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

Chinese culture

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

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France

French rape survivor Pelicot says mindsets need to change

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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Children hold signs and transgender pride flags during a transgender rights rally in 2024 in Washington. Photo: AP
Wellness

8 hot wellness trends in 2026, from women’s longevity to ‘health raves’

Here are some of the top wellness trends predicted for 2026, including a focus on women’s health, ‘neurowellness’ and reducing over-tracking.

Entertainment

Hong Kong’s Miss Nepal hopeful follows in mother’s footsteps

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Trending in China

China exit of top German lingerie brand as women prefer comfort, reject male gaze

Popularity of going braless plus growing desire for practicality sees purveyors of wire-free underwear brands push up sales.

German lingerie brand Triumph recently left the mainland China market, highlighting a trend where women are opting for comfortable, wire-free and sports bras over underwire styles. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/cb.com.cn
Hong Kong population

Opinion | Boost birth rates? Governments should focus on the population they have

Instead of growing the population at all costs, governments should be practically addressing longer life expectancies.

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Iran

Iran sentences Nobel laureate to 7 more years amid stand-off with US

As Iran extends the jail term for Narges Mohammadi, its foreign minister strikes a maximalist position after US talks.

Malaysia

Woman ejected from Malaysia biker event over ‘too revealing’ dress

Some 30 women were also given headscarves at the RXZ Forever Legend motorcycling rally in Kelantan.

Participants at the RXZ Forever Legend motorcycling event in Kelantan, Malaysia. Photo: Facebook/RXZ-Forever-Legend
Trending in China

China women pay for ‘companions’ in role-playing games, spark love debate

Sociologists suggest that many Chinese women view role-playing games as a safe, low-risk opportunity to ‘rehearse romance’.

A trend is growing among Chinese women that involves hiring a “love companion” during script-killing games where participants engage in a fictional scenario, often with a male host. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/RedNote
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Miss Nepal hopeful follows in mother’s pageant footsteps 32 years on

Hong Kong-born Deepmala Kharel Dhakal’s national crown bid highlights pride and spirit of city’s Nepalese community.

Lunar

‘Family reunion’ case in China reveals troubling concerns

Middle East

Road to equality? Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles

In a country where women’s public presence is heavily regulated, the right to operate a vehicle is a powerful indicator of shifting social boundaries.

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Maryam Talaie helps actress Katayun Riyahi during Iran’s first official women’s motorcycle training near Tehran in 2018. As of Wednesday, women in the country can officially get motorcycle licenses. Photo: EPA-EFE
Nordic nations

Norway royal’s son pleads not guilty to four counts of rape, amid Epstein link scandal

Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby faces 38 charges, including rape and assault, risking 16 years in prison.

Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Photo: AFP
Germany

Chinese man on trial in Munich for raping sedated partner, echoing Pelicot case

The 27-year-old faces trial for drugging, raping, and filming his Chinese girlfriend, and is charged with attempted murder and aggravated rape.

Japan

Do voters expect smiles? Why masks hurt female politicians in Japan

While there was no decline in support for masked male politicians, their female counterparts saw a significant drop, the survey showed.

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Mainland China

In China, is ‘family’ becoming a legal shield for rape?

More troubling concerns surface in a high-profile case involving a man who fathered children with a mentally ill woman, lawyers say.

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The woman (left) had lost contact with her family for more than a decade. Photo: Handout
United States

‘Dances With Wolves’ actor found guilty of preying on indigenous girls

Nathan Chasing Horse’s main accuser was 14 and a virgin when he sexually assaulted her on the pretext of healing her mother of cancer.

Gender

Indonesian actress’ memoir starts national conversation

Icons and Influencers

Nadya Okamoto on challenging norms through menstrual care activism

With nearly 4.5 million TikTok followers, the entrepreneur – who also started a non-profit to combat period poverty – has clearly struck a chord.

Social entrepreneur and menstrual care activist Nadya Okamoto founded two enterprises focusing on women’s health before she was 23. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: The women driving watchmaker Richard Mille’s creative direction

The RM 037, RM 07-01 and the RM 07-04 Automatic Sport show the maison’s intent to meet women’s wishes for mechanically sophisticated timepieces.

Amanda Mille (left) and Cécile Guenat are at the forefront of Richard Mille’s push to meet women’s increasing demand for mechanical watches. Photo: Handout
Britain

‘Big statement’: Sarah Mullally confirmed as first female Archbishop of Canterbury

The worldwide Anglican Communion, including the US Episcopal Church, has no formal head, but the archbishop is its spiritual leader.

Hollywood

Breaking into Hollywood was a slog. Ally Pankiw wants to make it easier for you

Ally Pankiw set up Breadcrumbs to give up-and-coming women directors the on-set experience needed to break into a male-dominated industry.

Trending in China

Explainer | Why China Li ethnic group’s 6,000-year pottery tradition passed down exclusively to women

Unique tradition sees pottery dried in sunlight, fired on open bonfires; male members of group banned from even looking at items.

The Li ethnic group in China boasts a 6,000-year-old pottery tradition which is passed down exclusively among women, with men historically banned from observing the process. Photo: ccmapp.cn
Turkey

Fury in Turkey after woman’s headless body found in rubbish bin

Police intercept male suspects as women’s rights groups express outrage at the latest brutal killing.

Turkey’s flag. On Sunday, the decapitated body of a woman was found in a rubbish bin in Istanbul. File photo: EPA
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must tackle the challenges of a super-aged society head on

With both Hong Kong and mainland China unlikely to be able to reverse the decline in birth rates, investing effectively in human capital is crucial.

Spain

‘Slavery’: Spanish police free 15 Chinese women forced into prostitution

Fourteen people were arrested, including Chinese nationals, after a woman escaped her captors and reported sexual and physical assaults.

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