Here at ActionAid we’re all getting sore throats from screaming about the importance of women’s rights.

It’s not just about women and girls having the right to live without fear of violence and exploitation.

The equation is simple; giving women the same rights as men = ending poverty for good.

Sexual violence and the sex trade spread HIV and AIDS.

Denying women basic rights like land ownership and education means them and their children starve.

Its not Brain of Britain stuff, but still the links between women’s rights and poverty are being ignored.

Every day we hear about extraordinary women fighting to bring about change in their lives and their communities. You can read one such story below.

To find out more about ActionAid's work on women's rights, click here

I've got time for a quickie: Learn more about the link between women's rights and poverty

I want to get more stuck in: Become an ActionAid campaigner

What else can I do to help? Raise money for ActionAid's women's rights work - put on a Bollocks to Poverty event

Tegla's story below deals with Female genital mutilation (FGM), which is also called female circumcision.

It is the practice of removing all or part of the female genitalia. It is painful and can lead to infection, excessive bleeding, complications in childbirth or even death.

There are no medical benefits, it’s a cultural tradition in parts of Africa and Asia that signifies a girl is ready to be married.

Over 100 million girls and women worldwide have had FGM. It is illegal in many countries including Kenya, but the tradition continues.

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