© picture-alliance/dpa/EPA/R. Yongrit

Even though female genital mutilation (FGM) is internationally recognized as a violation of human right it is still practiced on babies and young girls in many countries because the misconceptions surrounding FGM are deeply rooted in traditions reaching back many generations. But the fight against FGM continues and some of the campaigns against it have begun to bear fruit if only slowly. Read more news about FGM and other topics about women here!

FGM persists in Thailand

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is recognized internationally as violating the human rights of girls and women. In southern Thailand, the practice has gone on under the radar of national health authorities for decades. Click here to listen.

Nigeria’s bill targeting FGM is a positive step, but must be backed by investment

The Nigerian Senate recently passed its violence against persons prohibition (VAPP) bill, which seeks to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) as well as all other forms of gender-based violence. Women’s rights groups, practitioners and activists in Nigeria have been pushing for the law for the past 13 years. It is a major boost not only for Nigeria’s women, but for the nation as a whole. The question is: Will it make a real difference? Read more here from The Guardian.

New moms in Nepal facing uncertain future in aftermath of earthquake

When Anjana Shrestha, 23, ran out of her apartment during the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, she slipped and fell. Then seven months pregnant, she lost her baby. Nearly a month after the devastating quake struck, many women are still facing critical situations. Read more here.

The ‘wrinkled women’ of Russia

Hundreds of Russian women are posting selfies with scrunched faces on Instagram, as part of a protest against officials – including one who remarked about a woman aged 27 having wrinkles, and another who married a teenager aged under 18. Read more here from BBC.

Women in Silicon Valley

At first sight, it looks like equal representation rules in the world of labor in the US. But there is still one sector that is predominantly white and male: the tech industry of Silicon Valley. Click here to listen.

Berlin mum, aged 65, gives birth to quadruplets

After a 26-week pregnancy, a 65-year-old Berlin woman has given birth to quadruplets. German television reported that the three boys and one girl were born on Tuesday, making Annegret R. the world’s oldest mother of quadruplets. Read more here.

Man stolen as baby reunites with mother 41 years later

It was a hug kept on hold for more than 41 years. The hug of a mother and son whose lives were abruptly separated four decades ago. Read more here from CNN.

Paracetamol use in pregnancy may harm male foetus, study shows

Paracetamol is the painkiller considered safest for pregnant women. However, researchers investigating reproductive defects in baby boys such as undescended testes say there may be a link between low levels of testosterone and paracetamol intake. Read more here from The Guardian.