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Female Afghan footballer shooting for equality, tackling taboos

​"My sole intention for playing football is to promote equality and display my talent as a female in this male-dominated society," Zulina Samimi, 20, told Xinhua at a sport stadium here.

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Local customs a barrier for girls to higher education in S. Afghanistan

​"The main obstacle on our way to get higher education is the indecent traditions against women and illogical culture of families that opposing education for girls," 16-year-old girl student Khatira said.

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UN urges efforts to stop and punish sexual violence in conflict

​The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday called for efforts to stop and punish sexual violence in conflict, adding that extremist groups have used sexual violence as a tactic of terrorism.

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18 girls killed in fire at school dorm in northern Thailand

A nighttime fire at a dormitory of a primary school in northern Thailand killed 18 girls, many of whom had been roused by a dorm-mate but went back to sleep, thinking it was a prank, officials and the girl who sounded the alarm said Monday. The victims were between 5 and 12 years old.

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At least 17 schoolgirls killed in boarding-house fire in N. Thailand

​A schoolgirl boarding-house in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai was burnt down late Sunday night, killing 17 girls, injuring five others while two girls were missing, a local newspaper quoted police as reporting on Monday.

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High-school subject selections linked to Australia's gender wage gap: study

​The huge wage gap between men and women in Australia can be explained by subject selections made in high school, an Australian study has found.

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UN appeals for greater support for conflict-affected women, girls

As the world marks the International Women's Day on Tuesday, the United Nations has sent a clear message that the global community need to step up efforts to support conflict-affected women and girls as many of them have been facing severe challenges and rooted inequalities.

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U.S. first lady promotes girls' education in London

​Visiting U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday highlighted the importance of education for girls in London, calling for more opportunities for girls' education in poor countries.

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Three missing British girls cross into Syria

​Police in Britain said Tuesday that three British girls who have been reported missing now have believed no longer in Turkey and have crossed into Syria.

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Several girls raped, school confirms

Authorities in Yunxian county, Yunnan province, confirmed that they are investigating sexual assaults against at least three high school girls. The confirmation comes days after allegations surfaced in the media that a dozen or more girls had been forced into prostitution.

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Japan's sex industry continues to exploit cash-strapped youngsters

Japan's time-honored sex industry still booms today, with its modern-day heart now located in the neon-lit, hedonistic, red-light district of Kabukicho, where despite Japan's Anti-Prostitution Law, everything is for sale, including young girls' hopes and dreams.

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700 million girls fall victim to child marriage: UNFPA expert

More than 700 million girls under the age of 18 have been forced into child marriage, an official of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said in an interview with Xinhua, adding that the issue of forced child marriage is complicated.

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Sanitation access needed for one bln women, girls

The international community should help more than one billion women and girls across the world who rely on dark nights and quiet moments to relieve themselves because they "do not have access to sanitation."

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Britain provides surveillance plane for Nigeria's abducted girls search

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said Britain has offered Nigeria a surveillance aircraft and a military team to help search more than 200 abducted schoolgirls in the country.

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French agents sent to Nigeria to help find kidnapped girls: Hollande

French President Francois Hollande announced on Wednesday a dispatch of security agents to Nigeria to help find abducted schoolgirls and crack down the Islamist group Boko Haram after seizing more than 234 girls last month.

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Asiana crash victims' ashes returned to relatives

The ashes of three Chinese teenagers who died in a plane crash in San Francisco were sent to their hometown in east China's Zhejiang Province on Monday.