Women’s rights

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.

Egypt

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.

Egypt

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.

Iran

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.

Syria

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.

Iran

Play challenges deadly Egyptian wedding night tradition

A daring new play called "Wedding Night" casts a critical eye on Egypt's archaic traditions that make some young couples' wedding nights a nightmare.

Egypt

Will Tunis' first female mayor advocate for women’s rights?

Tunis' city council has elected its first female mayor from the Ennahda movement, yet some critics are wary of whether the new mayor will be a strong advocate for women.

Tunisia

Iranian women's movement pushes for more rights, at its own pace

Faced with calls for radical change from abroad, Iran's activists for women’s rights keep pushing their own agenda at home at their own pace.

Iran

Instant verbal divorce rips families apart in Iran's Kurdish region

An uncommon Sunni practice granting immediate verbal divorce has wreaked havoc on the lives of many Kurdish-Iranian families, and some legal and religious parties argue it should be abolished.

Iran

Women's center opens its doors to formerly displaced in Iraq's Qaraqosh

In the predominantly Christian city of Qaraqosh, where almost one-third of the previous population returned after the liberation from the Islamic State, Women's House has been founded to assist and support displaced and vulnerable women.

Iraq

Egyptian women look to boost presence in police force

Although women have made increasing progress in entering Egypt’s police force, they still face many obstacles.

Egypt

Film about Egyptian superstar a hit everywhere but Egypt

In Europe, Iranian director Shirin Neshat’s "Looking for Oum Kulthum" is seen as a landmark artistic collaboration across the Middle East, but Egyptian critics are unimpressed with its historical inaccuracies.

Egypt