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.
In Johannesburg’s Landfills, Refugee Women Risk Their Lives for Pennies and Survival
Barred from legal jobs, refugee women in Johannesburg sift through trash heaps to survive, risking injury, harassment, and exploitation, a MTHS investigation finds. Photo: Shabba Kgotlaetsho
In the Foothills of Northern Iraq, the Women-Led Kurdish Resistance Pushes Forward
Forced from their homes, Kurdish women forge a new life on the frontlines of a long struggle. Photo: Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images
Inside Zimbabwe’s Underground Pregnancy Termination Industry
“I almost died”: In Zimbabwe, women risk their lives to end pregnancies as outdated abortion laws push them toward unsafe and often deadly procedures.
Breaking: Over 100 Sudanese Women Detained Without Charge in Wad Madani as War Enters Third Year
In a More to Her Story scoop, Sudanese women who survived RSF abuse are now being detained without charge in Wad Madani — punished as ‘collaborators’ by the official military. Photo: Mohamed Jamal Jebrel / Reuters
When Womanhood Is a Crime: One Afghan Woman’s Story in Taliban Custody
What began as a trip to buy a scarf ended in torture and a fight for survival. This story is co-published with Rukhshana Media. Photo: Mohd Rasfan / AFP / Getty Images
Ten Years After the Yezidi Genocide, Yezidi Women Are Still Fighting for Justice
Ten years after ISIS’s genocide, Yezidi women—once enslaved, silenced, and brutalized—are now leading the fight for justice, recovery, and dignity in their homeland. Photo: Free Yezidi Foundation
‘We Are Human Beings, Not Something You Can Just Get Rid Of’: Inside the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis in Canada
Despite years of reports, investigations, and promises, the violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada remains a haunting national tragedy that some families call a “genocide.”
Three Years After Bucha’s Liberation, Ukrainian Women Still Struggle for Justice
As the world commemorates the third anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, Ukrainian wartime rape survivors fight to have their voices heard. Photo: Laurel Chor / Getty Images
Inside the Secret Classrooms Defying the Taliban’s Ban on Girls’ Education
Four teachers from across Afghanistan explain their mission to educate girls despite repressive decrees. Photo: UNICEF
Algeria’s Women Climate Leaders Built a Movement—Now U.S. Funding Cuts Put It at Risk
Amid the climate crisis and U.S. funding cuts, young Algerian women are quietly building a grassroots green economy—one soap bar, fly farm, and sewing machine at a time. Photo: UNDP
My father was executed by terrorists. His fight was never just about the Islamic Regime in Iran—it was about a global jihadist system that terrorizes women
Gazelle Sharmahd’s father was executed for exposing a global system of jihadist terror—now she’s fighting back for every woman it tries to silence.
How U.S. Aid Cuts Are Leaving Venezuelan Migrant Women in Colombia Vulnerable
With U.S. aid frozen, Venezuelan migrant women and girls face mounting danger, dwindling shelter, and impossible choices on Colombia’s perilous mountain routes. Photo: Luisa Gonzalez / Reuters
The Iron Ladies of Lake Tanganyika
As fish stocks decline, women along Lake Tanganyika are turning to new tools and businesses to survive. The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting supported this story.
Iran’s Hijab Crackdown Goes Digital
The Islamic Republic of Iran is leveraging drones and intrusive digital tools to suppress women’s dissent.
26 Years Since NATO’s Intervention, Kosovo’s Albanian Women Still Search for Their Loved Ones
Twenty-six years after the Kosovo War, the women left behind are still searching for truth, justice, and the loved ones they lost.
My Sister Was Killed in the Name of ‘Honor.’ Kuwait’s Repeal of Article 153 Is Progress — But It’s Not Enough
Campaigner Payzee Mahmod reflects on Kuwait's abolishment of Article 153 and the continued fight for women's rights.
Kuwait Abolishes Article 153 in Landmark Win for Women’s Rights
Kuwait’s repeal of a law that once excused so-called honor killings marks a critical step forward—but for many women, justice comes too late.
In Lebanon, a Ceasefire Brings Little Relief for Women Facing Domestic Violence
In the southern city of Tyre alone, domestic violence calls have surged sixfold since the war began — a glimpse into the silent crisis impacting women across Lebanon.
In India, Laws Meant to Protect Women May Be Costing Them Jobs
Restrictive laws and safety concerns are pushing women out of night shift jobs in India—when real solutions should focus on protection, not exclusion.
The Woman Who Rescued Romania’s Trafficked Girls—And Won’t Back Down
For 25 years, Iana Matei ran Romania’s only shelter for trafficked girls—now, even without a shelter, she’s still fighting.