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Women and gender

Women and gender
News and analysis on women's rights, the gender gap, LGBTQ issues, sexual harassment, sexual minorities and masculinity in Asia and beyond.
last updated:
16 October, 2024
Commuters in South Korea, where more than 40 per cent of men and more than 65 per cent of women surveyed would be OK with not having children. The country has the world’s lowest fertility rate. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
South Korea

Nearly two-thirds of Korean women OK with being childless, survey finds

South Korea has world’s lowest fertility rate, and 65 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men say they could accept a life without children.

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Viral stories

Pregnant Thai star’s performance defended by fans – ‘women can shine at any stage’

India

In southern India, the push for home births carries health concerns

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France

France jails Dominique Pelicot for 20 years over drugging, mass rape of ex-wife

Judges found Dominique Pelicot guilty, and also convicted a first batch of 20 out of 50 co-defendants in the case.

Gisele Pelicot (middle) arrives at the criminal court where her husband Dominique Pelicot is on trial in Avignon. Photo: EPA-EFE
Argentina

Video | Sumo wrestler Hiyori Kon brings her sport to Argentina

Hiyori Kon was profiled in the Netflix documentary Little Miss Sumo.

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Chinese culture

Opinion | How China’s reality TV shows reveal changing attitudes to marriage

A hit reality show about couples seeking divorce might come off as mere spectacle but the public discussion around it is telling.

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China's ageing population

Outrage as scholar asks how can China make women ‘submissively have children’

Professor Wang Xianju was speaking to Kazakhstan’s Erlan Qarin, who said women in his country had free will regarding fertility.

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A professor at Renmin University has asked a visiting Kazakh politician how China could “obediently, submissively have children, have children early and have lots of children”. Photo: AFP
Feminism

Opinion | Chiung Yao’s celebration of women’s freedom goes deeper than her paeans to love

As Chinese women embrace feminism, the writer’s final celebration of her independence perhaps resonates more deeply than her love stories.

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American cinema

Being a young actress in Hollywood is exhausting, Florence Pugh says

British star, 28, says ‘there are lines women have to stay within’ in the film industry but that she refuses to fit into stereotypes.

Middle East

Iran arrests singer for giving online concert without hijab

Parastoo Ahmadi, who was accompanied by four male musicians, wore a black sleeveless and collarless dress but no headscarf.

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Parastoo Ahmadi posted her concert online on Wednesday, calling herself “a girl who wants to sing for the people I love”. Photo: YouTube/Parastoo Ahmadi
Japan

Japanese women join the sake industry despite traditional exclusions

Mie Takahashi is one of a small group of female master sake brewers, made possible by changing gender norms and increased mechanisation.

Sake brewer Mie Takahashi. Photo: AP
India

Indian software engineer’s suicide sets off reckoning over bias in family courts

Atul Subhash blamed his estranged wife, her family, and the judicial system for his death, alleging extortion and manipulation of the legal system.

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Ukraine war

Topless women protesting Ukraine war detained for vandalism near UN building

The women are with the group Femen, which is known for its provocative protests.

India

India’s political landscape is shifting, with parties vying for women’s votes

Indian political parties are targeting women voters with financial aid and empowerment schemes, acknowledging their increasing electoral influence.

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Women stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the second phase of the general elections, in Barmer, Rajasthan, India, on April 26. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Video | Woman-owned cafe defies norms in Indonesia

Morning Mama was opened in 2023 to create a space that caters to women in Banda Aceh.

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Woman-owned cafe defies norms in Indonesia

R&A to bar transgender women golfers from competing, in line with LPGA policy

The R&A, which runs the sport outside US and Mexico, updated guidelines – taking effect in 2025 – after ‘extensive consultation’ with experts.

Food and Drinks

Women-only cafe in Germany a ‘place of retreat’, says teenage owner

18-year-old Sumeja Zumberi’s cafe Baresha offers women in Bremen, many from countries where sexes meet separately, a rare space of their own.

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Britain

UK bans puberty blockers for under-18s with gender dysphoria

Health Secretary Wes Streeting cited a review that concluded that the long-term benefits for treating gender-related distress were unproven.

Transgender youth and allies rally outside the US Supreme Court on December 4. The UK decision comes as the to US court considers the constitutionality of state laws that ban such treatments for minors. Photo: dpa
Asian cinema

What drives this actress in Iran? ‘I wanted to earn respect’

Actress Fereshte Hosseini, born to Afghan immigrants in Iran, wants to help end prejudice against Afghans in the country, many refugees.

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Human rights in China

Years after mentally ill woman went missing, man held on suspicion of rape

‘Zhang knew Bu had a mental illness but still had sexual relations with her and had children,’ say local authorities.

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Human rights in China

Chinese police can use text message evidence in domestic violence crackdown

A new mechanism will allow government agencies to work together and help victims of domestic violence, state media says.

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Chinese state media says domestic violence guidelines issued by nine government agencies will regulate procedures and measures in a police warning system. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Trending in China

China KOL mimics famous athlete in sexy video, igniting objectification debate

‘No matter how hard she tries to look like Wu Yanni, she cannot run as fast as her,’ says a commenter.

A Chinese KOL (right) provocatively mimics national athlete Wu Yanni, top left and bottom, in a video, igniting debate over the objectification of female athletes. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Ifeng News
Trending in China

Former Chinese national athlete pushes back criticism over revealing swimsuit

Liu Xiang asks if there is something wrong with her lifestyle as ‘many people are calling me a soft-porn live-streamer’.

Indonesia

More Indonesian couples choosing to remain child-free

The growing number of couples choosing to remain childless reflects a broader shift in Indonesia and across Asia.

Iran

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner gets 3-week reprieve from prison after surgery

Narges Mohammadi’s release on medical grounds sparks calls for permanent freedom and adequate healthcare.

Iranian rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi. File photo: Narges Mohammadi Foundation via AFP
Japan

Tokyo to propose 4-day work week for government staff in parenthood push

PM Shigeru Ishiba has called Japan ’s stubbornly low birth rate a ‘quiet emergency and has pledged policies like flexible working hours.

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A family at Tokyo’s Shibuya Sky. While many developed countries are struggling with low birth rates, the problem is particularly acute in Japan where the population has declined for 15 straight years. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Letters | Rest and recovery will help Hong Kong compete at top level again

Readers discuss misplaced pessimism over the city’s difficulties, the challenge of an ageing labour force, faith in our economic fundamentals, and equal marriage rights.

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Icons and Influencers

Who is Abbi Pulling, the young female racer who just won the 2024 F1 Academy?

Pulling has been racing since she was 9 and is slowly climbing the ranks to Formula One – she’s currently backed by the Alpine Academy and Rodin Motorsport, and will race in the GB3 series next year.

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