Women’s rights

A woman walks past a wall painting in the colours of the Iranian flag in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How hijab dispute is opening new front in Iran-Azerbaijan tensions

Iran's longstanding unease over Azerbaijan's strategic ties with Israel is spilling into a dispute over religious freedoms and Baku's position in the Islamic world, testing already fragile relations between the two neighbors.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A shop owner assists one of his customers at Malta bazaar in the Fatih district in Istanbul, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Iran mum as Azerbaijan’s school hijab ban, Israel ties test alliance with Turkey

Azerbaijan’s restrictions on Islamic dress in schools have sparked an unusual public spat with Turkey, exposing tensions beneath the allies’ close political and security ties.

Protesters hold banners calling for child protection and justice

Culture

Rape of teenage girl shocks Tunisia: What to know

Violence against children and women remains a problem in Tunisia, despite a 2017 law aimed at helping the situation.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco's newly appointed head of government

Culture

Who is Fatima El Mansouri, Morocco’s first woman prime minister?

Her appointment marks the first time a woman has served as Morocco’s head of government and the second time a woman has held the position in the Arab world.

Latest News

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

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

Culture

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

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

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

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

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

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

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkey’s WomanTV offers new voice on women’s issues

A new TV station is taking on femicide, glass ceilings and violence, as well as sharing success stories of women in Turkey.

Women break their silence at Lebanon's monodrama festival

The Lebanon International Women Monodrama Festival, which opens on International Women's Day, provides a platform for female voices to be heard without interruption or suppression.

Lebanese architect blazes new path

For Beirut-born architect Amale Andraos, it is still surprisingly difficult to operate as a woman in architecture.

How this mother-daughter duo became partners in art

Amneh Baagour, who grew up in Lebanon's Beddawi refugee camp, became her artist daughter's best student.

Start-up nation Israel: Where women are the future

More and more women are starting high-tech businesses in Israel, site of the second-largest technology hub in the world.

Egypt considering moves to help empower, elect women

As Egypt's parliament works on amendments to ensure better representation of women in elected positions, the General Assembly of Egyptian Women is supporting women who want to hold local office, particularly in Upper Egypt and rural areas.

Jordanian trail-blazer empowers women through kickboxing

Lina Khalifeh began learning martial arts for fun, but helping a friend showed her it can do much more.

Iranian forum looks to address so-called 'sexual crisis'

An Iranian media group is sponsoring a series of talks on the taboo subject of sex to deal with the so-called sexual crisis in the country.

'No money, no marriage' sparks dueling social media campaigns

After young Egyptian men launched a campaign to boycott marriage due to the unfulfillable demands of prospective brides' parents, women countered with a campaign of their own in defense of their families.

American University in Cairo celebrates centennial with gift of art

The American University in Cairo kicked off its centennial year by rededicating its original campus as a cultural arts center.

For the love of Mary and hymn: Muslim singer perks up ears

Dalia Ihab Younis shrugs off critics who find it odd or somehow unacceptable that a Muslim woman in a hijab sings hymns venerating the Virgin Mary.

Women protest femicide before the trial regarding the death of Sule Cet, who was allegedly killed by being thrown off the 20th floor of a luxury building in Ankara, on November 8, 2018. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish woman’s murder trial makes waves in public opinion

When a female university student fell to her death from an office tower in May 2018, police were initially inclined to believe her male hosts' version of the story, but a trial has brought to light new evidence against the men.