logo
She Fought For The Girl The World Left Behind: Natalia Kanem's UN Legacy

She Fought For The Girl The World Left Behind: Natalia Kanem's UN Legacy

Scoop10-07-2025
She returns, over and over, to a single image: that of a ten-year-old girl – standing on the edge of adolescence, her future uncertain, and her rights still in grave doubt.
'Will she be able to stay in school, graduate, and make her way through the world?' Dr. Kanem wonders. 'Or is she going to be derailed by things like child marriage, female genital mutilation, or abject poverty?'
That seismic question and that girl – not one child in particular, but an emblem of the millions worldwide whose future is at risk – have become the touchstone of Dr. Kanem's nearly eight-year tenure as Executive Director of the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, formally known as the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
From her early days working on the frontlines in East Africa to overseeing a $1.7 billion agency with operations in more than 150 countries, Dr. Kanem has shepherded UNFPA through global shifts, political headwinds, and ideological pushback.
Most of all, she has led a fierce revolution in the lives of millions of women and girls.
This month, she is stepping down from her post ahead of schedule. 'It's time to pass on the baton,' the 70-year-old told her staff – a 5,000-strong workforce – in a videotaped address earlier this year. 'I have pledged to do everything in my capacity to keep positioning UNFPA to continue to do great things.'
Roots and ascent
Born in Panama and trained as a medical doctor, Dr. Kanem joined UNFPA in 2014 after a career in philanthropy. Her decision to serve 'the noble purpose of the United Nations' first led her to East Africa and Tanzania, where she was struck by the quiet heroism of field staff. 'It's really at the country level where we prove our worth,' she told UN News.
But the job was not easy. In 2017, when she took the reins of the agency, Dr. Kanem inherited an organization grappling with waning visibility, unstable funding, and persistent pushback from conservative viewpoints. Still, UNFPA grew – not just in budget, but in stature.
'When I came, the narrative was, 'We're a small organization, beleaguered, nobody understands what we do,'' she said. 'Now, I think it's clearer.'
That clarity came, in part, from what Dr. Kanem calls 'thought leadership.'
Whether challenging misconceptions about fertility or confronting gender-based violence enabled by technology, she pushed UNFPA to the frontlines of global discourse. 'We exist in a marketplace of ideas,' she explained. 'And we have to tell the truth in a way that's compelling enough so we can garner the allies this movement requires.'
Under her leadership, the agency trained hundreds of thousands of midwives, distributed billions of contraceptives, and expanded humanitarian operations to reach women and girls in the most fragile settings – from the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar to war-scarred Ukraine and cholera-stricken Haiti.
UNFPA's presence in crisis zones was not only logistical, but symbolic. In Sudan, Syria, and Gaza, a simple tent stocked with menstrual pads, a blanket, and a bar of soap could serve as sanctuary. 'It represents the respite that a woman needs in a time of crisis,' she said. 'You know, we call our kits 'dignity kits' for that reason.'
Shifting the conversation
Beyond delivering services, Dr. Kanem elevated UNFPA's role as a thought leader in a polarised world. She steered the agency into difficult public conversations – about teen pregnancy, climate anxiety, fertility rates, and online harassment – with an unflinching insistence on rights.
'The 10-year-old girl exists,' she said. 'What her parents and her religious leaders and her community think is vital for her to be well prepared, for her to know what to do when she's challenged by coercive practices.'
That leadership extended to data. Under Dr. Kanem, UNFPA invested heavily in supporting national censuses and building dashboards to help lawmakers shape reproductive health policy with real-time insight.
This year's State of World Population report, the agency's annual deep dive into demographic trends, reframed conventional narratives around so-called 'population collapse' – noting that many women and men delay having children not out of ideology, but because they cannot afford to raise them.
Dr. Kanem praised the altruism of young people who say they're choosing not to have children for fear of worsening the climate crisis. But that's not what the data shows.
'The world replacement fertility rate is not endangering the planet,' she explained. 'The facts really say: you can have as many children as you can afford.'
A rights-based compass in turbulent times
Dr. Kanem's tenure coincided with mounting attacks on reproductive rights, rising nationalism, and growing scepticism of multilateral institutions. She faced years of US funding cuts – including under the current administration – even as demand for UNFPA's services surged.
'UNFPA has more money than we've ever had,' she noted. 'But it's never going to be enough to stop the flow of need.'
Resources alone won't secure the agency's future – credibility and persistence are just as vital. 'The multilateral system itself has come under question at a time when it is needed now more than ever,' she warned. 'We do have to prove ourselves each and every day. And when we make mistakes, we've got to get up and rectify them and find partners who are going to be allies.'
One such partner has been the private sector. In 2023, UNFPA teamed up with tech firms to launcha development impact bond in Kenya, delivering mobile-based sexual health services to prevent teenage pregnancy and new HIV infections among adolescent girls.
Changing mindsets
UNFPA has long worked to end harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. Under Dr. Kanem, that work became as much about shifting mindsets as changing laws.
'Yes, absolutely,' she said when asked if progress was real. 'It's been very important to see religious leaders and traditional leaders standing against certain practices… and to work with school systems so that the girls themselves will understand the risks and be able to take better decisions about their options.'
The coronavirus">COVID-19 pandemic, she admitted, was a setback. With schools closed, some communities increased the number of weddings and FGM ceremonies. But in many countries – including populous Indonesia – UNFPA has seen the practice decline, in part thanks to youth advocates speaking out from within their own communities.
New generation, next chapter
Looking ahead, Dr. Kanem didn't dwell on uncertainty. She spoke instead of possibility. 'We've transformed ourselves, modernized ourselves,' she said. 'There's just unlimited possibility for UNFPA.'
Her own future includes what she calls a 'mini-sabbatical' – more time for music, her family, and, finally, herself. But she won't stay silent for long. 'I know that my passion for issues of women and girls is not going to recede,' she said. 'It's been a labour of love.'
Her parting thought? One final return to the girl at the centre of it all.
'When that 10-year-old girl succeeds, everyone succeeds,' she said. 'It is a better world.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Afghanistan: UN Report Documents Human Rights Violations Of Forced Returnees
Afghanistan: UN Report Documents Human Rights Violations Of Forced Returnees

