Fatma Tanis
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-25-2025 5PM EDT
Officials with the United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS said the sudden withdrawal of U.S. support was having a, quote, devastating effect. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Biannima said on Monday... that the cuts had led to closures of clinics in many African countries and severe shortages of life-saving HIV medications.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-25-2025 5PM EDT
Bian Yima warned that the cuts would lead to 2,000 new infections each day and over 6 million deaths over the next four years. We'll see it come back and we'll see people dying. the way we saw them in the 90s and in the 2000s. Until the Trump administration's pause on foreign aid, the U.S. had been the biggest funder of HIV treatment and prevention around the world. Fatma Tanis, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-27-2025 6PM EST
The State Department says it's decided to terminate more than 90% of the agency's grants, quote, as part of the America First agenda. Only 500 will be continued. The State Department says the programs that USAID is keeping includes food and life-saving assistance for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-27-2025 6PM EST
But NPR has heard from aid groups that life-saving humanitarian programs, including ones that provide HIV medications and polio vaccinations, have been terminated. It seems that some of those termination notices have gone out in haste because some groups received them twice. But USAID officials and aid groups are worried that cuts to USAID's programs will lead to loss of life.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-27-2025 6PM EST
In Sudan alone, where there's widespread hunger, more than 1,000 kitchens supported by USAID have closed. Fatma Tanis, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-25-2024 7PM EST
The team discovered there were no radar systems at the airports and that Syrian airport workers had been using radar applications on cell phones to manage flights. They noted that the computers were from the 1990s, there were no metal detector systems, and the runways were in bad condition.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-25-2024 7PM EST
The transportation minister added that, quote, Syria will need everything in order to rebuild itself from scratch. Fatma Tanis, NPR News, Istanbul.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-25-2024 7PM EST
Turkey's transportation minister said Syria's airports, bridges, railways and roads all needed fixing. The minister said a Turkish team recently went to inspect Syria's five airports and found only two of them, the ones in Damascus and Aleppo, were operational. but both needed significant upgrades.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-28-2025 4PM EDT
The agency's nearly 900 remaining staff received an email saying they would get reduction in force notices and would have to leave their jobs either by July 1st or September 2nd of this year. The email was sent by Jeremy Lewin, who's running the hobbled agency after the administration cancelled thousands of its programs and shrunk the majority of its workforce.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-28-2025 4PM EDT
Lewin said staff would be given an option to take leave, but many would be required to stay on to complete the drawing down of operations at USAID, and the transfer of remaining programs to the State Department. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-21-2025 6PM EST
Unions representing agency employees lost their bid to challenge the administration's moves to dismantle America's aid agency. Two weeks ago, Judge Carl Nichols had issued a pause on the moves to put most of the agency's staff on administrative leave and bring back foreign service officers who are posted overseas, many in conflict zones, within 30 days.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-21-2025 6PM EST
The unions argued that dismantling the agency would put its overseas staff in danger and cut them off from communication and resources. Judge Nichols said the unions failed to prove irreparable harm to the employees and removed the temporary block. The administration has significantly downsized USAID. Only 600 people out of the more than 10,000 will be allowed to continue working.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-07-2025 6PM EST
Judge Carl Nichols said he would issue a very limited temporary restraining order before midnight tonight, preventing the government from putting 2,200 federal workers on administrative leave. He would also pause the accelerated removal of agency employees who are posted overseas.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-07-2025 6PM EST
Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has taken steps at dizzying speed aimed at dismantling the aid agency, including putting nearly all of the more than 10,000 employees on leave by midnight tonight. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved fewer than 300 agency staff to continue working.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-07-2025 6PM EST
Today, workers were seen taking down the USAID flag and signage from the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Fatma Tanis, NPR News.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
So a couple dozen USAID employees and contractors sued Elon Musk and Doge, saying that their actions to dismantle the agency were reckless, they were done in a slash and burn manner, and that Musk and Doge didn't have the authority because Musk is not an appointed agency head who wasn't confirmed by the Senate.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Now, this case is one of several other ongoing lawsuits around the dismantling of USAID, and it stands out because it directly sued Elon Musk and Doge, whereas other lawsuits have named President Trump and senior officials as well. The defense argued that Musk and Doge were only advising USAID officials and that the agency's leaders were actually responsible for what happened.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Yeah, he didn't buy it. Judge Theodore Chuang wrote a 68-page opinion detailing why. He said that the evidence showed that, quote, Musk made the decisions to shut down USAID's headquarters and website, even though he lacked the authority to make that decision.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
He said that Musk and Doge team members likely violated the Constitution in multiple ways and deprived Congress of its authority to decide what to do with an agency that it created.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Well, there's not really much left of USAID. Most of its contracts have been terminated. The staff have been whittled down to just a couple of hundred people. Now, the judge has blocked Musk from any further steps to shut down USAID, and he ordered Doge to reinstate access for current staff to emails and other electronic systems. But the impact of this ruling is quite minimal.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
It won't restore the work that the agency was doing before all of this. Humanitarian and development assistance programs, for example, are still cut.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Well, people who are critical of Elon Musk and Doge are saying that this is a big deal because there are concerns about what Musk and his team are doing across the federal government and what their authority is. And they say that the administration has been sending mixed messages. For example, President Trump has publicly praised Musk as he and his team gut federal agencies.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Trump has said Musk is doing an unbelievable job to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. But in these lawsuits, we're hearing something else. Government lawyers are saying that Musk is not in charge, that he's only there in an advisory role. Now, NPR reached out to the White House to get more clarity on this, but we have not heard back from them.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
And Norm Eisen, who leads the group representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, called the ruling an important victory against Elon Musk and his attack not only on USAID, but the U.S. government and the Constitution, he said. And of course, as you mentioned earlier, President Trump weighed in yesterday and said, quote, I guarantee you we will be appealing.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
So there's going to be more news to follow on this case.
