Women and girls are subject to many harmful practices, according to the State of the World Population 2020 report, released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It focuses on issues of female genital mutilation, child marriage and favouring the birth of sons.
“We must tackle the problem by tackling the root causes, especially gender-biased norms. We must do a better job of supporting communities’ own efforts to understand the toll these practices are taking on girls and the benefits that accrue to the whole of society by stopping them,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director at UNFPA.
Children Believe is already working to address many forms of violence against women, traditional taboos and traditional birth practices, among two of the most prevalent issues noted in the study: child marriage and female genital mutilation.
We’re helping by ensuring communities, including boys and men, understand a girl’s rights. Last year, 65,000+ students, parents, teachers, community leaders and more learned about a girl’s right to equality, education and having a voice in decision-making. Children in our programs also have access to telephone help lines and community boxes to report harmful practices and get support they need.
Many of these issues are more common during the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Provide help today.