Cesario da Silva is the executive director for the Association of People with Disability in Timor-Leste (ADTL). UN Women and the UN Human Rights Advisor’s Unit in Timor-Leste have been working closely with ADTL to support the rights of persons with disabilities and build an inclusive society, through the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) program. Amid immense and persistent challenges, Cesario has seen some progress for the community.

Innovative modern fairy tale picture books on gender equality for children were launched in Viet Nam on Tuesday, in a publishing first for the country. The books were launched by UN Women and Crabit Kidbooks. Crabit Kidbooks is to donate 20 percent of proceeds to Peace House, a safe shelter and service provider supporting women and children who are victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual abuse.

Ishani Shrestha, 28, is a social activist and entrepreneur in Nepal. After she was crowned Miss World-Nepal 2013, she founded Project Smile to improve women’s health and children’s education and to end gender discrimination. As a feminist and a Nepali woman, I see the uncountable challenges girls and women face in our country. Some of the major challenges that I want to help ease are the lack of awareness of human rights, the lack of education and access to health care, and the social stereotypes that restrict women from becoming who they want to be.

Millions of girls around the world are still threatened by genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), despite a century of efforts to put an end to it.

Violence and the fear of violence reduce women’s freedom of movement, limits their use of public spaces and as a results their full enjoyment of a range of human rights.

At the India premiere of the Oscar award winning documentary, Saving Face in New Delhi on 23 July, the audience walked away touched by the courage of Zakia and Rakshana, who had acid thrown on their faces by their husbands.