The hijab is the bombshell sportswear in this Afghan gym
While some women may dream of going to a post-workout Starbucks in Lululemon hot pink workout pants - in Afghanistan women are fighting for the right to work out at all.
women’s rights
Watch a woman ski in Jeddah’s epic floods!
Heavy rain pummeled Jeddah this week, a Saudi Arabian city on the Red Sea, flooding streets, submerging cars, and closing schools. At least two people died, and hundreds were left stranded. Critics credit poor urban planning for the city’s inability to cope with unusual precipitation. Others argue that the event is a wake-up call to […]
Groomless bride incites all the (Saudi) single ladies!
Pressure on women to marry young is not unique to the Middle East, but in this region, once a woman turns 25 she is commonly considered past her sell-by date. A Saudi woman defied peer pressure by publicly celebrating her singleness, and – with her story spiraling on social media – her online exposure may […]
No male escort? Sheesha extinguished for Saudi Muslimahs!
Restaurants and cafes in Jeddah have posted signs warning women that if they want to be served sheesha, their mahrams (male guardians) must be at their side.
Kurdish Men Dress In Drag to Support Iranian Feminism
It takes a special man to carry off a skirt. In Iran, a growing group of Kurdish guys are rocking girly frocks to promote a serious message: being a woman is nothing to laugh at. It began when a convicted domestic abuser was sentenced to parade around town dressed in traditional Kurdish women’s clothing.
Egyptian Government Called to Finally Halt Sexual Assaults Against Women, Amnesty International
Two years after the revolution in Egypt, sexual assaults against women are rising and becoming more violent, says several human rights organizations. A recent New York Times piece created a storm of reactions with it’s portrayal of the dangers to women in Egypt since the Arab Spring. According to the story, at least 18 rapes […]
She’s Making Graffiti at the Most Dangerous Place on Earth (PHOTOS)
Malina Suliman’s Fighting the Taliban with Paint and Graffiti Sometimes graffiti can be seen from space. In Tunisia it graces the country’s tallest minaret. In Lebanon, they are making green graffiti for the city streets. And Egyptians have converted military barriers into trompe l’oeil streetscapes. Afghan artist Malina Suliman finds her inspiration in southern Kandahar, […]
Saudis Ban Tinted Windows and Public Transport for Women
As if Saudis don’t have enough banned behaviors, the traffic department now prohibits tinted bus windows preventing fewer women from using public transport. Teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can count on costlier work commutes following the recent decision by the Traffic Department to ban tinted windows in school buses. Several bus companies that transport […]
‘Wadjda’ – A Saudi Girl & Her Green Bicycle
There may have been a public battle to allow Saudi women to drive but an award-winning film explores the sensitive issue of women’s rights through a young girl and her green bike The battle for Saudi women to drive (and also take part in the Olympics) may have hit the headlines in 2012 but there […]
‘Solar Mamas’ – A Film About Jordan’s Solar Energy Women
‘Rafea – Solar Mama’ marks a young mother’s battle to bring solar power to her village in the deserts of Jordan Green films have been making a real splash across the region right now. From Eco Qatari folktales about drought to hard-hitting documentaries about trash in Turkey, environmentally-aware movies have been on the up. Now, […]
Israeli Anti-Rape Date Straw Lets Women Take Back The Night
Date-rape risk at nightclubs and parties is high these days, but women will enjoy a safer night life in the near future. Easy access to odorless, tasteless knock-out drugs makes victimizing women easy. These drugs go by hip names like Cat Valium, Special K, Bump, Ruffies, and, with horrible humor, Black Hole – referring to […]
World’s First All-Women City Coming to Saudi Arabia
The patriarchal kingdom of Saudi Arabia creates an all-female city where (the arguably better half) of humanity can work freely, within Islamic guidelines. Saudi Arabia has an increasingly educated female population, but its ultraconservative interpretation of Wahabi sharia law and rigid tribal customs forbid women from interacting with men. The upshot is chronic female unemployment. An […]
Women, Rio+20 and the Green Future of the Middle East
On Tuesday thousands of Turkish women and activists sent government ministries a petition protesting the bill proposed by the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) that would ban abortions not taking place between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy. Turkish law currently allows abortion until the tenth week. With dwindling environmental resources and rampant […]
Hundreds Join SlutWalk Israel on Facebook and the Streets
SlutWalk started in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in April 2011 in response to the slur of a Toronto Police officer who suggested that women could remain safe by avoiding dressing like ‘sluts.’ Since then, the movement has spread across the globe as a worldwide protest against aggression and rape. Activists are reframing the dialogue, calling on […]
SlutWalk Israel A Step Forward For Religious and Conservative Women
Israel will host the first SlutWalk in the Middle East this weekend, but the movement has growing support in other countries, including Morocco. Will these efforts finally lead to greater freedom for women of all religious persuasions? When I wrote the article, The Middle East Needs More Sluts, the response was overwhelming and heated, with […]
The Arab Feminist Who Laid the Groundwork for Today’s Green Activists
A “green” Arab renaissance cannot be accomplished without the rise of women in Arab countries. Recently in Jordan, the Google image was of Middle Eastern intellectual, feminist and writer, the late May Ziyade. Don’t you love peeling the evolutionary onion, seeing who came before to take us where we are today? A century ago, in a pre-digital world, ideas were exchanged […]