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)

CAIRO, EGYPT: Egyptian actress Hala Shiha prepares a cup of tea at the set of her new movie, 03 September 2005 in Cairo. AFP PHOTO/AMRO MARAGHI (Photo credit should read AMRO MARAGHI/AFP/Getty Images)

Comeback actress stirs hornet’s nest on hijab in Egypt

Actress Hala Shiha has changed her mind several times about her career and her attire, but her latest announcement has caused an unprecedented backlash.

Women revolutionize Israeli air force

Together with the Mossad, the Israeli air force leads a female revolution, appointing women to senior command posts.

Egypt's feminists laud mass appointment of women as top judges

Women have been latecomers to Egypt's judiciary, but they're inching toward key posts in waves.

Traffic policewomen, a first for Bethlehem

Women participated for the first time in organizing traffic in Bethlehem, as part of a police program aimed at promoting women’s role in the force.

Hebron women turn to at-home businesses to boost self-sufficiency

In light of Israeli restrictions on residents of the Old City of Hebron, local women have turned to small projects to strengthen their steadfastness and increase their independence.

Azaz conference explores boosting role of Syrian women

Women in the opposition-controlled areas in northern Syria are taking action to claim wider social, economic and political roles in the opposition-held areas.

Will Israel get its first ultra-Orthodox woman lawmaker?

Israeli ultra-Orthodox women are fed up with the exclusion from national politics, and are challenging the religious parties that prevent women from joining.

An Egyptian Muslim girl reads the koran during an evening prayers called "Tarawih" on Laylat al-Qadr or Night of Decree, at Amr Ibn El-Aas mosque, the first and oldest mosque ever built on the land of Egypt, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in old Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC1ECD154720

Egypt's Salafists start offering marriage counseling

A Salafi association holding premarital courses strictly for girls is raising controversy in Egypt’s religious and legal circles.

Can songs help to halt female genital mutilation, early marriage in Egypt?

In a new project, the UNFPA in Egypt is using popular singers and youth bands to create awareness of gender inequality and family planning.

Iranian teenage dancer's arrest sparks backlash as tolerance for radicalism drops

The backlash in the wake of Iran’s arrest of an Iranian teenage girl for posting dance clips on social media highlights significantly reduced tolerance for hard-liner excesses among the public.

Woman elected to head opposition council in western Aleppo

The new leader of the opposition council in western Aleppo plans to implement projects to benefit women and develop their potential.

Iranian MPs are seen during a meeting of the Iranian parliament for the impeachment of the Minister of Labor on March 13, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Violence against women at center of debate on landmark bill in Iran

A landmark bill to expand the legal definition of violence against women remains stalled amid objections from the Iranian judiciary.