UNESCO warned that Afghanistan could lose a generation of professionals, especially in education and healthcare, as girls remain barred from school beyond Grade Six. About 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary education and no girls enrolled in universities in 2026, according to a UN report published in November.
The Hurra Coalition, a network of more than 20 women's rights organisations from ten Arab countries, says family law reform is gaining momentum across the Middle East and North Africa while major barriers remain, Equality Now reported. According to the UN's Gender Justice and the Law initiative, 32 legal texts were adopted or amended in 12 Arab countries in 2025 to strengthen women's legal status.
UN Women says nearly half of the world's women and girls have no legal protection from online abuse, and fewer than 40% of countries have laws against cyber harassment. Digital violence tops the agenda of the 16 Days campaign starting 25 November.
UNHCR said nearly 64,000 people fled attacks by armed groups and gangs in northern Nigeria for Niger this year, most arriving in the Diffa and Tahoua border regions. More than two-thirds of the over 23,000 arrivals in Diffa are children, and women often walk several kilometres a day to fetch water. The agency is seeking $11.4 million to expand its response.
