World Bank [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

Education Plays Key Role in Advancing Women, Girls, and Communities, Report Says
Less educated girls far more likely to suffer violence, child marriageWASHINGTON, May 14, 2014—Girls with little or no education are far more likely to be married as children, suffer domestic violence, live in poverty, and lack a say over household spending or their own health care than better-educated peers, which harms them, their children, and communities, a new report by the World Bank Group finds.Some 65 percent of women with primary education or less globally are married as children, lack control over household resources, and condone wife-beating, compared with 5 percent of women who finish high school, Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity finds.The report distills vast data and hundreds of studies to shed new light on constraints facing women and girls worldwide, from epidemic levels of gender-based violence to biased laws and norms that prevent them from owning property, working, and making decisions about their own lives. [see report summary in Week in Review above]

Africa’s Leaders Commit to Reducing Disaster Risks
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2014 – Hundreds of participants committed to reducing disaster risks and losses in Africa will gather in Abuja, Nigeria for the 5th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, May 13 – 16, 2014. The platform is a multi-stakeholder event that includes high-level government representatives, members of intergovernmental regional organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors, the United Nations, academic and technical institutions, mayors, community leaders, parliamentarians, youth, media and the private sector.