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Lunar

Lunar

Latest news, analysis and opinion on key issues facing women in the Asia region. The South China Morning Post's Lunar initiative aims to highlight stories for women and by women, as well as gender equality issues.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Women and gender

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.

6 Dec 2024 - 7:25PM

Hong Kong court upholds judgments on LGBTQ rights

2 Dec 2024 - 5:46PM

Lunar: Newsletter

Hong Kong funeral drama strikes box office gold

15 Nov 2024 - 7:12PM

Women and gender

Anxiety grows over disappearing girls in Malaysia

The recent disappearances of several girls have raised alarm among Malaysians.

15 Nov 2024 - 7:14AM

Sexual harassment and assault

New survey sheds light on reporting of sexual assault cases

A new survey has raised new questions on the Hong Kong legal system’s response to sexual assault cases.

1 Nov 2024 - 8:55PM

India’s marital rape battle sparks debate

Calls to criminalise marital rape in India have sparked fierce debate over consent in the world’s largest democracy.

28 Oct 2024 - 2:04PM

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Books and literature

Han Kang wins Nobel Prize for Literature

South Korean author Han Kang has made history as the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

18 Oct 2024 - 8:40PM

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Bethune House puts out call for help

Hong Kong’s Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge is calling for donations to keep its doors open.

14 Oct 2024 - 7:00AM

Chappell Roan speaks out against predatory fan behaviour

Singer and Gen Z queer icon Chappell Roan has drawn both plaudits and criticism for her comments on harassment from fans.

7 Oct 2024 - 5:49PM

Lunar: Newsletter

New Miss Hong Kong lays out ambitions

Newly crowned Miss Hong Kong Ellyn Ngai aims to use her status to promote women’s rights.

7 Oct 2024 - 5:39PM

After beating illness, starting PhD, ex-world No 1 Zhu back playing table tennis

The Chinese star, who was diagnosed in 2020, says sport is now just a hobby, alongside her life as professor, student and businesswoman.

18 Sep 2024 - 9:39AM

Zhu Yuling returned to the international arena for the first time in 4½ years last week, representing hosts Macau at the WTT Champions event. Photo: World Table Tennis

Hong Kong Education

Controversy grows over sex education guidelines in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government’s new guidelines on sex education have been met with both mockery and criticism.

8 Oct 2024 - 5:00PM

Deepfake chatroom crisis sparks furore in South Korea

South Korea has been rocked by revelations of sexually explicit deepfake images circulating in Telegram chatrooms.

7 Oct 2024 - 7:43PM

Women and gender

Gender controversy strikes the Olympics

Boxers Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif have found themselves at the centre of a controversy over gender in sport.

8 Oct 2024 - 4:46PM

Kamala Harris kicks off US presidential bid

After Joe Biden’s withdrawal, Kamala Harris is set to make history as the prospective Democratic nominee for the 2024 US presidential election.

7 Oct 2024 - 5:49PM

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

5 young Chinese women hoping to make a big impact on their Games debuts in Paris

These potential stars have excelled in traditional events such as gymnastics and shooting, as well as the newer sports of breaking, surfing and climbing.

23 Jul 2024 - 3:08PMvideocam

Books and literature

The fall of Canadian literary icon Alice Munro

Months after her death, Canadian writer Alice Munro is facing a reckoning following her daughter’s revelations of abuse.

8 Oct 2024 - 4:31PM

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Women and gender

The Indonesian all-female heavy metal band who rocked Glastonbury

Battling prejudice and opposition, Voice of Baceprot made history as Indonesia’s first musical act to perform on Britain’s Glastonbury stage.

8 Oct 2024 - 5:35PM

Man or bear? the choice dividing the internet

The ‘man vs bear’ debate is less about the actual choice and more about women’s perceptions of danger, particularly around men.

7 Oct 2024 - 7:51PM

The sexism problem plaguing Australia’s schools

Early in May, two boys were expelled from an exclusive Melbourne private school for ranking their female classmates online.

4 Jun 2024 - 11:46PM

Asia’s LGBT couples face hurdles in starting families

All across Asia, governments are encouraging people to have children, but this rarely extends to LGBT couples.

8 Oct 2024 - 7:18PM

Opinion | China’s ‘comfort women’ movement sees turning point with Shanxi lawsuit

The lawsuit filed in Shanxi by the families of 18 women forced into sexual slavery by the imperial Japanese army is the first such challenge in a Chinese court and marks a critical moment in the movement. Success will depend on domestic and international support

10 May 2024 - 6:47AMvideocam

Two statues symbolising “comfort women” at a park in Shanghai. The Chinese government’s attitude to the issue of justice for the women forced by the Japanese military to work in wartime brothers has been seen as ambiguous. Photo: AFP

Women and gender

Hongkonger’s legal quest for LGBT recognition continues

After a fight lasting seven years, Henry Tse has his new identity card, but says there’s more to be done.

8 Oct 2024 - 4:41PM

Australia’s gender-based violence crisis

More than two dozen women in Australia have died from gender-based violence in 2024, prompting protests across the nation.

4 Jun 2024 - 11:35PM

US book on transgender surgery for young people stirs debate, threats in Japan

A newspaper group’s publication of a translated version of ‘Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters’ has raised freedom of expression concerns on both sides of Japan’s political divide.

21 Apr 2024 - 2:16PMvideocam

The cover of the Japanese edition of Abigail Shrier’s book, “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters”, published by Sankei Shimbun Publishing. Photo: X/vocgensan

Extreme fitness

How Hong Kong entrepreneur Vriko Kwok went Further than she had ever been

The Brazilian jiu jitsu athlete went from 0 303.313km in under a year at the Lululemon challenge to prove wrong those who thought it was beyond her.

17 Apr 2024 - 6:38PM

Hong Kong’s Vriko Kwok at Further, which backed 10 female athletes from around the world to run their farthest distance over six days. Photo: Lululemon

Out and proud: India’s opposition parties embrace same-sex civil unions

The Congress party and the Communist Party of India will include in their legislative agenda a law to recognise same-sex civil unions, if they win enough votes.

12 Apr 2024 - 9:02PMvideocam

TV shows and streaming video

Inside the making of women taiko drummers film Finding Her Beat

Finding Her Beat is a documentary feature film about a historic women’s taiko drumming performance in the US, with many involved in the project from the Asian-American and LGBTQ communities.

12 Apr 2024 - 9:17PMvideocam

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