Every dollar invested in girls’ education yields an average return of $2.80 – translating into billions in additional GDP. Similarly, each dollar spent on water and sanitation saves $4.30 in healthcare costs. Simple math, not miracles These aren’t miracles – they’re measurable outcomes. Maths doesn’t recognize gender or infrastructure; it...
According to UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, more than 290 schools have been damaged or destroyed in Ituri this year alone, bringing the total number of out-of-school children in the province to over 1.3 million. Protection crisis Between January and April 2025, a surge in violence displaced more than 100,000 people...
Closing this gap is not optional. There were189 million fewer women than men online in 2024. The disparity is about more than access, it reflects deeper systemic barriers, according to Doreen Bogdan-Martin who heads the UN telecommunications agency, ITU. “That’s too many missed opportunities to learn, to earn and...
The de facto rulers of much of the country, including the capital Sana’a, released the crew of a merchant ship who had been held for more than a year, earlier this week. The move raised hopes that more than 60 staff from the UN, international organizations and diplomatic missions already...
His message highlighted the dual nature of technological advances such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which offer immense potential – but also pose considerable risks. “Education is an essential building block for every person to reach their full potential, and for societies and economies to grow and flourish”, Mr. Guterres said. AI...
The continued surge in armed gang activity, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, has put immense pressure on local communities and their already fragile social services. Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, noted that more than 270,000 people have fled to the south of the country. Struggling to...
Abdullahi Mire grew up in the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya with its population today of more than 240,000 registered refugees, mostly from Somalia. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) coordinates operations there together with partners, relying also on the support of the Kenyan Government and host communities. The...
Audrey Azoulay was speaking on Friday in Beijing, China, where she co-chaired the award ceremony for the 2023 UNESCO Prize for the Education of Women and Girls, alongside the agency’s Special Envoy, Professor Peng Liyuan. She appealed for an “intensification of global investments in favour of girls and women’s access...
Growing concern over safety and security prompted UN Secretary-General António Guterres to address the global phenomenon on Wednesday – during his remarks at an event commemorating the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. “Children’s education is being snatched away by threats, violence and attacks.” Mr. Guterres said, during his...
#AfghanGirlsVoices comes precisely two years after the de facto Taliban authorities seized control in Afghanistan and will continue until September 18, which marks the start of their official ban on school for adolescent girls. Voices and visuals The campaign was developed in collaboration with ECW Global Champion Somaya Faruqi, former...
The brief recognizes that education faces both a crisis of access as well as a crisis of quality and relevance, Leonardo Garnier, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Transforming Education Summit, said at a press briefing in New York. “While millions around the world are still excluded from education,...
The Pakistani education advocate – who was shot by the Taliban for her activism – was speaking exactly 10 years after her landmark ‘Malala Day’ address to youth at UN Headquarters in New York, where she called for global action against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism. Passionate message UN Deputy Secretary-General...