Benin becomes the first West African country to legalize abortion
Before, abortion was only permitted if the pregnancy endangered the life of the pregnant woman, was the result of rape, or was conceived in an incestuous relationship.
Parenting
This archive covers progress in parenting support, child development research, and family policy from communities worldwide. Stories here spotlight practical solutions — from postpartum care innovations to equitable childcare access — that help families raise children with more confidence and less isolation.
San Marino votes overwhelmingly to legalize abortion
Around 77.30% of voters in the tiny European nation approved the measure which would make abortion legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Tanzania to offer alternative education for school dropouts including pregnant girls
Secondary school drop-outs in Tanzania will be offered the opportunity to resume studies in alternative colleges, part of a shift away from a disputed policy under which pregnant girls were expelled from school.
New Zealand approves paid leave for miscarriage
The country is expanding upon its public health policies surrounding reproductive rights and has unanimously approved a bill that gives mothers and their partners the right to paid leave following a miscarriage or stillbirth.
New York State mandates fertility treatment coverage for same-sex couples
Many LGBTQ+ couples still have to pay six to 12 months of out-of-pocket expenses for testing to qualify for fertility services. Under the new law, insurers are required to cover these services immediately.
Finland to offer new fathers as much paid leave as mothers
Finland’s woman-led center-left government plans to give new fathers the same amount of paid time off work as new mothers, nearly doubling paternity leave, it announced on Wednesday.
California lawmakers approve bill to give workers full pay for family leave
The legislation would give workers in the state 100% of their wages when on family leave.
U.S. FDA approves first ever treatment for postpartum depression
The newly-approved drug, sold under the brand name Zulresso, was shown to relieve depressive symptoms within hours of being administered in three different clinical trials — and it continued to show success throughout their 30-day followups.
Jacob Nufer performs the first recorded cesarean birth with both mother and baby surviving
Cesarean birth survival entered medical memory around 1500 C.E., when a Swiss pig gelder named Jacob Nufer reportedly opened his wife’s abdomen after days of failed labor — and both lived. The story, written down 82 years later by a surgeon with an agenda, may be embellished, but it gave European medicine something powerful: proof that survival was even imaginable.