Up First from NPR
USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse
Thank you.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
Well, it was a short note. It was not signed by any official, and it said that there would be some exceptions, that essential personnel expected to continue working would be notified by Thursday afternoon. Now, around 10,000 people work for USAID. Most of them are serving overseas, and they've been given 30 days to pack up and come back home.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
The note ended with the words, thank you for your service.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
Well, they're shocked and gutted. I spoke to several officials at the agency who didn't want to be named because they're not authorized to speak publicly. And they said that this is effectively a shutdown of the agency, and they call the process inhumane. Now, for staff who are overseas, there are other concerns. People have kids in school, spouses who have jobs, they have pets.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
It's going to be hard to uproot their lives in 30 days, and many are expecting the next step to be mass layoffs. I also heard concerns about what this means for the U.S. I spoke with Susan Reichli, a retired USAID official, and here's how she put it.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
Well, President Trump has been saying that USAID is too independent, that it is full of, quote, radical left lunatics, and that its programs are not in line with his America First policy. Now, people who work in the agency, they say their allegiance is to the Constitution and not to any political party. Many of them served under multiple administrations.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
And they say that everything they do down to the countries and the issues that they work on is approved by Congress. Now, since Congress chartered USAID, legal experts say the administration doesn't have the authority to abolish it on its own. But there are still a lot of questions about how this is going to play out.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
Well, for now, most programs receiving U.S. foreign aid have been halted. And, you know, there are multiple disease outbreaks going on, Ebola in East Africa. There's a different hemorrhagic fever in Bolivia. These are part of USAID's work overseas. Here's Matt Kavanaugh, the director of global health policy at Georgetown University.
Up First from NPR
Trump And Gaza, Migrants At Guantanamo, USAID Staff On Leave
So have distributions of HIV medication and pox vaccines, a therapeutic food for malnourished kids. Millions of people around the world aren't getting those services anymore.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
What can you tell us? So this is part of the president's broader clash with major cultural institutions, as my colleague David Folkenflik has been reporting over the last few months. Now, the president and his Republican allies have accused NPR and PBS of partisan bias. President Trump issued an executive order last month that would defund both organizations.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
NPR CEO Catherine Maher has said that the administration is punishing public media for coverage that the president dislikes, and both NPR and PBS are challenging that order in court. Now, the White House is asking Congress to officially cancel all the funding it has set aside for the public broadcasters over the next two fiscal years. That's the $1.1 billion.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
It's a fraction of the overall federal budget. And to be clear, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting sends much of those funds directly to member stations of NPR and PBS. In statements yesterday, the heads of NPR and PBS outlined the serious impact that losing that funding would have on their stations that reach Americans all over the country. And what do they say those implications would be?
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
Well, they said that it would be, quote, devastating, and especially to local public media stations in rural communities. That would be disproportionately harmed because they rely on those stations not only for news but for life-saving emergency alerts. They also said that these cuts would accelerate the spread of news deserts.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
So they fund global health programs aimed at controlling the spread of diseases like HIV AIDS. The White House is cutting $400 million for that. Millions of dollars also in contributions to the World Health Organization, various United Nations agencies, programs related to women's health and gender issues. the environment, climate change research, that's all a part of this package.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
Now, in the memo that the White House sent to Congress, it says some of the funds have been used for, quote, radical projects, and that the cuts are part of an effort to, quote, eliminate wasteful foreign assistance programs. The memo also adds, this approach best serves the American taxpayer.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
Yes, you may remember that the agency was the first to see mass staffing cuts, termination to its programs. Effectively, it's been shut down. All of that was done without congressional approval, and there have been several lawsuits where the president's power to withhold funds without congressional approval has been challenged. There's no ruling on this yet. I spoke with Jonathan Katz.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
He's the senior director of anti-corruption, democracy, and security at the Brookings Institution. He sees this request as a sign that the administration is hitting walls. in its efforts to dismantle federal agencies.
