The 11th of October 2014 was the International Day of the Girl Child. The theme this year is ‘Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence’. Different types of violence affect adolescent girls, whether it’s physical, sexual or emotional violence, it must be brought to an end. Violence against girls not only damages their health, but hinders the development of communities as well. For these reasons, it is most important that these girls are empowered and allowed the rights that they should be protected by.

Ernestine has lived in the rural village of Soamonina, situated in the highlands of central Madagascar, around 10km from the nearest health centre, for 11 years. Despite being four months pregnant, Ernestine works on the hills as a farmer with her husband to support themselves and their soon-to-be three children. Her two boys Jessy, 10, and Sarobidy, 8, help them grow and sell fruit and vegetables at local markets. The family live in a community of 1750 inhabitants and have minimal access to health services.

Twenty students sit in a classroom in Freetown listening to a trainer. It should be a common scene, but the topic, Ebola and their ages (mostly 40s), makes this a different type of lesson.

The students are all health workers, including nurses and doctors, learning how to prevent infection in a highly contagious environment. The training is being given by members of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. It has been organised by UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ebola Response Consortium (ERC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Concern Worldwide and Save the Children, with funding from DFID.

Jocelyne is a community health worker in the rural village of Soamonina, situated in the highlands of central Madagascar and around 10km from the nearest health centre. She lives and works in a community of around 1750 inhabitants who have minimal access to health services. Jocelyne’s main role is to raise awareness of health programmes including vaccination campaigns against Maternal and Newborn Tetanus, supported by the Pampers and UNICEF “1 pack + 1 vaccine” campaign.

With small teams of specialists deployed to remote areas of South Sudan, UNICEF is helping to bring desperately needed assistance to communities coping with conflict, displacement and malnutrition.

Have you ever wanted to get involved in problems facing young people like you around the globe?

Children here in Gaza are still suffering terribly. Literally thousands have been injured. Many more have been traumatised by the horrors they have seen and experienced.

Life is difficult for mothers in South Sudan since violence broke out last December.

13-year old Ahmed says he feels very sad that school did not resume at the end of August as planned

Nyayian Lul waits with her infant son at a registration centre in the town of Kiech Kon in Upper Nile State – where a joint UNICEF and WFP rapid response team have arrived with much needed life-saving humanitarian aid.

“There is nothing for us to eat, nothing.” A serious malnutrition crisis is affecting many parts of South Sudan

UNICEF’s Chief of Gaza Field Office Pernille Ironside took questions during a live Q&A session on Reddit on Wednesday.