Culture Lebanon’s first lady Nehmat Aoun takes center stage during Pope's visit Lebanon’s first lady, Nehmat Aoun, attended nearly all gatherings and visits of Pope Leo during his three-day trip to Beirut, highlighting her active involvement in social and humanitarian issues. Lebanon
Lebanon’s citizenship offer for FIFA head sparks debate over equal rights Lebanon’s president has announced he will grant citizenship to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, sparking a wave of outrage. Lebanon
Iran judicial chief orders crackdown on women defying hijab law: What to know Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei also called for legal action against the United States over the June strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran
Culture Rape case against movie star Pejman Jamshidi rocks Iran: What to know The accusations against Jamshidi, one of Iran’s most famous celebrities, come amid ongoing discussions about women’s lack of rights in the country. Iran
Syrian women in Egypt learn to fight through fear A Cairo group is helping Syrian women gain the confidence and skills they need to confront the harassment they often face as refugees in Egypt, and even non-Syrians are joining up. Egypt
Why Erdogan called for updating Islam Misogyny in the name of Islam proved shocking to Turkey’s secularists, but it also was disturbing to most moderate religious conservatives, many of whom vote for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Culture Alert: March salutes women of all nationalities and sizes Many cultural activities in March focus on women, as artists and muses, in addition to the search for identity. Also of note is the first cooperation between the Louvre and the National Museum of Iran. Palestine
Turkish women take to the streets to demand equality Activists say 15 years of rule by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has eroded women’s rights, even as he has vowed to end domestic violence and strengthen the role of women in Turkish society. Turkey
Turkish women's organization looks back on two decades of progress For more than two decades, an organization in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast called KAMER has led the uphill struggle to empower women and challenge often deadly social norms in these patriarchal and war-torn communities. Turkey
Women's Taif TV blocked in Gaza two hours before launch The Palestinian Ministry of Information in the Gaza Strip blocked the launch of Taif TV two hours before it was due to go on air, in what raised concerns about freedom of the press in Gaza. Palestine
Israel's revolutionary sexual harassment law The Law to Prevent Sexual Harassment adopted by the Knesset 20 years ago represented a real breakthrough in changing social norms and priorities overnight. Israel
Book in praise of older women gets Israel's top prize Esther Peled, a female author who defies convention, is awarded Israel’s most prestigious literary prize with the book that describes a woman’s journey on her way to a “room of her own.” Israel
Egyptian men's rights activist sees oppression in female empowerment In a backlash against the women's movement in Egypt, one attorney is demanding the formation of a National Council for Men. Egypt
Israeli Bedouin women champion social progress The Israeli Interior Ministry together with the Association of Community Centers initiated a first-of-its-kind course designed to train Bedouin women to become members of executive boards. Israel
Egyptian women say their time is coming in presidential races Despite their historical absence in contests for president, Egyptian women believe one of their own will run for president someday soon. Egypt
Iranian women must remain united to advance rights The recent anti-compulsory hijab protests in Iran have forged both unity and division among women activists. Iran
