Women’s rights

Speaker of the National People's Assembly, Dr. Khalida Boufedech, is pictured in this undated image.

Meet Khalida Boufedech, the first woman to lead Algeria’s parliament

Khalida Boufedech became Algeria’s first woman parliament speaker and the highest-ranking woman to hold constitutional office in the country’s history.

An activist takes part in a demonstration against sexual harassment, rape and domestic violence in the Lebanese capital Beirut on December 7, 2019. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Lebanon arrests man after video of public assault on wife goes viral

The man seen violently beating a woman at a restaurant has been arrested, but the incident has reignited debate over domestic violence amid warnings that such abuse can increase during periods of war.

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism.

Kurdish people waving Kurdistan flags gather to celebrate Nowruz on the hill of Urkesh in the countryside of Amuda in northeastern Syria on March 18, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day," is an ancient festival that marks the start of spring and the new year on the vernal equinox, which usually falls on March 20 or 21. It is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide and has been observed for over 3,000 years across regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Eastern Euro

Analysis

Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds?

Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Iran formally allows women to drive motorcycles: What to know

Iranian instructor Maryam Ghelich stands with student Narghes as they look at Elham (3rd R), Leila and Mona, posing on their motorbikes before their lesson at a training center in northern Tehran on Dec. 7, 2025.

Culture

Lebanon’s first lady Nehmat Aoun takes center stage during Pope's visit

Adri Salido/Getty Images

Lebanon’s citizenship offer for FIFA head sparks debate over equal rights

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran judicial chief orders crackdown on women defying hijab law: What to know

A couple sits facing the skyline of Tehran from Bam-e Tehran in Tehran, Iran on October 24, 2025. (Photo by Bahram / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by BAHRAM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

New Jersey woman takes on traffickers in Iraq's Kurdistan region

The Kurdistan Regional Government, with the help of a former US State Department official, is fighting human trafficking.

Sky over Irbil On December 2018, A trip inside Kurdistan, between Irbil and Sulaymaniyya: a Country that is not a State. (Photo by Alessandro Annunziato/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Erbil court acquits pro-polygamy cleric despite women's protests

An Erbil court acquitted a Kurdish cleric who called Kurdish women "dinosaurs."

How local activists are reviving life in Raqqa

Three years after Raqqa was liberated from the Islamic State, civil society organizations have launched a campaign to revive the city’s cultural and popular aspects.

How this Palestinian initiative helps women deal with their scars

Alorkedea, an initiative in Gaza, provides psychological support, health tips and networking opportunities for women with physical disfigurations.

Gaza men choose family councils but keep women out

There have been no elections in Gaza since 2006, but family groupings in the enclave have started holding votes for a leader and board to administer family affairs.

Women's group brings equality to Talmud study

Over 3,000 women participated in a gathering to celebrate the completion of a seven and a half years of Talmud study put on by the Hadran association, dedicated to make practice inclusive of women.

Viral song spreads vivid debate on misogyny in Egypt

A satirical song called "Salmonella" has stirred up public debate on misogyny and male chauvinism in Egypt.

Hebron tribes oppose UN pact, 'suspicious' feminists

Tribes in Hebron rejected the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and some threatened to shut down feminist organizations after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set the minimum age for marriage at 18.

Iranian sculptor builds statues for humanity, not auctions

For over four decades, Iranian Kurdish sculptor Hadi Ziaoddini has sought to keep his art human and untainted by profit and politics.

Through Fatima's eyes: Jordanians take to streets against domestic violence

The blinding of Fatima, a mother of three, by her abusive husband has disgusted and outraged Jordanians because of the lack of protection available for women experiencing domestic violence.

Women gesture and chant slogans during a protest over deteriorating economic situation, in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir - RC1F1358A730

What takes Lebanese women to front line in protests?

Since the start of Lebanon’s protests Oct. 17, women have been on the front lines acting as a buffer between protesters and security forces.

Egyptian women shout slogans against the government during the funeral of Syed Tafshan, who died in clashes with residents of the Nile island of al-Warraq, when security forces attempted to demolish illegal buildings, in the south of Cairo, Egypt July 16, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC133E8F7A70

Can new amendment undermine Egyptian women's rights to divorce?

A lawmaker's proposed amendment to restrict divorce to cases of extreme harm to women has raised concerns among rights advocates who argue that the bill, if approved, would turn back the clock on women's rights.