Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS and under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, has issued a forceful call for equity in global access to COVID-19 vaccines, urging zero discrimination when it comes to health. Her message comes on the occasion of Zero Discrimination Day, where “UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to take action to end […]
Gender equality
Family planning report shows use of modern contraceptives on the up in India
India has made substantial progress in the last eight years according to a recent report published by organisation Family Planning 2020, which found that now more than 139 million Indian women and girls used modern contraceptives. “Access to [family planning] is fundamental to the success of the [Sustainable Development Goals],” FP2020 – “a global partnership […]
Female genital mutilation: A menace the world must overcome
Female genital mutilation is a global menace. “Recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women” and “[reflecting] deep-rooted inequality between the sexes” in the words of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is a practice that demands zero tolerance and maximum accountability – including in India, where it often takes […]
India slips behind in gender equality rankings
India has failed to improve gender equality parameters in regards to health and employment opportunity according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 released earlier this week by the World Economic Forum. In the overall metrics, of the 153 countries surveyed, India fell four places to 112th compared to last year – suggesting that not […]