United Nations Radio

Women: a weekly 14-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting ~women around the world.

The UN Population Fund says there is an unmet need for family planning around the world. According to UNFPA, millions of women are unable to choose the number of children they want to have, or even when they will have them, because they lack access to contraceptives. The right of people to plan their families was the focus of World Population Day, observed Friday, July 11th. Dianne Penn asked UNFPA's Kate Ramsey about the theme.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, known as CEDAW, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the launch of a book documenting its history. Laura Repcheck reports.

Doctors meet at the UN to ensure mothers and babies survive the crucial period just before and after birth

The perinatal period--which is the months just before and after birth--should be a happy time in a woman's life. But for mothers who lack access to decent medical care, it could be deadly: for them or their babies. Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications in childbirth or during pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization. Dr. Eric Saling is president of the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine, which met this month at UN headquarters in New York.

Produced by Dianne Penn.

(duration: 14 minutes)