Sexism and violence against women
All topics-
Michel Houellebecq's "Aneantir"
Lonely white males
With his latest tome, French literary provocateur Michel Houellebecq completes his writer's quest: to portray a dying white patriarchy. The big surprise comes in the acknowledgements. Christine Lehnen read the book
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Women in Egypt
Ongoing crackdown stokes solidarity
Persecution, prosecution and public shaming have led to a new wave of solidarity among women in Egypt. Could this kind of grassroots movement gain enough power to change the difficult situation on the ground? By Jennifer Holleis
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Iran's zurkhaneh bodybuilders
Praying in the house of strength
In Iran, a centuries-old form of strength training that combines athletics and religious ritual is still practiced to this day. Reporting for Qantara.de, Marian Brehmer paid a visit to one of these ancient "houses of strength" in Shiraz
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Muslims in India
Malala backs Muslim students in India fighting hijab ban
A ban on hijabs at several schools in India has prompted the human rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai to demand an end to “the marginalisation of Muslim women”.
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Afghanistan
A brief history of Afghan women's rights
For over a century, Afghanistan's rulers and ethnic groups have been arguing about what women should do and how they should be. Women haven't had much say. By Manasi Gopalakrishnan
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Sudan's popular resistance
The revolution will succeed
The struggle for civilian rule in Sudan is ongoing. Neighbourhood "resistance committees" are the driving force behind ongoing protests against the now-ruling military junta. Operating at a local, decentralised level, they have begun bundling their forces and coordinating nationally, with the aim of playing a role at the political level. Eduard Cousin reports for Qantara.de from Khartoum
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Sex education
The Arab Spring's greatest success?
People in Arab countries have been talking more openly about sex and sexuality for some time now, especially on social media. And for the first time ever, they have the vocabulary to discuss these topics. By Lena Bopp
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Middle East: Empowering women
Reform Jordan for full female equality
How can we expect Jordanian women to participate fully in political life if they know that they don’t enjoy the same legal status as their male counterparts, or the constitutional protections that allow them to play an equal role in building the state? By Marwan Muasher
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Taliban Afghanistan
Afghan girls attend "secret school"
After coming to power, the Islamist group imposed a ban on girls' education, prompting some Afghans to set up an underground school. Hussain Sirat and Ahmad Hakimi spoke to some of the girls who are determined to continue their studies
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Arab world
Arab youth: Aspirations for the New Year
Arab youth express their hopes and wishes for the New Year, spanning everything from civil and political rights, to education, to arts and culture. By Rafiah Al Talei
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What's next after resignation of Sudan's PM?
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's resignation has plunged the country's already fragile democratic transition into further turmoil. Citing his own failure to build a political consensus following an October military coup that rattled the transition, Hamdok called for talks to agree on a roadmap
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How to stop Darfur’s descent into darkness
Despite the recent media focus on developments in Sudan following the military coup in October, there has been much less reporting of the situation in Sudan’s peripheries, outside of the capital and its surroundings. A staggering rise in violence illustrates the fragility of the transition underway in the country.