“Blood money” of trafficked women now “lifeblood” sustaining terrorists

The “blood money” of women and children has become part of the “lifeblood” that sustains terrorists in places like Syria and Iraq, the UN special envoy for sexual violence in conflict has said. Zainab Bangura briefed members of the UN Security Council during an open debate on trafficking in persons in conflict countries. The billion-dollar trade ranks as the world’s most profitable crime, after illicit trade in drugs and arms, the UN says. Priyanka Shankar has the details.

Tanzanian girls cycle to better “performance at school”

A scheme to help increase girls’ “performance at school” by giving them their own bicycle has just been launched in Tanzania, by the winner of a special UN award. Rebecca Gyumi, is a lawyer and activist in the East African country, who founded the Msichana Initiative, which advocates for girls’ rights and access to education. She took the prize at the recent inaugural UN Children’s Fund Global Goals Awards for an individual who achieved “significant social change for girls.” The award followed the initiative’s work on a landmark case that ended legal provisions supporting child marriage. Ms Gyumi told Amina Hassan why she’d decided to start the new project to distribute bicycles to girls.

Women are the “backbone” of agriculture

Women are the “backbone” of agriculture, according to the Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Speaking at a High-Level event in Rome, José Graziano da Silva noted that achieving gender equality and empowering women was a critical element in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition. About 45 percent of global agricultural workforce is comprised of women, which rises to 60 percent in Africa and Asia. Andita Listyarini reports.

Presenter: Matthew Wells

Production Assistant: Sandra Guy

Duration: 10’00″