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Monday, June 29, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Women's Health
RIGHTS-TURKEY: Transforming Men from Culprits to Allies – Part 1
Success in fighting violence against women may well hinge on partnership with an often overlooked but still a critically vital party - men themselves.
SWAZILAND: Help Sex Workers – Senator
It is one of the world's oldest professions, dating so far back that it is even mentioned in the Bible. But in the deeply cultural and religious country of Swaziland, Senator Thuli Msane stirred a hornet's nest when she publicly challenged a new strict bill opposing prostitution.FRANCE: Top Designers Make Dolls to Fund Darfur Vaccinations
Designer rag dolls, the concept couldn't sound more frivolous. But dolls made by top fashion designers such as Armani and Prada are helping to fund a vaccination programme in war-torn Darfur.HEALTH: New Task Force Targets Poor in Breast Cancer Fight
The rate of breast cancer in developing countries is on the rise, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, which estimates that the poor will account for more than 55 percent of breast cancer deaths this year.
CHILE: Teen Pregnancy, a Problem That Won’t Go Away
Chile currently stands out for its spectacular progress in a number of health indicators, including maternal and child mortality and chronic malnutrition. But these successes obscure an acute social problem that refuses to yield: the steady rise in the number of teenage mothers.HEALTH: U.S. Urged to Double Aid to Global Projects
As the effort to achieve universal health coverage within the U.S. crawls forward in Washington, a new report by a coalition of global health organisations details how the U.S. can "help lead the world to universal access to comprehensive health care in developing countries".
PHILIPPINES: Women’s Rights Laws in Place
Although the enacting in August of the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) - a major law aiming to end discrimination against women across the archipelago - was well-received here, there remain concerns about whether the legislation will be fully implemented.
KENYA : Practical Measures Needed on Teen Sexual Education
Kenyan teenagers are having sex. And they appear to have no clue how to go about it.
HEALTH-AFRICA: Fresh Campaign Against Paediatric AIDS
Eleven years ago, Raloke Odetoyinbo had been married for two years and a month when she found out she was HIV positive.UGANDA: Lifting Silence on Menstruation to Keep Girls in School
More than half of Ugandan girls who enrol in grade one drop out before sitting for their primary school-leaving examinations.RIGHTS: Unsafe Abortions Killing 70,000 a Year
Unsafe abortions kill about 70,000 women a year, says a report by the U.S.- based Guttmacher Institute. An additional five million women are treated annually for complications arising from unsafe abortion, adds the report, based on a global survey.
HEALTH: Study Faults Unregulated Trade in Human Organs
A growing new market for human organs has prompted the United Nations and the Council of Europe to call for an international convention to regulate the sale of body parts, mostly kidneys and livers, in transplant surgery worldwide.HEALTH: Criminalisation of Abortion 'The Wrong Concept'
One hundred African women and girls die unnecessarily from unsafe abortions every day because they have to rely on unqualified medical practitioners or self-induce abortion by ingesting poisonous substances or inserting tools into their uterus.HEALTH-NAMIBIA: Illegal Abortions Common Despite Risks
Ten years ago, a move to legalise abortion in Namibia failed. The number of unwanted pregnancies remains high, with many people unwilling or unable to use contraception. Despite the risks, illegal abortions remain common.HEALTH: Africa Leads World in Premature Infant Deaths
An estimated 13 million babies worldwide are born prematurely and more than one million die each year, say health experts.
ZAMBIA: Orphans Learn Life Skills Through Soccer
For 70 minutes, the girls in the distinctive gold-and-green jersey of Brazil shut out the attacks by the visiting team. The bare feet of chubby-faced left back Njavwa Silungwe are lively in defence.
HEALTH-INDIA: Positive Approach to Life
At an age when most 20-year-olds dream of living a perfect life, Kousalya Periasamy found hers shaken by personal tragedies.
HEALTH-LIBERIA: Rainy Season Deadly for Pregnant Women
As heavy rain hammers the grass thatch roof of her mud hut, Goromah Borbor huddles inside and quietly describes how her daughter Annie died while giving birth.
INDIA: Most Live Donors Are Wives or Mothers
Here's a statistic that reveals the truth about gender relations in India.
LAOS: What People Cannot Eat is of Great Importance to Women – Part 2
"When I was born my mother could not eat anything but tiny fish and tea made from herbs for one whole year," says Dr Bhounsouane. "She was so weak that she could hardly walk. Post partum food taboos (phit kam) are a major problem in Laos for women," he said.
LAOS: Land Legislation Disempowers Women – Part 1
Ki is seven years old but looks more like three. His legs are bowed and skull misshapen. He looked at me with a blank stare. The health worker, Kheo, suggests rickets.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Worldwide, women’s health is a serious issue. The result of a wide diversity of factors, most notably insufficient access to education, women’s health issues must be addressed. Without access to proper schooling, many girls grow up without the necessary understanding of reproductive health. Due to this, reproductive issues and sexually transmitted infections plague women in developing countries. Women struggle to battle infections such as HIV. The lack of relevant services, coupled with the lack of women’s rights pertaining to their own health, are some of the serious issues that these stories seek to explain.
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