Mali has adopted a new family law, which is actually a step back for the position of women in this predominantly Muslim country. According to this new law, women have to obey their husbands and men are head of the households. After her retirement, Prof. Hasnath Mansur committed herself to the improvement of the lives […]

A research in Iraqi Kurdistan proves that there is a link between mental disorders and Female Genital Mutilation. Iraqi Kurdistan has banned FGM last year, but at the moment, an approximate 40% of the female population in Kurdistan has undergone this procedure. In Sudan, an opposition leader has received criticism about his comments on women rights in the country. […]

The excessive use of tear gas during protests in Bahrain endangers women protesters in particular. Many miscarriages and spontaneous abortions have been linked to this dangerous gas. At Uganda’s Makerere University a student has been denied access to an exam with her hijab, as she was deemed not be ‘legally dressed’ to sit an exam. It […]

We didn’t have our usual links last week, so this week’s list is extra long, and covers both weeks.  Enjoy! Pakistan has passed the “Prevention of Anti-Women Practices” bill, but the fight is far from over, according to activists and legal professionals. The Deutsche Welle features an interview with female politician Sitara Ayaz, who highlights […]

Now that president Saleh has agreed to step down, this could be the moment to ban child marriage in Yemen, Nadya Khalife argues. But the unrest and instability has put the whole issue of child marriage on back burner, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. Last week, the Egyptian unrest has been in […]

“It’s a matter of principle.” Women have to uncover their faces during the Canadian citizenship ceremony, according to an announcement from the Canadian Minister of Citzenship and Immigration last Monday. Conclusions from a conference on Saudi women, by a male speaker (of course): “Do not look at Muslim women through Western prism!” A major city […]

Gulnaz, an Afghan woman who was imprisoned for adultery after having been raped, is freed with no conditions. In theory, she does not have to marry her rapist (originally a condition of release). May Allah give her strength. Nigerian newspaper ‘Leadership’ features an interview with Muslim politician Binta Bello, on the Nigerian North-South divide and the […]

With a female literacy rate of only 14%, girls in rural Balochistan, Pakistan, are desperate for education, but many teachers have left the area due to the dangerous circumstances. In Swabi, Pakistan, girls are determined to stay in school, even though the schools are regularly targeted by the Taliban. After almost 9 years of war, […]

Is there something like Islamic fashion? This question has kept Turkey occupied for the last four months, after a major magazine catering to observing Muslim women featured a model in hijab on the cover. 50.50 features an interesting article on the rise of female Islamic leadership. Muslim women in Sarawak, Malaysia do not have to […]

In Afghanistan a widow and her daughter were stoned and shot to death, because they were accused of ‘moral deviation and adultery’. May Allah grant them both justice. Rape cases are soaring in refugee camps in Somalia. Conflicting statements on women’s issues, such as single mothers, make one wonder what the future really will be […]