Asia | Japan | Activism

Only two female world leaders on stage at Osaka G20 event aimed at empowering women

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It was supposed to be an event showcasing Group of 20 leaders’ commitment to better empowering women in employment, economy and education. But only two of the world leaders on stage were women. Titled the Special Event on Women’s Empowerment, the only female world leaders in attendance were outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Still, G20 leaders on Saturday reiterated their shared recognition that “gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable society and economic growth,” according to t
Middle East | Saudi Arabia | Culture

ALL FEMALE CREW LAND PLANE IN SAUDI ARABIA. NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE FROM AIRPORT.

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Royal Brunei Airlines celebrated their first ever all-female crew recently, with Captain Sharifah Czarena, Senior First Officer Sariana and Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah landing the Dreamliner in Saudi Arabia. While it was a landmark occasion, and something certainly to be celebrated (Women in the air! Where will they be next? Underground? Up a tree? In equal positions of power?!) a certain little issue brought it back down to earth. Pun hugely intended. Yep, they landed in Saudi Arabia and yep, despite the fact they landed an entire plane, they are forbidden by Saudi law to drive cars fr
Europe | U.K. | Society

It’s The Most Important Role In Government For Our Rights, But Most Of Us Don’t Even Know Who The Women’s Minister Is

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Nicky Morgan holds not one but two ministerial posts - but you'll probably only know her for the education one. Writer Emma Barnett points out how most of us don't even know who the Women's Minister is... Last week, I was delivering an evening lecture to a group of successful and dynamic women. The topic? Female ambition. In a nutshell, my theory is that women aren’t less ambitious than men – it’s just that there are a series of invisible barriers we have to navigate, that often mean we end up losing custody of our ambition, without us even realising it. Cue lots of nodding of heads
International | Culture

7 Things You Don’t Know About Mother’s Day’s Dark History

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The holiday started as an antiwar statement. But battles over who owned Mother's Day kept coming. Mother's Day seems harmless enough. Treat mom to brunch. Buy flowers. Good times. But the story of the modern holiday—which is celebrated this Sunday in the United States and many other nations—is rife with controversy, conflict, and consumerism run amok. Some strange-but-true facts you probably don't know: 1.   Mother’s Day started as an anti-war movement. Anna Jarvis is most often credited with founding Mother's Day in the United States. Designated as the
Africa | Somalia | Politics

SOMALIA: The Blurred Line Between Politics of Subjectivity and Women Rights

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Since the collapse of the central government in 1991, Somalia has suffered from civil-war, widespread famine, broken infrastructure, rampant human, women, and civil rights abuses, poverty, human trafficking, rape, murder and corruption on every level of the society. Given this backdrop and all the internal and external crises facing Somali society, I was dumfounded to read a recent (March 24, 2015) Somali government press release, in which the government embroiled itself in a diplomatic dust-up between Sweden and Saudi Arabia. The press release reads: "The Government of the Federal Re
North America | United States | Ethics

MSM Reporters Give Hillary Clinton Standing Ovation after She Takes No Questions, Jokes about Email Scandal

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On Monday evening, mainstream media reporters reportedly gave Hillary Clinton a standing ovation after she joked about her private email scandal and took no questions from the press–at an event honoring excellence in journalism. In her speech, Clinton reportedly cracked jokes about her email scandal, saying she was “all about new beginnings. A new grandchild. A new hairstyle. A new email account. A new relationship with the press. No more secrecy, no more zone of privacy… After all what good did that do for me?” “Before I go any further, if you look under your chairs, you’ll