Family, children and youth
Family, children and youth policy and administration
Violence against women still a major concern in Laos
Laos needs to increase cooperation with development partners to help eliminate violence against women and girls, with a focus on economic development. A strong partnership among the government, development partners and the private sector is required to ensure adequate and sustainable resources to end violence ...
Activists urge stricter penalties for child rape

Activists are pushing for heavier penalties for those who sexually abuse or rape children, with a signboard campaign over the weekend held at Mandalay’s Manaw Yaman public square on 62nd Street. The public display was part of a 16-day campaign, which began on November 25, run ...
DPM calls for joint efforts to end violence against women
With a number of women continuing to suffer violence, Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sonexay Siphandone has called for joint efforts from all walks of life to put an end to violence against women. Delivering a message on November 22 to mark International Day for the Elimination ...
Malaysia proposes raising marriage age for Muslim girls

Malaysia has proposed to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 for Muslim girls in a bid to reduce teenage pregnancy rates and enhance social protection for minors. The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has engaged stakeholders, including various state religious affairs ...
Plan to boost children’s healthcare, education, protection
The Union government is drawing up a plan to help children survive and thrive, Ministry of Planning and Finance director general Daw Whar Whar Maung told The Myanmar Times on October 26. Specifics details were not released for the plan, which was discussed at a meeting ...
Commission consults on child rights convention
The National Commission for Mothers and Children and United Nations Children’s Fund on October 25 organised a consultation workshop to review and provide input into a draft of the 3rd to 6th state Convention on the Rights of Child report. The workshop in Vientiane reported that ...
Aid delegation meets displaced Arakan State communities

A delegation from the United Nations, led by the under-secretary general of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, visited displaced communities outside of the Arakan State capital of Sittwe on October 14. Reporters from The Irrawaddy accompanied Stephen O’Brien, who also serves as ...
New education aid announced for floating villages

More than 13,000 vulnerable children in 137 floating villages along the Tonle Sap river and Tonle Sap lake in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat provinces will have access to early childhood education under a $2.7 million project announced on September 28. Beginning mid-2017, children 5 and younger ...
Disabled people struggle to get education, jobs: workshop
Various barriers still hinder the development of people with disabilities, particularly those living in rural areas and who lack access to education, vocational training, and employment. This was the message delivered on September 20 by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Prof. Dr Khamkeo Sanbounkhounxay, when ...
How poverty affects the brain

The video tells the story of Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner from Pakistan who at 15 survived being shot in the head by the Taliban while riding a bus in 2012. “I want to get my education, and I want to become a ...