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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.
Artist Jiabao Li at her solo exhibition “Womb Wetware” at San Francisco’s Tiat Gallery. Photo: Daniel Clayton
Art

From breast milk to menstrual blood, how artist Jiabao Li challenges norms

Li makes art that reflects her experience as a mother and daughter, as well as her rage about women’s lack of bodily autonomy.

Style Edit

Style Edit: Richard Mille’s fresh take on women’s watches

Afghanistan

2.4 million Afghan girls banned from schools 5 years after Taliban takeover: UN

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Indonesia

Indonesian Islamic body warns against cross-dressing in Independence Day games

The warning comes amid rising fear following attacks on gay people and a regulation classifying LGBTQ culture as a security threat.

Students take part in the street culture carnival to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day in Banda Aceh on August 19, 2023. Photo: AFP
Wellness

What’s really in your menstrual products – and should you be worried?

TikTok exposed Always for chemicals and mould concerns, but newer brands like Rael and Thinx are proving the period aisle can do better.

China society

Being Chinese | Don’t you dare come between Chinese women and our virtual boyfriends

An unexpected game character inspired a revolt by disappointed female fans. To understand why, we need to look at Chinese digital culture.

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WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

Alexandra Eala makes history with WTA victory

Alexandra Eala makes history with WTA victory
Malaysia

‘This is not hijab’: unpicking controversy behind Uniqlo Malaysia’s new line

Critics are taking issue with images showing the cloth wrapped turban-like around the head, leaving parts of the neck and chest visible.

China society

Opinion | China’s baby boom depends on gender equality, not cash handouts

To arrest its falling birth rate, China must ensure women do not have to choose between motherhood and the lives they have built.

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Singapore

Singapore jails man who had secret sexual ‘relationship’ with niece, 13

The man, 38, was sentenced to 21 years’ jail and 16 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to charges including rape and sexual assault.

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People take pictures next to the Merlion statue at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. For each charge of statutory rape, the man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned. Photo: AFP
Gender

Influencer dropped from Malaysian blockchain conference after backlash

Influencer dropped from Malaysian blockchain conference after backlash
Good Schools Guide

Are Hong Kong schools equipped to tackle deepfake sexual abuse?

Deepfake apps can produce sexualised fake images within minutes, and child-protection experts are urging schools and families to take this seriously.

United States

Tate brothers to remain in US jail as they fight extradition to UK

Influencers fight extradition over new rape and sex trafficking charges as their lawyer claims prosecution lacks evidence.

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Style Edit

Style Edit: Graff’s new butterflies celebrate art, artists and divine inspiration

12 new designs blend art and mythology, showcasing diamonds with vibrant gems inspired by deities and cultural icons.

The making of Graff’s Tamara Butterfly brooch. Photo: Handout
Arts & Culture

The women problem in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

The women problem in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
Indonesia

In Indonesia’s island paradise, humans are still born into slavery

Though slavery has been illegal in what is now Indonesia for more than 160 years, it survives in Sumba’s rigid caste system.

United States

Tate brothers to fight extradition from US to UK following Miami arrests

Social media influencers appear in Miami court in handcuffs as lawyer claims arrests were politically motivated.

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Britain

J.K. Rowling condemns Amnesty for branding her women’s crisis centre anti-rights

The ‘Harry Potter’ author, who has spoken in the past of being a survivor of domestic violence, set up Beira’s Place in 2022.

J.K. Rowling poses on the red carpet at the premiere of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” in London on March 29, 2022. Photo: AFP
LGBTQ

Indonesia’s anti-LGBT education push raises concern

China's population

China’s population ageing seen as ‘inevitable’ by 2050. Why push more births?

Raising the fertility rate above 1.3 still remains crucial to preventing a far worse scenario later in the century, analysts say.

Germany

German far-right activist sent to men’s prison despite gender change

Liebich, who was sentenced as a man, legally changed gender after Germany’s Self-Determination Act came into effect in 2024.

Marla-Svenja Liebich, a convicted German far-right extremist formerly known as Sven Liebich, is escorted by Czech prison service to the regional court on May 18. Photo: AFP
United States

Trump defence chief Hegseth unveils plan to test US troops for low testosterone

The Pentagon head says the screenings for those 30 and older will allow service members to operate at their ‘absolute best’.

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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth addresses senior military officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia in September 2025. Photo: TNS
Wellness

Hong Kong start-ups are closing ‘glaring gap’ in women’s health technology

Meet the Hong Kong innovators who are addressing the needs for women-focused health solutions, from apps to fertility treatment centres.

Sexual harassment and assault

Closing the loophole in Hong Kong’s sex crime laws

Singapore

Is super-ageing Singapore headed for population decline?

With babies in short supply and its birth rate tanking, the city state is weighing a future of robots and immigrants.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Gender

Abortion ban drives Filipino women to underground services

Abortion ban drives Filipino women to underground services
Sexual harassment and assault

British teen rapists get detention after outrage at lenient sentences

The two boys were originally given youth rehabilitation orders after raping two girls; videos of the attacks were shared online.

The Philippines

‘Providing a solution’? Why some Filipinos risk their lives amid abortion ban

Filipinos wanting to end unwanted pregnancies have resorted to black-market alternatives that can result in life-threatening consequences.

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