Women in the Islamic world
All topics-
Pakistan election
Why are rural women more willing to vote?
During Pakistan's last election in 2018, women from five remote areas of the country were more likely to vote than anywhere else in the country, including big cities
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Gender roles in the Arab world
'The idea of male dominance is in crisis'
Extensive research by the Algerian sociologist Fatma Oussedik has revealed that ideas about family and gender roles in the North African country are undergoing major changes
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Afghanistan after two years of Taliban rule
The Taliban's second emirate
During their second period of rule, the Taliban appear more moderate in a few select areas. This shift is due to a variety of factors, including international expectations and a more self-confident Afghan society. However, it is not a reason for optimism
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Cinema showcase in Morocco
Arab women filmmakers challenge Western preconceptions
Female filmmakers from across the Middle East are increasingly being recognised and celebrated. But the challenges they face are not always what you might expect
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Iran: a graphic novel
The making of a revolution
Nothing has been the same in Iran since Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, was murdered by the morality police in September 2022. Cartoonist Marjane Satrapi's new book takes its name from the protest slogan, "Woman, life, freedom", and offers an easy-to-grasp take on the complicated background to the current situation
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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