Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Media ID: 55378181
Caption:

Puppeteer Seema Sultani holds Zeerak, the new muppet on
Afghanistan’s “Sesame Street” meant to promote education and gender
equality. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP/Getty Images)

Sesame Street Supports Gender Equality in Afghanistan

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Jul 7, 2017 | Lifestyle & Culture

Kabul, London- The new Afghan version of “Sesame Street” known as “Baghch-e-Simsim” will feature a new Afghan muppet “Zeerak”, a character designed to promote gender equality and women education. The male muppet “Zeerak” is four years old and wears a traditional...

Media ID: 55359803
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Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), arrives for a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland December 18, 2015. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

A Woman Will Not Lead The U.N. Now, World Body Names Guterres Ninth Secretary-General

by Asharq Al-Awsat English | Oct 7, 2016 | World

Almost a third of the United Nations workers are women. With gender equality listing high on U.N. MDP (Millennium Development Goals) its quite contradictory to see that the higher you go, the fewer you will find females filling posts in the world body. The U.N. has...

Media ID: 55350523
Caption:

A woman carries laundry on her head, while heading home after washing in Charsadda, near Peshawar January 7, 2015. REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz

Pakistan Must Speed up Reform- World Bank

by Asharq Al-Awsat English | May 9, 2016 | Business

Pakistan must get a move on reform of the energy sector and attract more women into the labor force if it wants to boost economic growth that lags far behind regional peers, the World Bank’s country representative said on Monday. According to the World Bank...

Media ID: 55303850
Caption:

In this Friday, May 14, 2010 photo, a Qatari woman covered from head to toe enjoys her early morning walk at the Doha Corniche in Qatar. Just a few years ago, Gulf Arab women usually only felt comfortable showing off their fashion sense at ladies-only parties or family gatherings. In public, at least in their home countries, the standard all-black abaya _ a simple floor-length covering and accompanying head scarf _ was the only culturally accepted option. But now a new generation of abaya designers are giving the traditional garment a twist with choices of fabric, designs and even some expensive bling to allow Gulf women a host of style options. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Opinion: Gulf women are ready for greater social and political rights

by Munira Fakhro | May 31, 2013 | Debate

There have been a number of experiences concerning women’s rights in Arab and Muslim countries. Some of these countries, such as Turkey and Tunisia, have undergone a series of structural reforms that have resulted in increased equality. Meanwhile, others, such as...