WHO: we can stop genital mutilation of girls

More than 200 million girls and women around the world are victims of female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that the UN says is spreading, along with global migration. For the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on Monday 6 February, new guidelines were published by the World Health Organization to help health professionals tackle the problem. But it’s not uncommon for the health workers to carry out the procedure, as WHO’s Director for Reproductive Health and Rights Ian Askew tells Daniel Johnson.

No “band aid” solution to rehabilitating former child soldiers, activist warns 

There is no “band aid” solution to rehabilitating and reintegrating former child soldiers, a Somali activist warned UN Member States on Wednesday. Ilwad Elman, Director of Programs and Development, at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia made the remarks ahead of an event to commemorate 20 years of work to protect children. The UN General Assembly created a mandate in 1996 to end persistent and grave violations against children in war zones. Ms Elman spoke to Jocelyne Sambira about how girls have been forced into marriages by armed groups, becoming in effect, sex slaves.

Under-reporting of sexual abuse in India “pandemic” says youth advocate

Confronting “pandemic” under-reporting of sexual crimes and “victim-blaming” practices are key challenges in the fight against gender inequality in India. That’s according to Trisha Shetty, founder of SheSays, an online platform designed to rehabilitate and empower women to combat sexual abuse. Ms Shetty is also a UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She attended the recent 2017 ECOSOC Youth Forum, and told Lucy Dean that young people had a “personal stake” in fighting back against sexual violence.

Presenter: Matthew Wells

Production Assistant: Ana Carmo

Duration: 10’00″