The battle to defeat the Indecent Dressing Bill in Nigeria marks another point in the struggle between feminists and the cultural conservatives and faith based fundamentalists who argue for control over individual behaviour
Face-covering prohibitions in Europe are typically passed on the basis of three arguments: security, women’s rights and secularism. Rational as they may seem, these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny.
On October 17th thousands of Congolese women, led by Olive Lembe Kabila marched to end impunity for sexual violence against women. Rape survivors joined the march, many of them from their hospital beds, defying a culture that shames victims rather than perpetrators
What are the implications for women's reproductive rights of the strong legacy of Catholicism acting as a marker of Polish nationhood and identity?
In Chechnya there is official support for attacks on women when they are considered to have ‘flouted’ Islamic rules by not wearing a headscarf or covering up enough. Tanya Lokshina listened to some of the women’s despairing accounts.
In Latin America a close network of religious leaders from different traditions, political elites and civil organizations has formed to protect the traditional sexual order. Women's bodies continue to be a key battleground
Several European states - France, Italy, Belgium and Britain among them - are involved in legal, social or political disputes over the dress-codes of Muslim women. A detailed and alert survey of the variegated experiences and attitudes involved is the best way to understand a complex issue, says S
This is a tragedy that belongs to modern powerplay and the current moment, and that calls for a much more thoughtful response from outside observers
Organized human trafficking gangs are expected to establish themselves in London to make the most of the opportunity of the 2012 Olympics. Authorities need to work with grassroots organisations in order to make sure that top-down interventions do not harm the very people they aim to protect
The more I work on projects to research religious fundamentalisms and advocate for resistance and challenge to their absolutist and intolerant world vision, the fewer answers and the more questions I have
As feminism begins a much needed comeback divisions over the sale of sex damage the larger cause but shouldn't, a survey from the blogger Penny Red.
The number of love marriages might have increased in India's cities but the reality remains different in many of its villages
