STORIES
From urgent investigations to bold op-eds by global leaders, we bring you the stories shaping the lives of women and girls worldwide.
No Guardian, No Freedom: Inside Afghanistan’s Mahram Restrictions
Forced to rely on male guardians to work, shop, or study, Afghan women say the Taliban’s mahram restrictions are turning daily life into a prison. Photo: Osman Khayyam / UNICEF
How U.S. Border Policy Is Endangering Women Asylum Seekers
As the U.S. shutters its asylum system under Executive Order 14159, women fleeing gender-based persecution are being deported without due process, left in legal limbo and stripped of the protections they were once promised.
As Israel Confronts the Islamic Republic, Hostage Families Like Mine Are Still Paying the Price
While the world focuses on nuclear sites and missile strikes, 50 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza—and those who enabled their abduction face no consequences. Photo: Brendan McDermid / Reuters
Women and Girls’ Bodies Become a Frontline in the DRC’s Mineral War
An average of 60 rapes a day were reported in eastern Congo in a span of just two weeks — a crisis unfolding in silence as the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Photo: UN Women / Ryan Brown
For Syrian Women Released from Assad’s Prisons, a New Kind of Exile Awaits
Surviving Assad’s prisons was only the beginning—now, these women are fighting to reclaim their voices in a world that turned its back.
Nigeria’s Women Feed the Nation, But Still Farm on Borrowed Land
Across Nigeria, women are the backbone of agriculture—yet they farm without ownership, power, or a path to prosperity. Photo: Darren Baker
We Know Who the Real Enemy Is—Why Doesn’t the World?
As war escalates between Israel and the Islamic Republic, Gazelle Sharmahd—whose father was executed by the regime—wants the world to stand with the Iranian people, not their oppressors.
How a Sibling-Led Sharia Court Offers Hope to Kashmiri Women Trapped in Abusive Marriages
In Kashmir, where formal justice systems often fail women, community-led courts are reshaping how survivors of abusive marriages seek justice.
The ICC is Pursuing Charges of Gender Persecution Against the Taliban. Will it Succeed?
The ICC’s case against the Taliban isn’t just a legal milestone — it’s a moral reckoning for the world’s silence on gender apartheid.
Entrepreneurship Was Meant to Be a Lifeline. For Afghan Women, It’s a Dead End.
Once seen as a path to survival, women-led businesses in northern Afghanistan are collapsing under Taliban restrictions, broken promises, and a lack of real support. Photo: Wakil Kohsar / AFP
Tunisia Opens First Domestic Violence Shelters for Women with Disabilities
For years, shelters in Tunisia overlooked women with disabilities. Now, survivors are leading the charge for change. Photo: Human Rights Watch
The Women Leading Bosnia’s Fight Against Gender-Based Violence
A grassroots network of women is transforming how survivors in Bosnia and Herzegovina access justice, support, and hope. Photo: Patrick Baz / AFP / Getty Images
Pakistani Teen Influencer Shot Dead After Rejecting Man’s Advances in Suspected ‘Honor’ Killing
17-year-old Pakistani influencer Sana Yousaf was murdered after rejecting a man’s advances, spotlighting the ongoing issue of 'honor' killings in the country
The Woman Who Took Up Arms and Saved Lives in Bashar’s Killing Field
Umm Mohammed, once dubbed the “mother of the war,” stands amid the ruins of her home in Syria, determined to rebuild the life and country she refused to abandon.
‘He Says I’d Be of No Use Without a Uterus’: When Men Control Women’s Access to Lifesaving Care in Egypt
The hidden crisis of women denied agency over their bodies in Egypt—by husbands, doctors, and the law. Photo: Middle East Eye
In Blockaded Gaza, Women Face a Growing Crisis of Period Poverty
With aid still blocked and resources scarce, women and girls in Gaza are resorting to makeshift solutions for their periods. Photo: CARE / Yousef Ruzzi
As the World Marks Menstrual Health Day, Afghan Girls Are Left in the Dark
In a country where girls' education is illegal, even basic knowledge about menstrual hygiene remains out of reach. Photo: Rukhshana Media
Obstetric Abuse Is Widespread in Yemen, Women Say
In Yemen, childbirth is not just a medical risk but often a source of trauma, as women face abuse, neglect, and violence in the very rooms meant to bring life. Photo: Karin Ekholm / MSF
Despite Promises of Aid, Gaza’s Women Are Still Cut Off From Basic Hygiene
“We had to choose between showering and running out of water.” In Gaza, women are cutting their daughters’ hair, rationing water, and reusing menstrual materials to survive. Photo: Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images
‘Our Child Was Born in an Open Field’: U.S. Aid Cuts Deepen Afghanistan’s Maternal Health Crisis
As foreign aid is slashed and clinics close across Afghanistan, maternal deaths are rising sharply—leaving women and children without access to life-saving care.