By Christina Cushen Source: The Taliban continue to restrict the rights of women in Afghanistan. (AFP: Wakil Kohsar) It has been 5 years since the fall of Afghanistan and Taliban fighters took control of the capital, Kabul. Since that day, Afghan women and girls have been targeted and isolated from the rest of the world. The fall of Afghanistan has instigated calls from the international community to declare Gender Apartheid as an international crime as the Taliban hide betwe

By Alexandra Robertson People gather to greet freed Palestinian detainees arriving on buses in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails, outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on October 13, 2025. Credit: Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo The recent passage and implementation of legislation mandating the death penalty for West Bank Palestinians convicted of "nationalistic killings" represents a profound shift in the legal landscape of the Middle East

By Christina Cushen Source: Fernando Gregory | Dreamstime.com For many people, getting married is the most exciting part of their life, yet for others it is the worst day of their life. Unfortunately, many people often think that forced marriage is a problem exclusive to developing countries, but this is not the case. In this article I will be reflecting on the challenges that women and girls experience as they fight for their own future. In 2024, the UN Secretary-General e