Women in the Islamic world

Bangladesh's low-wage textile industry

Microcredits – no silver bullet against poverty

While Grameen Bank, the great role model for the microfinance industry, is celebrating its fortieth birthday in 2023, tens of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh are taking to the streets and striking for better wages
Human rights in Asia

Tajik women turn to polygamy to survive

Dire economic conditions are spurring an increasing number of women in Tajikistan to enter polygamous marriages. But it comes at a price. With few rights to underpin their existence, they bear a burden of social stigma that taints not only their lives but those of their children too. Madina Shogunbekova reports
Nobel peace prizewinner Narges Mohammadi

Change in Iran 'irreversible'

Rights campaigner and 2023 Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi said in a September 2023 interview that she retained hope for change in Iran, despite having no prospect of release from prison and enduring the pain of separation from her family
Human rights and Islamism in the Gulf

This Barbie can't go to Kuwait

The recent ban of the Barbie film is part of a growing crackdown on feminism and freedom of expression in Kuwait. Hind Al Ansari argues that instead of tightening controls, the government should focus on developing spaces for open dialogue
The Armenian genocide

"Genocide is a feminist issue"

Dots, crosses, lines: tattoos like these were inked on surviving Armenian women after the genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Historian Elyse Semerdjian uses the tattoos to tell their story. Interview by Anna-Theresa Bachmann
Mahsa Amini: one year on

Tehran has lost the battle for credibility

One year after Mahsa Amini died in police custody, sparking nationwide protests, the Iranian regime has quashed all displays of public discontent. But the 2022 protest movement was not a lost cause and its impact on Iranian history cannot be undermined, writes Leela Jacinto
Taliban Afghanistan 2 years on

Report from a forgotten land

15 August 2023 marked the second anniversary of the Taliban's return to Afghanistan. Emran Feroz recently travelled through the country – here is his exclusive report for Qantara.de on everyday life in Kabul
Morocco

Mohammed VI turns 60: Diplomacy a priority as inequalities persist

Morocco's King Mohammed VI is set to celebrate his 60th birthday on 21 August away from the public eye, as challenges abound almost a quarter century after he ascended the throne
Taliban Afghanistan's double whammy

Afghans face a failing economy and high taxation

Almost two years after the Taliban swept to power, other international crises have distracted attention away from Afghans' suffering amid the country's dire socioeconomic conditions. Looking ahead, Hameed Hakimi asks what are the economic prospects for Afghanistan under the Taliban?
Equality in the Arab world

Lebanon's 'dangerous' Khateera feminists

A popular Beirut-based media platform is tackling some of Arab society's most sensitive subjects – such as sex, love, desire and gender roles – with distinctive humour. Diana Hodali reports
Four Afghans on two years Taliban rule

Worry, relief, pride, despair

Two years since the Taliban stormed back to power in Afghanistan after 20 years of war against the United States and its allies, life has changed dramatically for many Afghans, particularly women
Books on the Iran protests

Fighting for freedom in the "mullah state"

Women are the main drivers behind the new revolutionary movement in Iran. Four female authors offer inside views and moving snapshots from a variety of perspectives. Review by Rene Wildangel