Late last month, a U.N. taskforce published a report on sexual health, which had some important findings. Most striking was a statement from Ishita Chaudhry, who works to give a voice to younger people in India. "For us as young people, it's really not as controversial...

Last month, Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl who had been shot by the Taliban near her home in Pakistan, returned to school in Birmingham, UK. It was a truly happy moment and marked a major step in her recovery. But there are all too many reminders of the...

The theme of this year's International Women's Day, coming up on March 8, is a strong desire to end violence against women and girls.

In recent months there have been too many reminders of how urgently we need to address this cause, from the shooting of

Last Tuesday, Americans marked an important milestone in their history -- the fortieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court decision on January 22, 1973 made abortion legal across the nation.

It was a pivotal moment for women's rights in America. It granted women more control...

The burials of the Sandy Hook School children have begun, and the heartbreak of their parents and the community is palpable. I myself am devastated by what happened, by the deaths of those innocent little kids and their brave teachers. This tragedy demonstrates one certainty about American life: the need...

Last week, there was some stunning news from the other side of the Atlantic. The Church of England's General Synod decided to ban women from becoming bishops. It was a close decision, lost by just six votes in the House of Laity (the other two Houses were in...

The British Olympic rower Helen Glover told the Telegraph recently that she nearly decided not to try out for her country's rowing team. She had just finished university and wanted to begin her career; but then she was offered a scholarship that gave her an opportunity to row...

All around the world this October, you will notice the color pink. In Washington, D.C., the White House has been lit with soft-colored lights, New York's Empire State building is set to turn fuchsia this week and over the course of the month, landmarks will...

This fall, children across the world set out for school after the summer holiday. They were the lucky ones. Millions of children do not have access to education, and of those the vast majority are girls. According to UNESCO, there are more than 75 million girls who are...

Recently the Rwandan government took a progressive step in its legislation. Women who are pregnant as a result of rape, forced marriage or incest, or whose pregnancy endangers their health, are now legally entitled to safe abortion procedures.

Rwanda reduced criminal penalties against women who seek...

What would the world look like without HIV? 34 million people would live freer, healthier lives. Communities that are currently affected would be thriving. Mothers would live to see their children grow up.

There are so many individuals and organizations working to create that vision. And as they...

Last year the world's population reached seven billion for the first time. And this past Wednesday, June 11, was World Family Planning Day, designated by the UN to mark its goal of offering universal access to reproductive health services by 2015. These issues are inherently connected,...

My favorite image from the news about the Supreme Court verdict on the health care law shows a group of young people holding brightly colored pink and red placards that state "protecting women's health," "We heart Obamacare" and variations on those themes. The protestors are African-American, Hispanic, Asian...

Just over a week ago, the very first Dialogue for Action Africa was held in Libreville, Gabon. More than 550 individuals representing NGOs, businesses and governments from across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, China and the United States joined us to put forward their expertise in politics,...

Earlier this month, Africa gave the world some very good news. The Economist magazine reported that the continent as a whole had experienced some of the steepest drops in child mortality ever seen anywhere.

Africa's swift economic growth has become a familiar story; but the fact that...

Last week President Obama surprised everyone by announcing that he believed gay people should be allowed to marry. It was a proud day for America, and gay rights groups have welcomed his statement.

Obama said that he had always supported civil unions for gay people, but had been...

France may be in the midst of elections and financial news is looming large. But why are we not talking about Syria? How can we forget those who are suffering in this way?

The international community's impotence
Many international diplomats have tried to stop or even just slow the...

On April 7th, 2012, Malawi elected its first female president. Mrs. Joyce Banda is the daughter of a policeman and the eldest of five children; her rise to power took her swiftly up through the ranks of a mainly conservative and male-dominated society. She is only the second woman to...