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A confronts a member of the army during anti-government demonstrations on August 8, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon.

Conflict creates catastrophic, gender-specific crises, with women from minorities even worse impacted.

Employment opportunities for Iraqi women redistributed family roles and reshaped social relationships, opening space for new forms of independence. © Muhannad Fala'ah/Getty Images

International Women's Day 2026

Mothers, Medics, Entrepreneurs: The New Face of Mosul

Economic empowerment fuels a new chapter for women in a city once ravaged by war.

Syrian refugee women engaged in the information and communication technology training at a refugee camp in Jordan. © UN Women/Christopher Herwig

International Women's Day 2026

Syria: Be Exceptional, or Be Invisible

In Syria as elsewhere, women are granted dignity selectively.

Smoke rises after an explosion on March 2, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. © Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Iran War

“We are Overwhelmed by Despair”

One woman’s account of the “intense anxiety” of life under heavy bombardment in Tehran.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of February 6, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and has killed more than 40,000 people. © Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images

Turkey-Syria Earthquake

Syria: After the Earthquake

The fall of the Assad regime reshaped the political landscape, but did not translate into immediate relief for disaster-affected communities.

Fires are lit as protesters rally on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. © Getty Images

First Person

On the Streets in Tehran

“Together we were magnificent and dignified. Then the killing began.”

People gather during a protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. © Getty Images

FRONTLINE UPDATE

Iran in Crisis

In this week’s update, read a dispatch from the frontlines of the Iranian protests.

DJ Tuğba Dağlar performing her set at the women's matinee. © Meltem Suat

Turkey: The Return of the Women’s Matinee

“Even my husband doesn’t know what I wear here or how I dance here. This is my zone of liberation.”

A boy sits atop someone's shoulders as people celebrate the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Assad regime on December 8, 2025 in Damascus, Syria. © Chris McGrath/Getty Images

FRONTLINE UPDATE

Syria: Joy and Sadness

In this week’s update, read about Syrian joy and sadness on the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime.

Global Voices: Middle East & North Africa

The sister of Aurelio Cruz López holds a sign used in the search for the young man, who disappeared along the U.S.-Mexico border. © Andrea Godínez

Araceli cries while talking about her brother who disappeared along the border and whose remains were repatriated. © Andrea Godínez

Cecilia Delgado Grijalva is a buscadora (name adopted by mothers and relatives of missing persons who are devoted to finding the remains of their loves ones) and founder of Buscadoras por la Paz (Searchers for Peace), in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. © Andrea Godínez

A search for family members gone missing in Sonora, Mexico. © Andrea Godínez

The portion of Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson, Arizona where deceased migrants whose remains are not claimed by their families are buried. © © Andrea Godínez

Gene Hernández, forensic examiner at the Pima County morgue, inside the trailer that holds the remains of migrants who perished along the border. © Andrea Godínez

Gene Hernández, a forensic medical investigator in Pima County, holds the skull of a deceased migrant. © Andrea Godínez

Román Coc holds photos of his daughter Laura, who disappeared in the Arizona desert 13 years ago. © Andrea Godínez

A photograph shows Laura Coc (far right), a young woman from Guatemala, posing during a beauty pageant. © Andrea Godínez

There are no statistics on cases of femicide - the killing of women on the grounds of hatred of women, with the acquiescence of the state - in Uzbekistan.

Artwork by Mays Al-Saray.

'Hope of Mother', an organization led by Lisbeth Surita, has registered 48 cases of Venezuelans missing in the border regions.

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IWPR Women’s Prize for Journalism

IWPR’s inaugural award for outstanding journalism recognises the work of our network of women reporters worldwide. Working in often challenging environments, these journalists face additional threats such as harassment, gender-based violence and systemic misogyny.

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VIDEOS: Turkey-Syria earthquake aftermath