United Nations Radio

women around the world.

South African singer and human rights activist Miriam Makeba, 76, passed away this month after performing at a concert in Italy. Known as "Mama Africa," Her career spanned half century, taking her from the townships of Johannesburg to the world stage. For nearly a decade she served as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its campaigns to end hunger. Bissera Kostova has the story.

Chaupadi: A Custom that Discriminates Against Nepal's Women

In Nepal, women and girls face a form of discrimination. The custom is called "chaupadi" and involves separating women from their families during their menstrual cycles. Sometimes the consequences are dangerous to a woman's health. And they can even be deadly.

Ban Ki-moon Visits Microfinance Projects in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is synonymous with micro-finance. The Nobel-prize winning Grameen Bank, created by Bangladesh-born economist Dr. Muhamad Yunus, has pioneered schemes has helped millions of poor people to build a livelihood. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had a firsthand look at one of Grameen Bank's projects which is changing the lives of rural women, during a recent trip to Bangladesh as part of his official visit to four Asian countries.

Produced by Dianne Penn