Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Reena Ghelani

Plan International @planglobal.bsky.social · 1d

Plan International CEO @rghelani.bsky.social in @newsweek.com: The persistence of child marriage threatens to reverse decades of progress for girls. This #DayOfTheGirl, join our movement to ensure girls can be children, not wives. #EndChildMarriage www.newsweek.com/how-can-we-e...

How Can We End Child Marriage for Good? | Opinion

Despite child marriage now being illegal in most countries, the practice remains widespread.

www.newsweek.com

2 2

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 1d

12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday every year. This #IDG2025 we’re amplifying girls voices to help #EndChildMarriage. Without immediate action, 150 million more girls could be forced into marriage by 2030. Read more: plan-international.org/campaigns/en...

End Child Marriage - Plan International

Stand with girls to dismantle the harmful norms that force them into child marriages and deny them their childhood.

plan-international.org

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 3d

(2/2) Today’s ceasefire must be accompanied by a scale up of humanitarian aid to support Gaza’s children and their families as they heal.

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 3d

(1/2) I welcome today's news of a ceasefire agreement in #Gaza. “A ceasefire will stop the bombs & missiles, but humanitarian need in Gaza today is immense. Without urgent lifesaving aid and access, people will continue to die from hunger, dehydration, and lack of medical care.”

Plan International @planglobal.bsky.social · 3d

Today’s ceasefire agreement brings a long overdue moment of hope. It must be followed by lasting peace and an urgent scale up of humanitarian assistance, allowing Gaza’s children to live, heal and dream again. plan-international.org/news/2025/10...

Gaza ceasefire will save lives but aid and lasting peace must urgently follow - Plan International

A long overdue moment of hope for children in Gaza.

plan-international.org

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 4d

3/3 - Thank you Rockefeller foundation for hosting and Elizabeth and Dia for your vision, dedication, and leadership #AsiaXchange

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 4d

2/3 - Just days ago in Indonesia, I met a group of young women leading their community’s climate resilience network. At the heart of sustainable transformation are youth and girls like these.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 4d

1/3 - It was a privilege to join Elizabeth Yee and Dia Mirza to explore how to ensure communities are at the centre of leading development. With so many shifts happening across the aid sector, we face both challenges and opportunities.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 10d

(2/2) The education sector is changing fast. Funding is under pressure, but the needs are growing. This is the time for bold ideas and stronger partnerships.

We are committed to working together to ensure education continues to be a lifeline for the next generation.

#EducationForAll

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 10d

(1/2) Earlier this week in Doha, I met with Education Above All (EAA). Our partnership with EAA spans 11 years of protecting education and creating opportunities for children and youth in the most fragile contexts.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 11d

(2/2) Child marriage robs girls of choice, opportunity and safety. We need to invest in what works, because every girl deserves the right to choose her own future: plan-international.org/publications...

State of the World's Girls: Research Series - Plan International

The State of the World's Girls research series celebrates the power of girls while highlighting the barriers they face.

plan-international.org

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 11d

(1/2) “I was married off young. I wasn’t allowed to study or progress in life. I was deprived of everything.” - Juna, 24, Nepal. @planglobal.bsky.social's new report, Let me be a child, not a wife, reveals the lasting harms of child marriage.

1 1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 13d

#SixMonthsOn from the #Myanmar earthquake, @planglobal.bsky.social has reached 83,000+ people with life-saving aid and provided children with safe spaces to learn, play and heal.

There’s more to be done. Help support the response: plan-international.org/myanmar-eart...

Myanmar earthquake appeal - Plan International

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar in the morning of 28th March. The death toll has now surpassed 2,000.

plan-international.org

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 19d

Useful dialogue with @tomfletcherun.bsky.social at #UNGA80. INGOs have a massive reach in humanitarian settings and access to the most vulnerable. As NGOs are central to humanitarian action, inclusive engagement is vital to a successful reform of the humanitarian system.

Tom Fletcher @tomfletcherun.bsky.social · 20d

NGOs are the front line in all humanitarian crises – their expertise is essential as we navigate unprecedented needs.

Excellent roundtable with CEOs and colleagues.

Together, we can deliver faster, safer, smarter aid. A partnership more urgent than ever. #UNGA80

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 24d

The discussions on gender-based violence at #UNGA80 next week are crucial for combatting one of the most pervasive human rights violations.

Prioritising the protection of girls and young women is critical.

www.unfpa.org/gender-based...

Gender-based violence

One of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, gender-based violence knows no social, economic or national boundaries. It undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of surv...

www.unfpa.org

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 25d

(2/2) UNGA80 presents a critical opportunity to commit to tangible action: a permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the protection of civilians.
#CeasefireNOW

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · 25d

(1/2) As world leaders prepare for #UNGA80, it’s crucial that discussions around peace include the realities of the conflict in #Gaza.

Approximately 20,000 children have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023 and last night, deadly airstrikes hit Gaza City.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 12

(2/2) @planglobal.bsky.social’s EU-supported Safe Schools project is making that possible. The @theguardian.com's photo essay by Chris De Bode shows the power of schools in emergencies — and why we must protect them.

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

‘When can I go back to school?’: communities in danger hold on to education in Latin America – picture essay

Some of the most disadvantaged communities in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia are taking part in Plan International’s Safe Schools project

www.theguardian.com

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 12

(1/2) When crisis strikes, schools become lifelines.

“When can I go back to school?”

Children in crisis ask this every day.

Education is not just learning - it’s survival. It gives children safety, mental health support, and life-saving knowledge when they need it most.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 11

(2/2)

@planglobal.bsky.social distributed school kits in Gedaref, giving children essential supplies to keep learning despite challenging circumstances. More is needed: temporary learning spaces, teacher training, and digital opportunities for out-of-school children.

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 11

(1/2)

For millions of children in conflict-affected areas like Sudan, returning to the classroom is a distant hope. Ongoing conflict has strained the education system, denying children access to learning and the chance to write their futures.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 9

(2/2) Nyabhan found role models who shaped her vision for change. Now, she uses her lived experience to inspire adolescents facing crises to lead and make a difference.

Read her story: plan-international.org/ethiopia/cas...

Nyabhan’s mission to empower her community - Plan International Ethiopia

Nyabhan empowers other young people in crisis settings to lead and create change.

plan-international.org

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 9

(1/2) “I want to see fewer girls dropping out of school, and I want to tackle child, early and forced marriage.” - Nyabhan, an adolescent advisor with @planglobal.bsky.social's Adolescent Participation in Humanitarian Action programme in Ethiopia.

1

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 5

In #Sudan, civilians are dying as famine spread across Northern Darfur.

The crisis is worsening. Our teams are working to contain a Cholera outbreak in addition to providing aid - with limited access due to security concerns.

Full humanitarian access is needed now.

@planglobal.bsky.social

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 2

(2/2) Our teams in North Dufur are on the ground in places most affected and are delivering life saving aid. It is a race against time to reach children and families with urgent supplies: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

Landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, armed group says

Sudan Liberation Movement/Army appeals for UN help to recover bodies from village buried by landslide after heavy rain.

www.aljazeera.com

Reena Ghelani @rghelani.bsky.social · Sep 2

(1/2) The terrible landslide disaster in #Sudan has claimed more than a thousand lives, and created further suffering for civilians, exacerbating the existing humanitarian catastrophe due to conflict, displacement and hunger.

1