Up First from NPR
Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
So this is the legal avenue for the administration to codify the cuts it has already made, and there will likely be more rescission requests for all the other budget cuts the president wants to see happen across the federal government. That's NPR's Fatma Tanis. Thank you, Fatma. Thank you.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
So the State Department says it's reviewed over 6,000 of USAID's foreign assistant grants, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to terminate nearly all of them, quote, as part of the America First agenda. Only 500 grants will be continued. Now, those grants funded all kinds of humanitarian and development projects aimed at disease control, migration prevention.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
hunger prevention, supporting human rights. And the same process has happened over at the State Department, where most foreign assistance grants, around 4,100, have been cut. The State Department says they've saved about $60 billion, which is around 1% of the overall federal budget.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
Well, we don't have a full picture. The State Department says that programs that the USAID is keeping includes food and life-saving assistance for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Secretary Rubio had issued a waiver for those after the stop-work order paused all existence foreign aid programs.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
But we're hearing from aid groups and NGOs that life-saving humanitarian programs, including ones that provide HIV medications, have been terminated. So have programs providing vaccination for polio. And it seems like some of those termination notices have gone out in haste because some groups received them twice. Now, one example I can tell you about a program that's been cut is in Nigeria.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
It provided clean water for people who were displaced because of attacks by the militant group Boko Haram.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
One humanitarian official told me, quote, this is a global health massacre. That person was not authorized to speak on behalf of their organization. Now, USAID staff and aid groups are worried that cuts to USAID's programs will lead to loss of life, like in Sudan, where hunger is widespread. And over 1,000 kitchens supported by USAID have closed.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
Also, children around the world who are receiving treatment for acute malnutrition, they've not been getting their medication and are at risk of dying.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
Well, it's been effectively dismantled. Today and tomorrow, hundreds of USAID staff who've been laid off or put on administrative leave will be allowed to go into the headquarters in Washington and pack up their stuff. The building doesn't have agency signage anymore. It's been removed.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
The State Department says the next steps will be working with Congress to reform foreign assistance to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to, quote, make America better. stronger, safer, and more prosperous. And the government owes about $1.5 billion to many aid organizations for work that was already done before the Trump funding freeze. And that is now tied up in the courts.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
The government was given a deadline to make those payments by midnight yesterday, but the Supreme Court intervened and extended the deadline.
Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
Thank you.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Thanks for having me, Scott.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
So it was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and it says that U.S. foreign assistance will be frozen while a comprehensive review of all programs can be undertaken to, quote, ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump's foreign policy agenda. Now, the memo says the review will be completed within 85 days.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And that means for nearly three months, there's going to be no new funding for any foreign assistance and programs that have already been approved for funding will have to stop work. There are some exemptions, such as foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt, and also emergency food aid.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
It's everything from the building of roads to vaccination programs. And there are also aid efforts in sensitive conflict zones. These are often logistically complicated programs. So once you pause them, it's hard to get things running back up again immediately. And, you know, Scott, we're talking about a lot of investment, around $60 billion worth of That's how much the U.S.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
provides in foreign assistance annually. And it's the biggest financial supporter of development aid in the world. So this is going to have a huge impact across the board. And there's a lot that's still unclear. There are questions about how this is going to affect aid to Ukraine and Taiwan, for example. Also critical global health programs like PEPFAR. That's the U.S.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
effort to combat HIV around the world. And it's credited with having saved 25 million lives.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
So until this review is over, these U.S.-funded programs are likely going to have to cease operations, even furlough or lay off their staff. Employees of USAID, the agency primarily responsible for administering humanitarian and development aid, will be keeping their jobs for now. But I should also note that many of the organizations that partner with the U.S.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
on foreign assistance are based in the U.S. and they employ people here and overseas. So this is going to impact overseas staff in the short term, but it will also lead to layoffs in the U.S. if it continues.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
People are shocked and really worried. A senior official at USAID told me that, quote, the work stop order is completely reckless and disruptive and said it was draconian. The official asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency. I also spoke to the leader of an organization that partners with USAID. They offer humanitarian assistance.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And that person told me the administration has, quote, thrown a grenade right into the middle of foreign assistance. This person also spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution against their organization for speaking out. They said that they would have to pull out their staff who are providing critical services in the field and also lay off U.S. staff.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
The person said that, quote, we can't afford to keep funding our programs because we don't know if we will be reimbursed per our contracts with U.S. agencies. Now, aid experts are also warning that this move could have a destabilizing effect in countries where humanitarian aid is critical. I spoke to Abby Maxman. She's the president of Oxfam America.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
It's a charity that does not take funding from the U.S. government. And here's what she said.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
She's called on the Trump administration to reverse the move before it's too late.
