By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Sometimes change springs from the unlikeliest of people or places. Improving the educational opportunities of girls in Pakistan’s could now be taking shape, due to the shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistani teenage advocate for girls’ education. The fifteen-year-old was shot in the head when Taliban fighters boarded her school bus,
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org Mention India and many contradictory images are often conjured up – poverty and Rajput castles, rich and exotic foods and begging mothers and children, the Himalayan mountains and Rajasthani deserts. But there is no contradiction on the importance of the Indian monsoon. Indian agriculture and much of Indian culture are intertwined
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org In the debates and discussions leading up to the 2012 presidential election, there was not a hint that either political party was willing to question and reassess our dependence on endless economic growth in a world of finite resources. That is anathema to our political world. Our economy is measured and
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org The New York Times recently posted an editorial titled “A World of Harm for Women” that argued that a Mitt Romney presidential win would harm women’s reproductive rights and extend far beyond the borders of the United States.  It would indeed. Romney has pledged to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. This
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By Suzanne York, howmany.org Moral outrage has been expressed around the world over the shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistani teenage advocate for girls education. The fourteen-year-old was shot in the head when Taliban fighters boarded her school bus, severely injuring her and another student. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the “…attack reminds
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By Suzanne York, HowMany.org One of the biggest returns on investment for people and the planet is supporting the health of women and girls, especially in terms of voluntary family planning services. As we recognize the International Day of the Girl this October 11th, it is a good time to go beyond traditional development ideas
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org One billion poor people around the world rely upon fish and seafood as their primary source of protein. Climate change is putting these people at high risk for food insecurity, and they also face a very serious threat to their livelihoods as fisherfolk, according to the recent report Ocean-Based Food Security
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org World Contraception Day is September 26th. There are numerous reasons why this day should be celebrated and awareness raised on using contraceptives. Contraception makes it possible for couples to enjoy the pleasures of intimacy without the consequences of pregnancy. Fully 61 percent of all couples in the world today are having
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By Suzanne York, www.howmany.org It is estimated that globally, every two seconds, two people move into cities. Currently twenty-two percent, or 1.5 billion people, live in 600 cities around the world. Africa is home to the fastest growing countries in terms of population growth. It is projected that the continent will double from 1.1 billion
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By Suzanne York, howmany.org It may have escaped your attention, but today, September 12th, is the first-ever Global Female Condom Day. Promoted by the National Female Condom Coalition, the purpose is to increase the number of women, men, youth and transpeople who know about, use, and advocate for female condoms. The coalition is made up
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