turns frightening and uncertain, as giving birth becomes far more dangerous and unpredictable. More than half of maternal deaths worldwide occur in fragile and crisis-affected settings, making clear just how deadly these situations can be. 

At the same time, needs rise sharply. The demand for contraception, comprehensive abortion care and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases, while access to these services often becomes limited or disappears entirely. Menstrual hygiene becomes harder to manage as products and safe facilities, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, become scarce. Unintended pregnancies and STIs increase due to the lack of barrier methods and heightened risk of sexual violence.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/05/05/protecting-woman-centred-care-in-a-world-of-crises-why-midwives-must-be-at-the-centre/feed/ 0 66531 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/09/vivi-lin-taiwan/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/09/vivi-lin-taiwan/#respond Thu, 09 Jan 2025 11:13:47 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66282 Vivi Lin is a Taiwanese human rights activist who founded the global nonprofit organization With Red & Period Museum, fighting for period equity and menstrual justice, and ending period poverty and stigma. Vivi is a youth advisor for the Taiwanese government and is currently studying public policy in Oxford. 

In this episode, Vivi discusses:

- her inspiration to fight for menstrual justice and then to establish the With Red & Period Museum in Taipei…

- the lack of education about and awareness of menstrual issues, including period poverty, where financial constraints result in lack of access to menstrual products…

- the importance of having a safe space where people can discuss and ask questions about periods…

- her parents’ commitment to her education and to exposing her to books, ideas, and information about Taiwan's history…

- attending political protests and rallies as a child…

- the importance of fighting for opportunities and taking action, even if you fail…

- as an undergrad in Scotland, learning from activists who fought for Scotland to become the first country to legislate the right to access free period products for anyone who needs them...

- her realization that if this was possible in Scotland, it was possible in Taiwan, too…

- starting her organization from her dorm room…

- the power of collective action from a society or a community to create sustainable change…

- the reminder that change takes time, so it is it is important to never lose hope.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2025/01/09/vivi-lin-taiwan/feed/ 0 66282 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/21/society-needs-to-stand-together-to-tackle-period-poverty/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/21/society-needs-to-stand-together-to-tackle-period-poverty/#respond Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:05:48 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66142&preview=true&preview_id=66142 About 40 kilometres from warm Durban, lies a place called oThongati. Deep inside oThongati, is a neglected township called Magwaveni. Vibrant with township culture and an intergenerational population, Magwaveni resembles many South African townships. On 3 June 2024, Magwaveni was struck by a tornado that left more than 2,000 households destroyed. The right to shelter and food were not the only rights trampled on by this disaster.

The rights to proper sanitation and menstrual health were also violated.

]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/10/21/society-needs-to-stand-together-to-tackle-period-poverty/feed/ 0 66142 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/07/18/supporting-the-next-generation-of-adolescent-girl-advocates-women-delivers-emerging-leaders-program/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/07/18/supporting-the-next-generation-of-adolescent-girl-advocates-women-delivers-emerging-leaders-program/#comments Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:03:00 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=66022&preview=true&preview_id=66022 "In a world where opportunities for girls are often restricted, Women Deliver is stepping up to support the next generation of adolescent girl advocates through its recently launched Emerging Leaders for Change Program. Recognizing adolescence as a pivotal period where girls' opportunities are frequently limited, the Emerging Leaders Program will sharpen our focus on improving the bodily autonomy of adolescent girls.

During adolescence, girls' choices and life paths can be significantly constrained by external forces. Many find their futures shaped by events they have little control over. However, with the right tools and support given at different life stages, girls can lead the charge in driving positive change for themselves and their communities.

Like many adolescent girls and young women around the world, I struggled to have open conversations with my peers on some of my experiences when it came to reproductive health." Christabel Netondo, East Africa Regional Advisor at Women Deliver shares more about Women Deliver's Emerging Leaders for Change Program and why it matters. ]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/07/18/supporting-the-next-generation-of-adolescent-girl-advocates-women-delivers-emerging-leaders-program/feed/ 6 66022 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/#respond Tue, 28 May 2024 13:35:48 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65872&preview=true&preview_id=65872 At The Hunger Project, we facilitate individual and collective action to transform the systems of inequity that create hunger and cause it to persist. Gender inequality is one of the most deeply rooted inequities and is responsible for keeping millions of women and girls malnourished. Globally,  the gap between men’s and women’s hunger has widened, with food insecurity as of 2022 has been affecting 150 million more women than men. 

Malnutrition impacts girls' and women's health and wellbeing, reducing economic potential, new opportunities, and learning capacity. It reinforces gender inequality. 