Up First from NPR
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Thank you for having me.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Well, Scott, people are distraught. You know, since the inauguration, I've been talking to senior officials, agency staff, both here and overseas. And they didn't want to reveal their names because they're not authorized to speak to the press. And some were afraid of being targeted by the administration. They say that effectively one of the biggest aid agencies in the world doesn't exist anymore.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
They're shocked at the dizzying speed in which things have unraveled. And they say the way that they are being treated by the administration has also been shocking. And many people have lost access to their government accounts and emails. The ones staffed overseas have been ordered back to the U.S. in 30 days. And they say they feel completely abandoned by their government.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
You know, many are in conflict zones. They're concerned about their personal security. They're told to come back, but they don't have homes in the U.S. or jobs or insurance. And some are pregnant close to their due date, so their delivery plans have also been appended.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
So last night, a federal judge issued a temporary pause on the administration's move to put 2,200 people on administrative leave. Now, those are union foreign service officers who filed the suit. The judge also reinstated 500 people who were already put on leave. And he paused the accelerated return of overseas staff that was supposed to happen this weekend.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Now, this was all pushed back until next Friday. And in the meantime, there will be a hearing next week on the legality of the administration's overall moves to dismantle the agency.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Well, President Trump is accusing the agency of corruption and fraud. No evidence has been provided to the public on that. And he and his advisor, Elon Musk, say that they want to shrink the federal government and the budget. Analysts say USAID is an easy target because it works overseas. Americans are less aware of what it does. And analysts say what's happening here is...
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
is a playbook for the administration's plans for other agencies. But USAID has typically enjoyed bipartisan support for its projects, and some Republicans I've talked to are saying that there will be cascading consequences from all of this. Andrew Natsios is a former administrator of USAID who served under George W. Bush, and he said Americans don't realize how influential USAID was.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Its logo, for example, had the American flag on aid packages distributed all over the world, And it said, from the American people.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Now, one of the agency's key functions was helping with disease control. You'll remember the Ebola outbreak in 2014, so USAID worked to contain that. And they also supported programs curbing migration in Latin American countries, for example, which is one of this administration's key goals.
Up First from NPR
Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
You know, Scott, the entire humanitarian aid industry is totally shaken by this. USAID partnered with NGOs, contractors to do the work that Congress allocated money for. And since the foreign aid freeze, no one's been getting paid by the U.S., not even for work that they already did back in December and January before all of this. So they're owed millions of dollars.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Now, this has put everyone in a really bad spot. Thousands of people have lost their jobs in the past couple of weeks. And many of these companies, including some of the big aid groups, don't know if they will survive if the U.S. doesn't fulfill its contractual duties. So it's really not looking good for aid groups right now and for the people around the world who depended on their help.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Thank you for having me.
Up First from NPR
Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
The key takeaway is that femicide is happening at a high rate and it is universal. Last year, the report says that a total of 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed. Now, 60% of those people were killed by their partners, husbands, boyfriends, or family members. In some regions like Africa and Asia, we saw the highest numbers. I spoke with Calliope Mingeru.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
She's the UN Women's Chief of Ending Violence Against Women. And here's how she put it. This is a war against women. The number we have there is even bigger than fatalities that we see being recorded in a war. She says that for many women and girls around the world, their home is not a safe place and that the people they trust the most can be the most dangerous in their lives.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
Now, Leila, many countries have laws meant to prevent this kind of violence. But despite that, the report shows even those countries are seeing high rates of femicide.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
Researchers say it's a lack of enforcement. In many countries, women are reporting violence from their partners, but often you see they are dismissed by police or referred to social services instead. Beatriz Garcia-Nice is a researcher in Ecuador. She leads the Gender-Based Violence Project for the Wilson Center. It's a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Here's how she explained it.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
And she says the impunity has led to women being distrustful of the system in Mexico, and many don't report incidents to police anymore. I want to bring up another country, South Africa. Again, it has the laws, but it has one of the highest rates of femicide. I spoke to Ronel Cucamore. She's with the local organization called Gender Rights in Tech.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
She works with friends and family of femicide victims to help get them justice. And before that, she worked with survivors of gender-based violence.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
So when the system fails to protect survivors, it leads to them being killed. Now, is there any good news, any reason to be hopeful? There is. You know, in Ecuador, they're creating safe space shelters for women who are at risk. In Colombia, government branches are coordinating social services as working with the judicial system to respond.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
But experts said that there's a lot of work to be done at social, cultural, and especially family levels, the way children are being raised and whether they're taught equality and mutual respect when it comes to other genders.