U.S. Department of State’s “DipNote”: The Role of Religious Leaders in the Global Effort to End FGM/C Arsalan Suleman, acting U.S. special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), discusses the importance of engaging community leaders, including religious leaders, in efforts to end female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C).…

CNSNews.com: Head of U.N. Women: Expand ‘Reproductive Rights’ in Zika-Affected Countries ‘Not Only Because of Zika’ But It’s the ‘Right Thing to Do’ “U.N. Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of U.N. Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told CNSNews.com Tuesday that ‘reproductive rights’ of women in countries affected by the Zika virus must be…

PLOS “Translational Global Health”: Let’s talk about sex: Why the Zika outbreak is really about reproductive rights for Latin American women Sarah Borg, a junior medical doctor and intern in the reproductive health and research department at the WHO, discusses how the “Zika outbreak has highlighted a dire need for…

The Hill: White House shoots down using Ebola money to fight Zika “The White House on Friday brushed aside a House Republican proposal to use leftover Ebola funding to fight the Zika virus. ‘The important work that the United States has done to fight Ebola and to protect the American…

Associated Press: Philippine bishops back pope’s remarks on Zika contraception “Despite their staunch opposition to contraceptives, Philippine Roman Catholic bishops expressed their full support Saturday to Pope Francis’ remarks suggesting artificial contraception can be used by women threatened by the Zika virus…” (Gomez, 2/20). Los Angeles Times: Pope Francis isn’t…

New York Times: India to Change Its Decades-Old Reliance on Female Sterilization “…For decades, India has relied on female sterilization as its primary mode of contraception, funding about four million tubal ligations every year, more than any other country. This year, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take…

Devex: Global Innovation Fund’s first investments shed light on mission “The Global Innovation Fund announced its first eight grant and equity investments last week, and as starts its next chapter, it is reflecting on the process of getting started and looking ahead to how it will streamline operations. … The…

The Conversation: Using birth control to combat Zika virus could affect future generations Simon Beard, research fellow in philosophy at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute “…While delaying pregnancy may be relatively costless for individuals, if many people simultaneously decide to delay conception this will have significant demographic…

Associated Press: Pope suggests contraception can be condoned in Zika crisis “Pope Francis has suggested women threatened with the Zika virus could use artificial contraception, saying ‘avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil’ in light of the global epidemic…” (Winfield, 2/19). The Guardian: Pope suggests contraception can be condoned in…

New York Times: WHO Recommends Contraception in Countries With Zika Virus “The World Health Organization issued a strong call on Thursday for the use of contraception in countries with the Zika virus, and said that women who had unprotected sex and feared infection should have access to emergency contraception, a…