Scoop

time17 hours ago

  • Scoop

Afghanistan: UN Report Documents Human Rights Violations Of Forced Returnees

KABUL/GENEVA (24 July 2025) – A UN report published today documents the cases of individuals involuntarily returned to Afghanistan who have experienced serious human rights violations on the basis of their specific profiles. These violations have included torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and threats to personal security – at the hands of the de facto authorities. Since 2023, large numbers of Afghans have been involuntarily returned to the country, primarily by Pakistan and Iran. The report issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN Human Rights Office found that groups of people returning to the country who were at particular risk of reprisals and other human rights violations by the de facto authorities were women and girls, individuals affiliated with the former government and its security forces, media workers and civil society. It is based on interviews conducted in 2024 with 49 individuals involuntarily returned to Afghanistan. 'Nobody should be sent back to a country where they face risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history,' said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. 'In Afghanistan, this is even more pronounced for women and girls, who are subjected to a range of measures that amount to persecution on the basis of their gender alone.' Interviewees affiliated with the former government and its security forces revealed that they had been forced to go into hiding since returning due to fears of reprisals, despite the de facto authorities' publicly stated amnesty for all who had previously fought against them in the conflict. For women involuntarily returned to the country, the situation is particularly severe. One former TV reporter who left the country after the takeover in August 2021 due to earlier Taliban threats described how, after her involuntary return to Afghanistan, she and other women in similar situation found there that there were no job opportunities, no freedom of movement, and no access to education beyond grade six for women and girls. 'I can unequivocally state that I am effectively under house detention,' she said. A former government official described how, after his return in 2023, he was detained for two nights in a house where he was severely tortured, including beatings with sticks, cables and wood, waterboarding, and was subjected to a mock execution. His leg was broken as a result. Sending people back to a country where they are at risk of persecution, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, enforced disappearance or other irreparable harm, is in violation of the principle of non-refoulement and a serious breach of international law. The report urges States to ensure that individualised assessments are carried out before any return of persons to Afghanistan, and to refrain from returning any individuals at real risk of serious human rights violations to Afghanistan. States are also called on to increase the availability of safe pathways for Afghans at risk to leave the country and to remain safely in their territories without fear of detention for purposes of expulsion. Many hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been involuntarily returned from Pakistan and Iran, placing enormous pressure on the limited resources available to the de facto authorities to address their needs more generally. The report also recommends that States increase financial support to ensure that sustainable reintegration is possible. 'While the de facto authorities have responded in a coordinated manner to the significant influx of returnees to Afghanistan in recent years, more needs to be done to ensure that all returnees are included in society and have their human rights upheld,' said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. 'The participation of all Afghans in the social, political and economic life of the country is critical to the development and prosperity of the nation. I urge the de facto authorities to uphold their obligations under international law and their responsibilities to the Afghan people.'

