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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.
Amanda Wixon, 56, of Tewkesbury in England, was jailed for 13 years on Thursday for forcing a woman with a learning disability to work as a “house slave” for more than 25 years. Photo: Gloucestershire Constabulary
Crime

‘The Witch’: British mum who kept woman as ‘house slave’ for 25 years is jailed

The victim, who has a learning disability, was deprived of food, forced to do manual labour and assaulted by Amanda Wixon, the court heard.

My Life

Jane Houng: musician, author – and mother of a murdered child

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | To make AI safe, put women and girls at the heart of the technology

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United States

Wealth, drugs and rape: US luxury real estate stars convicted of sex trafficking

Once the kings of high-stakes property, Alexander twins Oren and Alon and brother Tal face life in prison after a trial exposed a pattern of drugged assaults.

Brothers Alon Alexander, Oren Alexander and Tal Alexander in court. Image: Jane Rosenberg via Reuters
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong must do more to unlock women’s full economic potential

The city can take pride in women’s progress across different fields. Yet there is also room for cultural and policy improvement.

Trending in China

Ancient Chinese women used crude contraceptives – ate tadpoles, ingested mercury

Condoms made from dried fish maw, hanging women upside down, pregnancy prevention was a dangerous business for women in dynastic times.

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong must ensure motherhood no longer derails women’s careers: advocates

‘Tokenism is the challenge that we need to address to ensure women have a fair share of decision-making and leadership in companies,’ an advocate says.

A woman and a child at Central Harbourfront. Women account for 54 per cent of Hong Kong’s population, city leader John Lee says. Photo: Eugene Lee
Trending in China

China Qing era spawned female authors, poets, despite restrictions on women in arts

Like much of the world, China experienced a notable rise in women authorship during the 19th century, with three poets making a particularly profound impact.

Japan

80 years on, gender gap persists in Japanese politics

New research shows there has been little change since women in Japan first exercised their right to vote nearly 80 years ago.

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Trending in China

China women living together for years spark debate on cohabitation and support

‘Best friends’ rent flat together after abusive marriages to men; story sheds light on country’s long history of ‘collective’ female living.

Two women in their 50s in China have lived together for 13 years and their story, shared online, has sparked discussions about female cohabitation. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
International Women's Day

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026
Two Sessions 2026

Alarm sounded on mentally disabled women forced into marriage in rural China

CPPCC member Jiang Shengnan calls for crisis intervention centres and reporting hotlines as part of comprehensive prevention mechanism.

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Trending in China

Taiwan actress, 58, praised for ‘youthful’ looks opposes ‘female competition’

Former teen idol says she strives to be a ‘radiant mum’; calls on women to find partners who respect them for who they are.

Style Edit

Style Edit: Chanel’s CC League empowers women athletes on and off the field

The initiative promotes confidence and camaraderie among sportswomen including Hong Kong’s Cindy Cheung and Janelle Leung.

Elite athletes and members of Chanel Beauty’s CC League: Heïdi Gaugain, Gaby Agundez, Cindy Cheung Sum-Yuet, Renee Montgomery, Janelle Leung, Marie-Julie Bonnin and Jain Kim. Photo: Handout
Trending in China

China actress, 75, sparks debate playing teen, kissing much younger actor in TV drama

Gender equality activist questions if same criticism would arise if a male actor 30 years older than his female co-star took on similar role.

Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing, 75, recently sparked controversy by portraying a young woman in a mini-drama and engaging in a passionate kiss with a male actor 30 years her junior. Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube/Sina
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for March 6-9

Celebrate International Women’s Day with unDer Lab’s scientific cocktails, Jin Bo Law Skybar’s city-inspired menu, and women bartenders’ star turns.

Australia

Australia’s best-paid jobs are twice as likely to go to men as to women

Industries that pay the most, such as mining and construction, tend to have the largest gender wage gaps, according to a report.

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Trending in China

China entrepreneur, abandoned as child, owns fashion brand with US$36 million sales

Driven woman who came from parents who rarely remembered her name, dumped her on a mountainside, tells young women ‘there is hope’.

Despite a difficult childhood in a large family that favoured sons, Huang Xuanni established a highly successful e-commerce fashion brand. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/RedNote
United Nations

UN rights chief slams violence against women, calls it ‘a global emergency’

Volker Turk highlights the segregation of women in Afghanistan and sex trafficking cases against US financier Jeffrey Epstein as examples.

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Wellness

It’s not ‘all in your head’: women’s pain really lasts longer, study finds

Myth-busting findings that immune system differences cause chronic pain to persist longer for women highlight the need for better treatment.

Lunar

Women driving the Winter Olympics

Women driving the Winter Olympics
Artificial intelligence

‘Digital public shaming’: Chinese AI tools under fire for pornographic deepfakes

Grass-roots group warns AI platforms have ‘sacrificed women’s right to safety’ as non-consensual sexualised images proliferate.

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Doubao has emerged as the main AI tool for generating pornographic deepfakes in China, according to a feminist media collective. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

US women’s ice hockey captain responds to ‘distasteful’ Trump remark

Hilary Knight, who led her squad to an Olympic gold medal, says the president’s joke overshadowed the achievements of American athletes.

Reality TV

Korean reality dating show reignites discussion on gender norms

Malaysia

The silent crisis facing Malaysian women stranded in Indonesia

Trapped by financial woes after marrying local men in Lombok, many Malaysian women struggle to return home.

Many Malaysian women stranded in Indonesia face poverty and separation, unable to return home. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Opinion | Lunar New Year doesn’t need a home-cooked feast to be full of flavour

The most important thing isn’t if you cooked the food yourself or followed tradition to the letter – it’s being with people you care about.

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People enjoy their reunion dinner at a restaurant in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district on February 12, ahead of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Sam Tsang
France

French rape survivor Pelicot says mindsets need to change

On the eve of her memoir’s release, Gisele Pelicot gives candid interviews about the druggings and rapes that shocked the world.

Britain

Social media ‘weaponises’ children, says UK expert on gender healthcare

The ‘tiny’ number who will ‘never be comfortable’ with their biological sex need support as well as those who will ‘grow out of this’.

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