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The New Star on the Development Horizon

The idea of "microcredits", developed by this year's Nobel Peace prize winner, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, is gaining in popularity. Especially for women from the third world, these credits have often paved the way to a better future. By Elefteriya Yuanidis

Cruel Logic of Exploitation

The documentary "Iron Eaters" presents the tough reality of the ship-breaking industry in Bangladesh. Sonja Ernst had a look at Shaheen Dill-Riaz's award-winning film

Women in Inherited Positions of Power

From Indira Ghandi to the Indonesian head of state Megawati, in Asia many women play leading roles in politics. Does this mean that women have more political power in Asia than in other countries? Sybille Golte doubts this is the case.

Egypt’s female social media influencers face arrest

Charged with "inciting debauchery" and "violating family values": Last week, Egyptian TikTok celebrity Salma Elshimy became the latest in a growing list of women to fall foul of the Egyptian authorities over social media posts

Lifting the veil on Iranian women rejecting male domination

Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don't get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spike

The Balti people of Turtuk

French mayor reignites burkini row

Burkinis have been a long-standing catalyst for dispute in France, calling societal attitudes towards Islam and feminism into question. Rule changes in Grenoble suggest opposition to the garment could be receding, writes Joanna York

Hostility on the Internet

Women in Pakistan are being harassed and are encountering hostility via social networks on the Internet. At the same time, many women's rights activists see the web as a new way to further their work. By Marcus Michaelsen

A Vibrant Symbol for A Troubled Country

Malala Yousafzai came to prominence at the age of 11 when she began writing a diary for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat Valley in 2009. She survived an attempt on her life in early October this year. Instead of frightening the country's education system into submission, the attack triggered a wave of solidarity with the young pro-education activist

Bringing the Poor at Par with the Others

For many of Pakistan's poor, the much-criticised Islamic schools are the only possibility to get an education, because they don't ask for tuition fees. But do all graduates leave the school as radicals? Abdul Hafeez and Peter Koppen take a closer look