According to the UN, at least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries where the practice is concentrated. There has been some progress: in these countries, the prevalence of this harmful practice declined 25% between 2000 and 2018. Recently, the government of Sudan criminalized FGM, another step towards achieving better health...

NOTE: SARS-CoV-2 is the virus and COVID-19 is the disease caused by it.

Q. Does SARS-CoV-2 just infect the respiratory tract and lungs, like influenza?

A. Patients in China were initially presenting with an unusual pneumonia (characterized by a ground glass appearance on CAT scans) so it was initially thought to be a purely respiratory illness. Now it is known that...

by Adrianne George, AWC Gothenburg, AWC Malmö, AWC Stockholm

Remember the days when you might have thought homeschooling was a concept only hippies or recluses could embrace? When you thought, “no way would I keep my kids home all day”? Does it seem like a long time ago that you thought, “I’m no educator, I’m just a parent”? For many...

• climate change
• conservation
• SDG15
• climate action
• birds

by Meenakshi Advani Rai, ACIW Mumbai  

Fly means “to soar through air; move through the air with wings,” the Old English fleogan: “to fly, take flight, rise into the air.” Migratory birds connect people, ecosystems, cultures, development and nations, offering an extraordinary opportunity for international collaboration. “They are symbols of peace and of an interconnected planet,” says Secretary-General António Guterres of the...

• SDG10

by Rena Levin, AWC Oslo

Many hearts were warmed by photos like this from Davos 2019. How could they not be? Looking at each other with mutual respect and admiration, young climate change activist Greta Thunberg and scientist and conservation advocate Jane Goodall spoke to the ongoing struggle to care for our planet.

The picture was also gratifying because it...

Every day is part of the 16 Days of activism to eliminate gender-based violence. 

The 16 Days campaign is most active from November 25 (United Nations Day to End Gender-Based Violence) through December 10 (Human Rights Day, marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

In reality, every day is a day to actively try to eliminate gender based...