From the prime minister’s public comments to Australia’s diplomatic behaviour, there is considerable room for improvement if we are to be “fair dinkum” about gender equality.
Sen. Martha McSally has broken gender barriers right and left. Despite the power she amassed over a career of firsts, she felt ‘powerless’ when raped. She’s not the only woman to feel that way.
The US is negotiating a peace agreement with the Taliban, so it can safely withdraw its troops. But how can peace last in Afghanistan if women aren’t at the negotiating table?
Islamic dispute resolution is a way of avoiding court but resolving disputes under Islamic law. Other countries use this approach. But is it right for Australia?
While the abortion debate continues worldwide, even in countries where it has long been legal, new drugs and telemedicine services could provide access to safe abortion beyond borders and laws.
Murders of women in public spaces by strangers are not commonplace. And murders in Australia in general are on the decline. Compared to many countries, Australia is a safe place.
Under international law, a mother escaping domestic violence with her children to another country is seen as an abductor. She is often ordered to return the child leading to catastrophic consequences.
In the #MeToo era and with more women entering Congress, activists are hopeful another state could ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. But is it too late?
In Myanmar, spousal abuse is legal and stigma stop most women from reporting sexual violence. A bill championed by feminists but long stalled in Parliament may soon give women their basic rights.
More and more countries are relying on the approach of transparency rather than regulation. Depending on local specificities, the results to date remain mixed.
Trokosi is an ancient practice in West Africa where virgin girls, some as young as six are sent as slaves to make amends for wrongs committed by their families.
Tanzania was an early, ardent believer in family planning. Now it joins a growing number of developing nations that see potential advantage in having a huge and growing workforce.
Abortion appears to be illegal and clandestine in large parts of the Muslim world. Yet, women continue to challenge the status quo and archaic laws through their daily practices and activism.
Before she became a Supreme Court justice, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work as an attorney in the 1970s changed the court’s approach to women’s rights and how we think about women – and men.