Emma Trager-Lewis

New evidence suggests mistreatment remains common in maternal and newborn care, with new research across four countries finding that 60 per cent of vaginal exams were done without consent, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

As returns of Afghan refugees and those living in refugee-like conditions from Iran and Pakistan increase – many forcibly – women and girls are arriving in a country where their rights, safety, and futures face severe threats.

Sexual violence in conflict is a tactic of war, torture and terror. It does not only devastate survivors but also tears apart families and communities. The trauma, shame and stigma are borne by victims, not perpetrators – echoing across generations.

Over two years after civil war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their former allies-turned rival militia, the RSF, Sudan is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with nearly 13 million displaced.

Women’s organisations operating in crisis settings are being pushed to the brink by widespread funding cuts.

Midwives are vital frontline workers who can provide up to 90 per cent of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services – from safely delivering babies to caring for survivors of sexual violence.

The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to have devastating consequences, particularly for women and children, who face an increased risk of conflict-related sexual violence.