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)

Syria's Arab, Kurdish women join forces to fight for future

Scores of Arab women are joining the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units in Syria as they see an opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of future generations of women.

Former Salafi cleric stuns Morocco with calls for gender equality

Since his release from prison in Morocco, former hardcore Salafist Mohamed Abdelwahab al-Rafiqi has become a controversial figure with his calls for equality in inheritance rights.

Egyptian feminist band gives voice to country's women

All-female band Bnt Al Masarwa is turning the oppression of Egyptian women into songs to raise awareness of their discrimination.

Lebanese women entrepreneurs push for success

The Lebanese League for Women in Business is launching projects encouraging women to open their own businesses.

Female grapplers take it to the mat in Egypt

The first Egyptian women to wrestle professionally are breaking taboos and fighting for recognition.

Egyptian protesters hold up placards and shout slogans during a demonstration in Cairo against sexual harassment on February 12, 2013. Egyptian protesters took to the street again to demand an end to sexual violence, as campaigns against the repeated attacks in central Cairo pick up steam. Sexual harassment has long been a problem in Egypt, but recently the violent nature and frequency of the attacks have raised the alarm. AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Gett

Egyptian women speak out amid global focus on sexual harassment

While social media campaigns are giving voice to many hitherto voiceless women in Egypt, much remains to be done about sexual harassment in the country.

Egypt's female performance groups on the rise

All female dance groups in Egypt are becoming more popular at weddings and other cultural gatherings, but still must conform with society's conservative beliefs on music.

Egyptian initiative spotlights women's rights through film

Through her Women’s Cinema initiative, Egyptian parliamentarian Mona Mounir hopes to raise awareness of women's issues and provide a platform for women to discuss sensitive topics.

Is Egypt ready to end underage marriage?

Egypt is seeking to curtail customary marriages of girls under the age of 18 after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for measures to combat this phenomenon amid opposition by some religious scholars.

A mother and her child walk in a street of "La Medina" in cental Tunis on January 21, 2011. Tunisia began national mourning Friday for the dozens killed in its revolution, a week after the ouster of veteran ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, as new protests called for the old regime to be destroyed. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Tunisian women break taboo saying no to children

A women's association in the Tunisian countryside works on breaking the societal taboo of women remaining childless by choice.

Brides and bridegrooms wait for the start of their mass wedding ceremony in Ankara August 18, 2007. 207 couples were wed in the annual ceremony organised by Ankara municipality. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - GM1DVYNPJSAA

Turkish government revives its anti-divorce report

The Turkish government has relaunched a debate on its controversial investigative report that seeks to prevent divorce and strengthen family unity.

How Egyptian activists are trying to curb polygamy

A number of activists launched a Facebook campaign to add a new condition in marriage contracts, requiring the first wife’s permission for her husband’s second marriage.