Sex and Gender

List of Sex and Gender articles

A couple walk past a billboard calling for a stop to domestic violence in Beijing
A couple walk past a billboard calling for a stop to domestic violence in Beijing

Chinese Courts Want Abused Women to Shut Up

Personal and political violence are intermixed in authoritarian societies.

A man wears a mask depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing makeup, during the 19th edition of the 'Belgian Pride' event, a gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, on May 17, 2014 in Brussels.
A man wears a mask depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing makeup, during the 19th edition of the 'Belgian Pride' event, a gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, on May 17, 2014 in Brussels.

Homophobia Is Part of Putin’s War Plan

Why anti-gay propaganda has been part of Russia’s strategy against Ukraine from the start.

Activists raise green headscarves during a demonstration demanding the legalization of abortion in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Activists raise green headscarves during a demonstration demanding the legalization of abortion in San Salvador, El Salvador.

When Abortion Bans Are Too Popular to Overturn

A court may soon rule against El Salvador’s anti-abortion law. But will that make a difference?

An activist is seen through a rainbow flag during a Pride parade in Kyiv.
An activist is seen through a rainbow flag during a Pride parade in Kyiv.

Putin’s Homophobia Is Advancing LGBTQ Rights in Ukraine

Many have begun to associate anti-gay bigotry with imperial aggression.

Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they  pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.
Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.

How U.S. Evangelicals Helped Homophobia Flourish in Africa

Anti-gay sentiment had previously existed on the continent, but white American religious groups have given it a boost.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”

Germany’s Conservatives Are Ready for a Culture War

The Christian Democrats aren’t the center-right party of Angela Merkel anymore.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva talks to his wife, Rosângela “Janja” da Silva, during an event to celebrate International Women’s Day and announce a package of measures to protect and support women at Planalto Palace in Brasília, Brazil, on March 8.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva talks to his wife, Rosângela “Janja” da Silva, during an event to celebrate International Women’s Day and announce a package of measures to protect and support women at Planalto Palace in Brasília, Brazil, on March 8.

The Fight to Elevate Women Inside Brazil’s Government

Brazil trails many of its neighbors in trying to tackle gender parity. Advocates are pushing Lula to change that.

A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks past as a U.S. soldier belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) keeps watch during a patrol outside Bagram airbase, 50 kilometers north of Kabul on February 28, 2009.
A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks past as a U.S. soldier belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) keeps watch during a patrol outside Bagram airbase, 50 kilometers north of Kabul on February 28, 2009.

America Is Again Failing Afghanistan’s Women—and Itself

The deteriorating status of women under Taliban rule is a strategic disaster for Washington.

Afghan women wait to receive food aid.
Afghan women wait to receive food aid.

The Taliban Have Turned Afghanistan Into a Graveyard of Women’s Rights

The Taliban are marking International Women’s Day with an ever-worsening cascade of abuses against women.

A view of the old town of Amman, Jordan.
A view of the old town of Amman, Jordan.

Can Buses Drive Change for Jordanian Women?

In a country where poor transit has long been a barrier to equal opportunity, a new public bus project could prompt a broader shift.

A Thai sex worker voices disapproval for being detained while waiting to be taken to the police station in Pattaya, Thailand.
A Thai sex worker voices disapproval for being detained while waiting to be taken to the police station in Pattaya, Thailand.

Thailand Is a Global Capital of (Illegal) Sex Work

The country is struggling to legalize an industry at the center of its economy but the margins of its society.

A woman gives the middle finger to destroyed Russian tank exhibited in Kyiv
A woman gives the middle finger to destroyed Russian tank exhibited in Kyiv

Ukrainian Women’s Looks Are None of Your Business

Fetishizing femininity has complicated and painful post-Soviet roots.

Two soldiers are seen from the back on a dirt road.
Two soldiers are seen from the back on a dirt road.

Nigeria’s Alleged Forced Abortion Campaign Demands Action

For too long, the international community has ignored the Nigerian military’s abuses.

Mahbouba Seraj, a journalist and women's rights activist in Afghanistan.
Mahbouba Seraj, a journalist and women's rights activist in Afghanistan.

A Nobel Nominee’s Controversial Call for Engagement With the Taliban

Mahbouba Seraj, a rights activist and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, says there’s no choice now but to talk to Afghanistan’s new rulers.

Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site
Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site

Developing Male Allies in Congo

It’s technically legal for Congolese couples to co-own land. But in practice, that’s not often the case.

Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site
Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site

Protecting Migrant Domestic Workers

Migrant workers make up nearly 20 percent of all domestic workers. And in Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the number is much higher.

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