The theme for International Women’s Day 2025, celebrated on 8 March, is “Her Rights, Our Future, Right Now.” The Day calls for action to unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all women and girls towards a future where no one is left behind.
To mark the occasion, the World Health Organization’s Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme is highlighting the importance of addressing female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), and what you can do.
Did you know:
- FGS can put women at 3–4 times greater risk of acquiring HIV and at greater risk of contracting human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer? On this Day, learn how to advocate for the inclusion of the minimum service package for the integration of FGS into sexual and reproductive health and rights interventions.
- FGS can result in ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and infertility if left untreated? Its symptoms are similar to sexually transmitted infections, leading to stigma and discrimination. On this Day, learn more about FGS-associated stigma.
- There is a huge opportunity to provide women and girls with high-quality, integrated health services by including treatment of FGS in sexual and reproductive health services? On this Day, learn more about what you can do to advocate for FGS integration.
Watch, listen and learn from an international panel of FGS experts recorded during a well-attended webinar on Integrating Interventions for FGS into health services, held on 7 March 2025 in commemoration of International Women’s Day