STORIES
From urgent investigations to bold op-eds by global leaders, we bring you the stories shaping the lives of women and girls worldwide.
Syria’s Recovery Is Being Led by Women
Across a country emerging from nearly 14 years of war, Syrian women are rebuilding their families, communities, and futures from the ground up. Photo: Oxfam
What Twenty Years of Reporting on Women and War Has Taught Me
War correspondent Hollie McKay reflects on the hidden systems of violence that decide the course of women’s and girls’ lives long before they are given a choice.
To Report Femicide in Pakistan Is to Confront a System of Silence
In Pakistan, femicide is not a series of random tragedies but a national crisis sustained by silence and a system that places reputation above women’s lives.
On World Refugee Day, Remember the Girls Still Growing Up in Camps
Syrian girls are growing up in displacement, as shrinking donor support leaves fewer spaces for them to learn, play, build confidence, and imagine a future beyond survival.
The Hunger I Saw at the Sudan Border
In South Sudan, I met women who survived war only to arrive somewhere “safe” and discover there was no food left to give them.
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.
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
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.
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
On International Girls’ Day, I Am an Afghan Girl Holding Onto Hope
For Afghan girls, International Girls’ Day is not a celebration but a reminder of what has been taken — classrooms, futures, and freedom.
National Journalists’ Day in Afghanistan: ‘We Aren’t Even Allowed to Laugh’
On National Journalists’ Day in Afghanistan, a female journalist in Afghanistan writes about how even women’s laughter is forbidden under the Taliban.
Denied an Education by the Taliban, I Started an Online School for Girls
Denied an education by the Taliban, 19-year-old Robina Azizi, now living in exile, founded an online school to empower girls like herself through learning.
From Zaatari to a Rebuilt Syria: A Young Woman’s Vision of Hope, Resilience, and Power
Malak Farouq, a Syrian refugee living in Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, reflects on the fall of the Assad regime and what it means for her to be able to return home.
I Helped Bring Down Harvey Weinstein. This Is My Story.
Ambra Gutierrez’s courage helped topple Harvey Weinstein; now, her story fuels the ongoing fight for survivors to be believed. Photo: James Messerschmidt
How Marriage Laws Suppress Women in Iran
For Iran’s women, love and marriage come with a price — freedom. Iranian journalist Tara Jamali unpacks this in a powerful first-person essay. Photo: Richard Vogel / AP