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

Women at the front lines of Gaza protests

Palestinian women are going to the front lines of Gaza's border demonstrations, cooking for protesters and holding several activities near the border.

Trailblazing Israeli-Druze photo artist fights against tradition

Through her photos, Ameera Ziyan showcases the changes the Druze community is undergoing in its attitude toward art and gender equality.

How an Oklahoman is scoring goals in Iran

A woman from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has emerged as an unlikely mover and shaker in Iranian women’s soccer.

Egyptian women take on men in technology

As the Egyptian government tries to increase participation of women in the labor market, Egypt’s tech-savvy women aim to get ahead in a sector traditionally reserved for men.

Egypt women fight for right to army combat posts

Amid recurrent calls to allow Egyptian women to join the army, some Egyptian experts say this is an inherent right, while others deem such calls to be illogical and against Sharia.

IDF unfazed by challenges of integration

Despite objections from religious quarters and the logistical hurdles they pose, the IDF has no intention to end the integration of women into fighting roles.

Palestinian women celebrate legal win with eye toward greater victories

Palestinian women welcome their government's move to change a handful of laws that are unfair to women, but the road to full equality is still very long.

First female deputy of religious body comes at tough time for Turkish women

Huriye Marti has assumed the highest office at Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs thus far by a woman, but is it a step in the right direction for the situation of women in Turkey?

Single Egyptian mothers face stigma head-on

More of Egypt's single mothers are braving scorn and pity to raise their voices and demand their rights.

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.

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.

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.