STORIES
From urgent investigations and breaking news to bold op-eds by global leaders, we bring you the stories shaping the lives of women and girls worldwide.
What It’s Like to Be a Female Carpenter in Iraqi Kurdistan
In Iraqi Kurdistan, Kanyaw Abubakr turns to carpentry, pushing into a male-dominated trade as conflict disrupts daily life.
Nearly Five Years into Taliban Rule, Teachers Shoulder the Despair of a Generation of Girls
As Afghan girls are pushed out of classrooms and into child marriages, teachers confront a growing wave of despair among their students. Photo: Solmaz Daryani
Behind Closed Doors, Millions of Girls Are Working Instead of Learning
Across Africa, child domestic work remains one of the most invisible forms of exploitation faced by girls.
I Fled Sudan Like Millions of Women. Healing Is Still Possible.
In a refugee camp in eastern Chad, one woman who fled Sudan’s war now works to help children heal from violence, loss, and displacement. Photo: Armstrong Too / Plan International
Spain Pardons Women Imprisoned Under Franco for ‘Moral Crimes’
Spain has formally pardoned dozens of women imprisoned under Franco for so-called moral offenses, acknowledging a long-hidden system of repression that persisted even into democracy. Photo: Luca Gaetano Pira / The Guardian
No Safe Choice: What Happened to Iran’s Women’s Team in Australia
Two Iranian footballers made opposite choices during a moment of crisis, revealing the cost of both freedom and return. Photo: Albert Perez / Getty Images
“I Don’t Want to Die in India”: The Hidden Corridor of East African Sex Trafficking
Promised jobs and scholarships, African women are trafficked to India and left trapped in sexual exploitation, violence and legal limbo.
I Survived the Modeling Industry. The Epstein Files Should Expose It.
What happened to me as a teenage model was part of a system that funneled young women toward men like Jeffrey Epstein, writes Sara Ziff.
Five Years After the Istanbul Convention, Women in Turkey Are Still Waiting for Justice
Five years after Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, many women say lighter sentencing and weak enforcement have left them unprotected.
U.S. Tariffs Squeeze Women in India’s Shrimp Industry
U.S. tariffs ripple through India’s shrimp industry, pushing women like Radha and Durga deeper into poverty, precarity, and violence at the very bottom of a global supply chain.
Young Women Feel Left Behind Under Trump’s Economy
Women across the U.S. political spectrum shared their pessimism about the job market and rising prices with two focus groups. Photo: Andres Kudacki / Getty Images
“I Didn’t Come Here to Die”: Migrant Women Trapped in Iraq’s Crossfire
Caught between war and exploitation, migrant women in Iraqi Kurdistan remain trapped in homes they cannot leave—working to survive, even as the bombs fall overhead. Photo: Shvan Harki / AFP via Getty Images
At the U.N.’s Annual Meeting on Women, the World Should Focus on Justice for Girls
As governments gather at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, they should prioritize ensuring that girls can access justice, writes Katherine la Puente of Human Rights Watch.
Across 29 Countries, Nearly a Third of Gen Z Men Say Wives Should Obey Their Husbands
A new international survey finds nearly one in three Gen Z men say a wife should obey her husband, along with other traditional ideas about gender roles.
Egyptian Women Are Still Being Asked to Prove Their Virginity
In the wake of a former Egyptian MP’s call for mandatory “virginity tests” for female university students, the controversy has exposed a deeper reality: the enduring need to assert control over women’s bodies.
The End of Khameini Is a Turning Point for Girls Like Me
For Iranian women, this moment is neither simple nor secure — but it is ours, writes Marzieh Hamidi.
Girls and Young Women Are Key to Ukraine’s Recovery
As Ukraine enters its fifth year of war, the country’s recovery will depend on whether today’s girls and young women are given the support, skills and power to lead its rebuilding.
“We Were Their Last Hope”: Georgia’s NGO Crackdown Leaves Women Without Protection
As Georgia tightens its grip on civil society, the organizations protecting survivors of violence are being forced to shut their doors — leaving the country’s most vulnerable women with nowhere to turn. Photo: Tamuna Chkareuli / RFE
When a Regime Erases Women, the World Must Call It a Crime
Marzieh Hamidi, recipient of the 2026 International Women’s Rights Award at the Geneva Summit, argues the world must recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law. Photo: CNN
No Hijab Day Rallies Held in Cities Worldwide in Support of Women Without the Freedom to Choose
Activists and women gathered in New York and cities worldwide to mark No Hijab Day, standing in solidarity with women living under compulsory veiling laws.