Last week when news of Prince William’s engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton broke, I didn’t really have a reaction. After eight years of waiting around for her boyfriend (does it make a difference that he happens to be the future King of England?), I was happy for Kate that she finally got the ring […]
Kate Middleton & the Trouble With Fairytales Read More »
I never wanted to get married. Yes, I was that woman. My mom loves to tell stories of how even when I was a little girl I would bemoan about how much more women do than their husbands, and how they were never even thanked for their work. As an adult I became more adamant
My Big Fat Feminist Wedding Read More »
Seems like Emiratis have been working so hard over the past decade to make sure one main message gets across to the International Community: we are modern, we have money, come build in our desert. Not enough water for you? We will import it in. Too hot for your liking? We will fly in snow
The Arab Emirates: Where It’s Okay To Beat Your Wife and Kids Read More »
I had the opportunity to speak with Saadia Zahidi, Head of the World Economic Forum’s Women Leaders and Gender Parity Program, and also one of the authors of the annual Global Gender Gap Report. The Global Gender Gap Report looks at 134 countries around the world and analyzes “how well they divide resources and opportunities
The Best Place To Be a Woman: World Economic Forum Measures the Global Gender Gap Read More »
One of the main feminist blogs that I always read, and one of the first to publish some of my early posts, was Feministing. If you haven’t heard of it, I highly recommend you check it out not only because it provides analysis on mainstream culture and women’s rights issues from the point of view
The World Bank’s Blog, Conflict and Development: Overcoming Conflict and Fragility, ran an edited version of a post I had written on Bangladesh just in time for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York. Please take the time to read my piece, “Improving Maternal Health in Bangladesh,” featured on the World Bank’s website,
Conflict & Development: Anushay’s Point on The World Bank’s Blog Read More »
The first time I heard about “baby rapes” was almost eight years ago. Someone had dropped a report on my desk about the widespread belief in South Africa that having sex with virgins would cure HIV/AIDS. The myth was causing a surge in the rape of young girls and even infants, some as young as
Virginal Powers: Zulu Tradition Fuels Sexual Myths in South Africa Read More »
I was on Russia Today (RT) live yesterday evening discussing the issue of the new Time Magazine cover that has forced everyone to, at the very least, momentarily abandon their convenient case of amnesia when it comes to the plight of Afghan women. To be honest, after almost eight years of working on this issue
Are Afghan Women Being Exploited By US Media? Read More »
The use of the Oradexon, a steroid commonly used to make cows fatter, is so widespread amongst prostitutes in Bangladesh that the UK charity, ActionAid reports approximately 90% of the country’s commercial sex workers are addicted to the drug. Why is a steroid meant for cows so popular amongst prostitutes in Bangladesh? Hundreds of thousands
Sex & Drugs: Animal Steroid Use Rampant Amongst Bangladeshi Prostitutes Read More »
I am so exhausted of the whole burqa ban debate that I am about to put one on myself! But in all seriousness, I am so tired of this issue to the point that it has become personally offensive for me to even respond to it. I have written and spoken extensively on it in
The Ban: Hiding Our Deepest Fears Behind the Burqa Read More »