Turkey's Erdogan acknowledges 'alarming' rise in violence against women After one of the deadliest months for femicides, the Turkish president highlights the country’s surge in violence against women but provides little reassurance to rights groups. Turkey
Iran mulls lifting ban on women driving motorcycles: What to know Women face a number of restrictions in Iran, among them an effective prohibition on riding motorcycles. Iran
Turkey’s top religious body sparks outrage over women’s inheritance rights Women rights activists say that the body is increasingly targeting women, challenging secular law and fostering conditions for gender-based violence. Turkey
Opposition slams Erdogan after 9 killed in deadly week for Turkish women Activists say the government’s rollback of legal protections and state-backed religious sermons are fueling gender-based violence and restricting women’s freedom. Turkey
Gaza's few beauty salons struggle to meet demand Demand for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures is rising in the Gaza Strip despite a lack of clinics. Palestine
Egyptian rights advocates welcome fatwa forbidding short-term marriages Women's rights campaigners are hoping a recent fatwa forbidding tahleel marriages will pave the way for a law criminalizing the archaic practice. Egypt
Qatar says Taliban rights abuses 'very disappointing' Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani lamented the Taliban's "backward" steps. Qatar
'Hymen reconstruction fatwa' stirs controversy in Egypt A fatwa by a senior Muslim scholar permitting hymen repair in certain circumstances has sparked controversy on social media, with critics fearing it may encourage girls to engage in sex out of wedlock. Egypt
Qatar calls on Taliban to respect women's rights Qatar said that the gains women made under the previous Afghan government should not be undone by the Taliban, which is notorious for its treatment of women. Qatar
Senators call for release of 'unjustly imprisoned' women in Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia Democratic lawmakers condemn four Middle Eastern states for the politically motivated imprisonment of a number of women and call for the prisoners' release. Washington Pulse
Turkish-backed rebels leave trail of abuse, criminality in Syria’s Afrin The serene topography of the Syrian enclave of Afrin belies the power vacuum and violence now afflicting many of the territories under the control of Turkish-backed forces in the war-torn country’s northeast. Syria
Who is Masih Alinejad, target of an alleged Iranian kidnapping plot? Prosecutors say the four Iranian defendants plotted to forcibly take the Brooklyn-based author and activist to Iran where her "fate would have been uncertain at best.” Iran
Relatives murder Syrian girl in honor killing The killing of an 18-year-old girl who refused to marry her cousin at the hands of her relatives in the countryside of Hasakah sparked anger and ignited controversy on social media. Syria
Egypt arrests TikTok influencer over 'human trafficking' A Cairo court sentenced university student Haneen Hossam to 10 years in prison and fined her 200,000 Egyptian pounds. Egypt
Syria's Idlib University bans mixed-gender online groups Idlib University, managed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s government in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, issued a decision banning mixed-gender groups on social media, causing uproar and division among students. Syria
All-women's cafe in opposition-held Idlib stirs controversy Syria’s northwestern city of Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, witnessed the opening of its first female coffee shop in what some deemed a type of discrimination against women. Others saw it as an outlet for women to escape the prevailing patriarchy in the Syrian opposition areas. Syria
