Tharanga Yakupitiyage

600 Million Adolescent Girls Battle Major Challenges

“Today, there are 600 million adolescent girls with specific needs, challenges and aspirations for the future,” said the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Babatunde Osotimehin, starting off a High-Level Forum on adolescent girls.

Majority of World’s Hungry are Women, Says Expert

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

Women, responsible for more than half of global food production, comprise of 70 percent of the world’s hungry, said Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

Women’s Political Participation Slows, New Report Shows

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day March 8, the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) revealed a disappointing low for women’s participation in parliament.

Wild Life Crisis Threatens World’s Iconic Species

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

“Time is running out to end the poaching crisis that threatens some of the world’s most iconic species,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a statement marking World Wildlife Day.

Human Rights Under Attack Than Ever Before, Says Amnesty

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

Human rights are not only under threat, but so are laws and system that protect them, warned Amnesty International (AI) during the launch of its annual report.

Digital Divide Leaves Millions Stranded

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

By 2020, approximately 3.8 billion men and women across the developing world will be connected to the Internet through mobile phones, but 40 per cent of the population will still lack access.

Refugee Crisis Lacks Managed Response

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

“I know exactly what it means to lose your home, to lose your belongings,” said Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division at the UN’s Department of Public Information (DPI), during his opening remarks at a briefing on the refugee crisis.

Indigenous Latin Americans Excluded From Development

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

Poverty and education gaps have decreased significantly among indigenous communities in Latin America, but many continue to be left out of social gains, according to a new World Bank study released Monday.

The High Costs of the War on Drugs

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

Global drug policy involving crop eradication contributes to poverty, hunger, and displacement, said Open Society Foundation (OSF) in a new report released here.

Survivors Speak Out to End Genital Mutilation

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

“I had no identity, I didn’t know who I was, I didn’t know what I was going to do, I didn’t know what my place was in society because of what I went through,” Inna Modja said while recounting her experience with female genital mutilation (FGM).

UN Seeks $ 750 Million to Educate Syrian Refugee Children

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

The United Nations has made an urgent appeal for $750 million in funds to provide education to about one million Syrian refugee children in Jordan Lebanon and Turkey.

Global Economic Slowdown Threatens Social Stability

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

If current policies continue, the global economy will weaken and pose significant social challenges, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warned, in a new report released here.

Academics & Activists Discuss Poverty, Inequality, Conflict

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

Poverty, inequality and global conflict are issues that remain under-prioritised, said President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in a recorded message, kicking off a conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

New Funds for Syrian Refugees, But More Needed

By Tharanga Yakupitiyage

“This is a ray of hope for children, the majority of whom have not had the chance of education since they left Syria,” UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown said while announcing new funding pledges towards a plan to provide education for Syrian refugee children.