The recent case of a teenage German girl travelling to Syria to allegedly actively join the “jihad” has German experts worried about the threat that men, and increasingly (often very young) women, involved in such activities can present to German society. France has indicted two people for aiding another teenage girl who has allegedly travelled […]

March 8 was International Women’s Day and, as usual, there was a sudden rise in news items that feature women, some of which will be featured in this week’s Friday Links. At the same time, women around the world were involved in protests. A few dozen Iraqi women took to the streets to demonstrate against […]

Saudi women activists are calling on the government to end the “absolute authority” that male guardians have over women in the kingdom. The petition is said to have been sent to a human rights committee. FIFA, the organisation that governs soccer/football, has authorised the wearing of religious head wear, such as hijabs and turbans, during […]

Activists describe the situation of women detainees in Egypt as “horrific” and much worse than under Mubarak; many of the recent detainees are young women and even minors, who face sexual abuse, torture and harsh treatments. War widows in predominantly Muslim southern Thailand often face a heavy burden, but in a protected village of widows they find […]

Last week was Valentine’s Day, and for some Muslims this is, and has been, a heated topic. Islamic leaders in countries such as  Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Turkey have spoken out against the celebration, saying that it leads to fornication, “baby-dumping” and general immorality. In Uzbekistan, students were “asked” to sign contracts affirming that they won’t celebrate […]

February 6 was the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The UN called for a complete end of genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). UNICEF reports that more women are taking a stand against FGM in Sudan, and this has resulted in a decrease  in cases of FGM over the last years. Fourteen communities in Mali […]

In a new report by Human Rights Watch, Iraq gets slammed for its treatment of its female prisoners, who are often subjected to torture, including sexual abuse. A relatively small change in Afghan law will have huge consequences for victims of domestic violence, as it will enable men to abuse their female family members without […]

Last week the current Syrian regime announced during the peace negotiations that women and children are free to leave the city of Homs and said it would provide all the necessities, so they would not need for anything. One woman relates her horrifying experiences in Homs, before she fled the city last year. The first […]

Russian authorities are hunting for potential female suicide bombers in and around Sochi; security forces say that they have killed potential “black widow” Zaira Alieva during an operation on Saturday, which left seven dead. The Olympic Games are scheduled to start on February 7. It is estimated that one in nine Pakistani women will have […]

Human Rights Watch has spoken out about the discriminatory rules imposed on women by certain Syrian armed opposition groups. After young Australian couple had been killed in Syria earlier this week, many stories have been coming up about Amira Karroum, the woman involved, stressing her “recent” shift to a more “radical” Islam and her alleged verbal abuse of the neighbours. […]