In a development welcomed by child marriage activists, the United States Congress has passed a bill stating that child marriage breaches fundamental human rights – and requiring the US to integrate the prevention of this harmful practice across its development programmes.

At the World YWCA International Women's Summit in Zurich, July 2011, Mary Robinson speaks about the role of girls and young women as human rights defenders and leaders of their communities.

In his column in The New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof argues that while religion has often been used to justify discrimination against women, religious institutions can work to become forces for female emancipation.

More than one woman dies every minute from preventable causes in childbirth, and a great many more are left with lifelong, debilitating complications. Mary Robinson and Alicia Yamin examine this global health emergency and argue why maternal health is a human rights issue. This article first appeared in The Boston Globe.