While a UN education conference in Geneva called for greater investment, it was revealed that 222 million children worldwide experience broken education, while 78 million don't go to school at all due to conflict, climate disasters and displacement. 

“No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what barriers stand in your way, you have a right to a quality education.” - UN Secretary-General António Guterres

A new European contraception access report shows a clear distinction between Eastern and Western Europe. Whereas in general, access to contraception, counselling and information is good and improving in Western European countries, the opposite is true in the East. 

The best three performing countries are the UK, France and Belgium while the bottom three are Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Hungary.  

Sani Ayouba is the head of a youth climate activism network in Niger, one of the world's poorest countries. In a powerful guest blog for PM, he talks about the challenges he faced growing up, the day-to-day realities of climate change and the important work he’s engaged in today.

Greenwashing. You’ve almost certainly heard of it, but what exactly does it mean and what is being done about it? Digital and Communications Manager, Ben Stallworthy, looks at the practice, why we should be vigilant and outlines some tips to avoid falling for it. 

The world will miss the target of ending FGM by 2030 without urgent action, with the number of girls at risk projected to reach 4.6 million, rising from 4.3 million this year. It's curious that the UN statement fails to mention population growth as a factor, considering that in 2020 they explicitly referenced "the number of women and girls subjected to it is growing because of population growth". 

The Taliban has stopped the sale of contraception in two of Afghanistan's main cities, claiming it to be a western conspiracy designed to control the Muslim population. 

"...the Taliban has been going door to door, threatening midwives and ordering pharmacies to clear their shelves of all birth control medicines and devices."