UN Experts Call For End To Israeli State And Settler Violence In The West Bank
UN Experts Call For End To Israeli State And Settler Violence In The West Bank

Scoop

time17 hours ago

  • Scoop

UN Experts Call For End To Israeli State And Settler Violence In The West Bank

GENEVA (24 July 2025) - UN experts* today expressed grave concern over systematic and ongoing violations by Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces against Palestinian peasants and rural workers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. "We are deeply troubled by alleged widespread intimidation, violence, land dispossession, destruction of livelihoods and the resulting forcible displacement of communities, and we fear this is severing Palestinians from their land and undermining their food security,' the experts said. "The alleged acts of violence, destruction of property, and denial of access to land and resources appear to constitute a systemic pattern of human rights violations," they said. The experts noted a disturbing pattern of attacks targeting West Bank communities, including assaults on civilians, destruction of homes and livelihoods, and the forcible displacement of families. 'Settler violence has reportedly involved arson, livestock theft, and the poisoning or destruction of water sources, severely undermining the ability of Palestinians to sustain their agricultural way of life,' the experts added. 'The demolition of Palestinian-owned structures has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, leaving families homeless and vulnerable.' They said the continued attacks targeting Palestinian Bedouin, peasant and rural communities do not appear to be incidental, but rather an intentional strategy to erase their presence in key agricultural areas, undermine their food security and food sovereignty and ultimately sever Palestinians from their land. Hundreds of Bedouin families, including a significant number of children, have been displaced due to settler violence and intimidation. These attacks have caused significant economic harm, including an estimated USD $76 million in direct agricultural damages in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and late 2024. It is estimated that the West Bank GDP declined by more than 19 per cent, and the unemployment rate rose to 35 per cent. "Israel, as the occupying power, bears the obligation to take necessary measures to safeguard Palestinian communities at risk of displacement and violence," the experts said. "This includes stopping the violence immediately, halting illegal settlement expansion, holding effective and impartial investigations into violations, prosecuting those responsible, and guaranteeing victims access to justice and reparations." 'It is essential that the West Bank be kept under Palestinian control, based on the rights to self-determination of the Palestinian people and full respect of international law,' they said. 'Israel must promptly bring to an end its unlawful presences in the West Bank, and ensure its compliance with the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice issued on 19 July 2024, including by evacuating all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.' The experts called on the international community to act with urgency to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that violent settlers and armed forces cannot continue to operate with impunity. 'Silence and inaction only embolden further violations. We call on all States to uphold their obligations under international law—including through targeted measures, sanctions, and diplomatic pressure—to end these systematic abuses and protect Palestinian lives, livelihoods, and fundamental rights. The time for justice is now,' they said. * The experts: Carlos Arturo Duarte Torres, Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

United Nations Welcomes New Zealand's NZD 4 Million Commitment To Fiji's HIV
United Nations Welcomes New Zealand's NZD 4 Million Commitment To Fiji's HIV

Scoop

time19 hours ago

  • Scoop

United Nations Welcomes New Zealand's NZD 4 Million Commitment To Fiji's HIV

Suva, Fiji – The United Nations in Fiji welcomes and commends the Government of New Zealand for its significant contribution of NZD 4 million to support the Government of Fiji's urgent response to the HIV outbreak. This catalytic funding reaffirms New Zealand's leadership and long-standing commitment to public health, equity, and regional solidarity in the Pacific. The UN Resident Coordinator for Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, Mr Dirk Wagener noted the timeliness considering the rapidly growing cases in the country. 'The Pacific is facing a turning point in its HIV response. I sincerely thank the Government of New Zealand for its decisive and compassionate leadership. This funding is more than a contribution—it is a signal of shared responsibility and a boost to regional health security.' 'The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the Government of Fiji in averting further transmission and in saving lives. Our collective response must be fast, focused, and grounded in human rights, equity, and dignity. ' New Zealand's NZD 4 million contribution will strengthen efforts already underway, including: expansion of community-based HIV testing and treatment services; roll-out of harm reduction programmes, including the introduction of needle and syringe programmes for people who inject drugs; implementation of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for populations at substantial risk of HIV infection; and strengthening peer-led and community-based support models to improve treatment literacy and adherence while reducing stigma. This announcement builds on the momentum generated at the Development Partners' Roundtable on Fiji's HIV Outbreak Response convened in June 2025 by Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the United Nations. The Roundtable brought together government and key bilateral and multilateral partners—including New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the European Union, Germany, France, Spain , Canada China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia as well as UN agencies—to align strategic support and coordinate resources in response to what is now the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemic. As detailed in the 2025 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update, since 2010, Fiji has recorded a 3091% increase in estimated new HIV infections. In 2014, fewer than 500 people were living with HIV. By 2024, this number had surged to an estimated 5,900 (range: 4,500– 8,900). Shockingly, only 36% of people living with HIV in Fiji were aware of their status last year, and just 24% were receiving treatment. In response to these alarming figures, the Government of Fiji declared a national HIV outbreak in January 2025. The United Nations continues to support the response through the Joint UN Team on HIV, which is led by UNAIDS and includes the active engagement of UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNDP, UN Women, ILO and UNODC. These UN agencies are also playing a lead role in the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce, as well as in technical working groups on prevention, treatment, diagnostics, data, and community engagement—ensuring evidence-based and community-driven responses are delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. The United Nations calls on all partners to sustain momentum and ensure the HIV outbreak response is fully resourced and community led. This includes continued investment in Prevention scale-up, integrated service delivery, and the long-term sustainability of the national HIV programme.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store