Each year, thousands of young women from across Myanmar migrate to the sprawling Hlaingtharyar industrial zone in Yangon to take factory jobs. But the area has become a hot spot for unsafe abortion. Many of the young workers have little or no knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and rights, putting them on a pathway to unintended pregnancies and abortion by unsafe methods.

We are deeply saddened by the violence that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in Georgia. We stand with the Asian American community, our partners and all those who fight for justice in condemning it.

It’s been nearly a year since the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic—a crisis that has disrupted the lives and educations of millions of school-aged children. Even before the pandemic, an estimated 263 million children were not in school, a number that undoubtedly has grown due to school closures to slow the spread of the virus.

Statement from Ipas President and CEO Anu Kumar:

What we saw on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol was an act of domestic terrorism, incited by the current president.  This was not an “undermining” of democracy, but a direct attack on it. 

In Kenya, the response to curb the COVID-19 pandemic was immediate. In late March, a countrywide quarantine was imposed—airports, schools, churches and mosques were closed, public gatherings were restricted and movement into and around the country was limited.