Gender
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Burka bans in Europe
Why the burka is so important for right-wing populists
On 7 March, Switzerland became the latest European country to vote in favour of a so-called "burka" ban. It was yet another feather in the cap of the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) on an issue that remains a perennial favourite with the Right across Europe. Essay by Daniel Bax
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Femicide and coronavirus in the Maghreb
Algeria's ongoing war against women – #WeLostOneOfUs
The Algerian state's insufficient response to a recent spate of femicides has driven hundreds of women to defy coronavirus lockdown restrictions to take part in street protests, while also rekindling a debate about the death penalty. By Dalia Ghanem
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Ava Farmehri's "Through the sad wood our corpses will hang"
Flashback to a childhood in Tehran
Iranian-Canadian author Ava Farmehri’s debut novel paints a bleak picture of growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. The book is both a prison novel and a reflection on freedom. Gerrit Wustmann read it for Qantara.de
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Obituary: Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian women's rights activist
Defiant icon of the Arab women's movement
Nawal El-Saadawi has died in Cairo at the age of 89. The prominent doctor, activist and author became internationally known for her outcry against female genital mutilation and honour killings. In recent years, however, her defence of the Sisi regime also drew criticism. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Turkey's femicide problem
"It was suicide!" – a state-sanctioned cover-up?
According to figures released by a leading Turkish rights organisation, 300 women were murdered in Turkey last year. The number of unreported cases is apparently much higher, however, since many unexplained deaths of women are classified as suicides. By Burcu Karacas
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Muslim marriage, Muslim divorce – and the wider family
"Problems are often dealt with collectively"
Ayse Gerner is a Muslim woman and a marriage counsellor. It is a combination appreciated by her clients, most of whom are Muslim. Although Muslim couples face the same relationship challenges as everyone else, they also have to overcome very specific obstacles. By Said Rezek
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International Women's Day
Fatma Aliye, pioneering women's rights under the Ottomans
The fight for women's rights around the world continues. Fatma Aliye, Turkey's first female novelist and a pioneer of women's rights in the Ottoman Empire, is a figure who deserves greater recognition. By Canan Topcu
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Berlinale 2021: Samaher al-Qadi's "As I want"
“We’re meant to be ashamed of the way we laugh”
In her documentary, the young Palestinian filmmaker Samaher al-Qadi gives us a passionate and very personal view of what it means to be an Arab woman. Her film explores the oppression of women and its deep roots in society, but also women’s will to fight against it. By Rene Wildangel
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Teenage pregnancies in Pakistan
What sex education is really about
Young people in many developing countries are not systematically taught about reproductive health and the psychology of intimacy. It is harmful to keep all things sexual shrouded in secrecy – as is evident in Pakistan, for example, where many girls are still married off in their teens. By Mahwish Gul
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Relgions for Peace in Lindau
"Women are the ones who ensure religion survives"
Organised by interfaith NGO Religions for Peace, an international conference in Lindau on Lake Constance is dealing with the peace-building role of women inspired by the faith of their respective religions. Some 600 participants from around the world meet virtually to discuss the central challenges of our time. By Christoph Strack
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Gender inequality in the Middle East
Gritty Lebanese film challenges marital rape impunity in Arab world
In a short film set in Lebanon, where marital rape is not a crime, filmmaker Farah Shaer tackles one of Arab society's biggest taboos and highlights the difficulties women face when reporting domestic and sexual violence. Ban Barkawi has the details
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Interview with Moroccan Islamic feminist Asma Lamrabet
Emancipation through a new reading of the Koran
Moroccan physician and author Asma Lamrabet is one of the foremost representatives of Islamic feminism in North Africa. She urges Arab women to follow their own path, distinct from Western feminism, in order to liberate themselves from male paternalism. Claudia Mende spoke to her in Rabat