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Women and gender

Graffiti, reading ‘no more feminicide’ is sprayed on the wall of a house in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Photo: AP
United Nations

About 140 women and girls killed by partner or relative per day in 2023: UN

Africa had the most severe toll with 21,700 women killed by someone close to them in 2023.

IOC

‘We run the risk of losing women’s sport,’ says IOC presidential hopeful Coe

Malaysia

Swatch wins court battle over seized LGBTQ-themed watches in Malaysia

Britain

UK government to create new spiking criminal offence

UK takes aim at drink-spiking, alongside a worrying new phenomenon of needle spiking.

Always keep you eyes on your drink. Closeup shot of a man drungs into a drink in a nightclub.
Food and Drinks

Cafe owned and run by women makes a statement in Indonesia

‘Now is the time for change,’ says owner of cafe in conservative Aceh province, where running a coffee shop is seen as a man’s job.

Malaysia

‘Don’t have a choice’: Rohingya child brides trapped in Malaysia’s refugee crisis

Rohingya girls as young as 12 are being forced into marriage in Malaysia, escaping dire conditions in Bangladesh refugee camp.

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Taiwan

Taiwanese drama shows dark side of show business

The show ‘Born For The Spotlight’ has taken Taiwan by storm with its candid portrayal of the realities of showbiz for actresses.

China's population

Chinese province makes labour pain relief pledge to ease childbirth jitters

Hainan says labour pain relief will be covered by public health insurance, part of broader plan to boost birth rates.

India

India’s female gig workers facing unsafe conditions, seek change and justice

Female gig workers in India have formed a union to advocate for rights and visibility, and confront harassment, unsafe conditions, and exploitation.

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South Korea

Telegram to delete deepfakes targeting South Koreans

This comes as South Korea’s media regulation agency pushes the company to boost its monitoring of such content.

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Activists hold posters reading “Repeated deepfake sex crimes, the state is an accomplice too’”during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul. Photo: AFP
Australia

Australia’s gender pay gap narrows as ‘change is happening’

But women employees on average still earn A$28,425 (US$18,590) less each year than their male colleagues.

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Pedestrians at Sydney’s Westfield shopping centre. A report in February showed the gender pay gap at some of Australia’s biggest firms was bigger than the national average. Photo: Reuters
Education

Ex-Microsoft director’s mission to get disadvantaged girls to university

John Wood’s charity U-Go gives scholarships to help young women in low-income countries in Asia and Africa get a university education.

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Middle East

Iran says no charges against student who stripped to her underwear

Activists say the woman was arrested after protesting over hijab rules; officials say she is ‘ill’ and has been handed over to family.

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American cinema

Jennifer Lawrence-produced film shows women’s torment in Afghanistan

Apple TV+ documentary Bread & Roses, co-produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, was shot entirely on smartphones.

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(From left) Bread & Roses producers Malala Yousafzai, Jennifer Lawrence and Justine Ciarrocchi, and director Sahra Mani, attend the Los Angeles premiere of the documentary at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles on November 14, 2024. Photo: AFP
Taliban

Taliban seeks international aid for Afghanistan’s reconstruction

Emphasising destruction caused by decades of conflict, Taliban called for technical help and economic development initiatives.

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A Taliban security guard stands guard with with a whip in front of Afghan men waiting outside a bank to withdraw money. Photo: dpa
China society

Female Chinese military pilot wows air show fans

Lunar: Newsletter

Hong Kong funeral drama strikes box office gold

The Hong Kong movie The Last Dance has become a hit with its tale of family ties and female empowerment.

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United Nations

Opinion | Faster, bolder action needed to empower women across the Asia-Pacific

Great strides made since 1995 Beijing Declaration of women’s rights but progress still uneven and often fragile. True equality remains elusive.

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A woman operates a drone under the government-backed “Drone Sister” programme, at a training centre in Manesar in the northern Indian state of Haryana. Women’s empowerment is key to unlocking the full potential of Asia-Pacific economies. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore’s workplace fairness law hailed but rights group points to gaps

Employers who discriminate against workers based on characteristics such as race, age, sex and nationality could be prosecuted under the proposed law.

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US-China relations

Letters | China should use US treasury holdings as leverage to lower US tariffs

Readers discuss how Beijing might work with the incoming Trump administration, shoebox housing and the retirement age in Hong Kong and the treatment of an Iranian protester.

Sri Lanka

Women candidates signal potential shift in Sri Lanka’s male-dominated politics

While analysts welcome the increase, they caution that more women in politics alone won’t challenge patriarchal norms and achieve true gender equality.

People wait in a queue to cast their ballots at a polling station during Sri Lanka’s presidential election in Galle on September 21. Photo: TNS
India

India’s political parties woo women voters with cash handouts

A greater turnout of women voters in the past decade is pushing political parties to compete to attract them.

Voters queue up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the fifth phase of voting in India’s general election, in Thiksey of Ladakh. Photo: AFP
South Korea

‘Boycotting men’: South Korean feminist movement gains traction after Trump win

Driven by gender inequality, sexism, and a backlash against male privilege, the movement reflects a growing global trend of resisting patriarchal norms.

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Hong Kong

At Hong Kong’s Tam Jai noodle joint, waitresses are the stars

These ‘Tam Jai jeh jehs’ are not only the backbone of the beloved chain, they’ve even modelled for a fashion show with the Hong Kong Design Institute.

Trending in China

China haircare brand faces backlash as flirty ‘fake besties’ post ‘betrays’ women

Promotional post implies that ‘fake best friends’ may attempt to seduce their friend’s boyfriend, latch onto any man they meet.

A haircare brand in China faced backlash for an online post portraying “fake besties” as flirtatious, envious women who would seduce their friends’ boyfriends. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Xiaohongshu
India

In India, trial starts over rape and murder of Kolkata doctor

Charges were drawn up last week, while the man arrested said he was ‘completely innocent’ and was being framed.

People make posters during a protest condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata. Photo: Reuters
Japan

In Japan, call to ban women marrying after 25 stirs backlash

Naoki Hyakuta, founder of the Conservative Party of Japan, also angered many when he proposed uterus removal for women at the age of 30.

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Germany

Berlin Wall divide that once shaped German women’s lives still echoes today

Women’s lives that have diverged so starkly under communism and capitalism have become much more similar again.

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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
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