It is well known that education is one of the most powerful tools to help people escape from poverty. [...] The problem is that, although governments in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, dedicate on average 18% of their public funds to education, a huge 43% of the region’s population are under the age of 15. This high percentage means that governments are all too often unable to keep up with demand for quality, affordable education.

With only 41 percent of countries regularly producing data on violence against women and only 13 percent of countries having a dedicated gender statistics budget, the first-ever United Nations World Data Forum explored ways to close these data gaps on January 17. [...] The panel, titled 'Gender Data for Decision-making: Strengthening the Links,' was among the nearly 100 sessions and parallel events scheduled throughout the 15-18 January gathering in Cape Town, South African, of more than 1,400 data experts around the world.

For the past decade the Molotov song “Gimme the Power” has served as an anthem of youth rebellion decrying corrupt police and politicians in Mexico. This week, its lyrics became the banner under which thousands of young people protested online and in the streets against Mexico’s new telecommunications law, which they believe infringes on their civil rights.