To break this cycle of malnutrition, community leaders from around West Africa are working with The Hunger Project to improve maternal and early childhood nutrition and create thriving communities.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/05/28/transforming-womens-nutrition-in-west-africa/feed/ 0 65872 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/16/what-youth-leadership-really-means-and-why-it-must-be-an-urgent-priority/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/16/what-youth-leadership-really-means-and-why-it-must-be-an-urgent-priority/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:59:18 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=65242

Young people are a major demographic in the world. There are 1.8 billion young people bringing unique perspectives and diverse experiences that are valuable for the development of our shared future. To understand what meaningful youth engagement, participation and leadership really means, we must listen to young people themselves.

Through the Rising Minds podcast, young people shape conversations on the issues that impact their lives and wellbeing. In a series of deep dive blog posts, we summarise key messages from the speakers of the podcasts. This post reviews what youth engagement and leadership really means - and why it must be an urgent priority.

In the face of challenges for adolescents today, young people must be recognized as powerful agents of positive change. So, let's explore - with the help of young people - why we need them to lead today and what youth leadership should look like.

]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2024/01/16/what-youth-leadership-really-means-and-why-it-must-be-an-urgent-priority/feed/ 0 65242 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/06/05/supporting-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-kigali-schools/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/06/05/supporting-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-kigali-schools/#comments Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:54:50 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=63727&preview=true&preview_id=63727

Since I was a young girl, I always had a dream that when I grow up I will help vulnerable families in my community to overcome poverty. I wanted to encourage young girls to be more confident and self-reliant.

This dream came through in June 2021 when I founded a local NGO named Grown to Help. For almost two years now, we've provided adolescent girls with information in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), self-leadership and confidence.

We've reached more than 200 girls in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition, we train women who are heads of vulnerable families in financial literacy and small businesses creation. We group them in a saving groups, support them financially to help them start their income-generating activities, with an aim of improving their livelihoods and ultimately being able to sponsor their children’s education.

Rwanda has made significant progress in improving its healthcare system since the 1994 genocide, which left the country in ruins. However, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights education and services is still limited, especially in public schools.
]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/06/05/supporting-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-kigali-schools/feed/ 2 63727 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/28/tackling-period-poverty-in-rwanda-by-being-a-safe-space-for-teens/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/28/tackling-period-poverty-in-rwanda-by-being-a-safe-space-for-teens/#respond Sun, 28 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=63756
In 2018, I realized how period poverty is a hindrance to many girls and how they lack sexual and reproductive information.
I grew up with my mother and we are very close to each other, but in my early years we never sat down to have conversations related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
When I had my first period I was at school and my classmate helped me put on a pad. I had no idea about period cramps and mood swings and I didn’t know who to ask. It was a very private topic to open up to anyone.
Many of my friends have similar experiences.
Dukataze is a social enterprise of young people who took it upon themselves to share the knowledge and information they have with adolescents. I feel like the adolescents we meet are getting more information and knowledge than I had as a teen.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/28/tackling-period-poverty-in-rwanda-by-being-a-safe-space-for-teens/feed/ 0 63756 https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/09/amina-umuhoza-entrepreneurship-changing-lives-of-adolescents/ https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/09/amina-umuhoza-entrepreneurship-changing-lives-of-adolescents/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 10:49:19 +0000 https://www.girlsglobe.org/?p=63602&preview=true&preview_id=63602

Amina Umuhoza is an entrepreneur, menstruation activist and champion of adolescents sexual and reproductive health in Rwanda. She is the CEO of of SAYE company ltd - a social enterprise that designs creative tools to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents.

Together with My Period is Awesome, SAYE has opened the Kigali Menstruation Station - a safe space for adolescents to learn more about sexual and reproductive health without stigma. 

At SAYE, Amina leads a range of entrepreneurial endeavours, one being an economic part of their business that focuses on turning trash into decors The locally made home decoration items are produced by teen mums and youth to be sold in SAYE home decor shop.

Amina has been recognized for her work and leadership in various ways. She is the member of the MasterCard Foundation Youth Advisory group and was a youth advisory board member at DOT Rwanda.

She has been recognized among top 10 outstanding alumni of the US embassy exchange program. Amina was recognized among the top 40 Education Innovators in Africa by the African Union and was selected among the top 18 East African social entrepreneurs to join the Change Maker Exchange Program in 2019. And this is to only name a few… 

Amina is passionate about creating safe spaces for young people to learn and grow, and about protecting the environment. She is TRULY an entrepreneur, and we speak about her journey to where she is today, which wasn’t so straightforward.

She shares her best advice about goal-setting and entrepreneurship and gives insights into the situation for teenage girls and young women in Rwanda.]]> https://www.girlsglobe.org/2023/05/09/amina-umuhoza-entrepreneurship-changing-lives-of-adolescents/feed/ 0 63602