Gender and equality: Research and policy

The event discussed online harms faced by LGBTIQ+ communities and what they mean for democracies worldwide.

1,000 days have passed since the Taliban banned girls attending schools in Afghanistan. What is the situation for women and girls now and what can be done to help?

The annual event celebrating women and defending their rights has its roots in the Russian revolution and remains a red letter day for gender justice.

Reducing floods and emissions, the female textile waste workers are the Bangladeshi capital’s unsung climate heroes, write Patrick Schröder and Prachi Singhal.

From major elections to the AI boom, here are the issues six of our expert contributors expect to make the news in the year ahead.

‘The Future of Foreign Policy is Feminist‘ makes a good case for the necessity of FFP, but is vague on how to bring it about, writes Eirliani Abdul Rahman.

The event, held as part of Black History Month, explored what it means to laugh in a way that carries cultural resonance unique to the black lived experience.

AI safety decision-makers cannot prioritize abstract, existential risks over existing, everyday harms to individuals and communities.

Episode 38 of our weekly podcast discusses the year long protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

The international community must stop allowing the Taliban to dictate terms and nurture an opposition if Afghanistan is ever to progress, writes David Loyn.

‘The Smarties’ defy Iran’s hijab mandate by boldly colouring their hair and taking to the streets, writes Shiva Khademi who photographed them.

Cynthia Enloe’s ‘Twelve Feminist Lessons of War’ brilliantly demonstrates the importance of women’s experience of and thinking on conflict, writes Megan MacKenzie.

Dogmatically and brutally, the Taliban are learning to govern - but growing tensions between Kandahar and Kabul are its biggest threat, writes Hassan Abbas.

A small protest at a US airbase in Berkshire on September 5 1981 soon became a successful international campaign against nuclear missiles, writes Rebecca Johnson.

The 22-year-old’s death at the hands of Iran’s morality police has led to hundreds of deaths, widespread protests and international condemnation.

The former Afghan republic minister tells Roxanne Escobales that engagement with the Taliban can only come by prioritising the rights of the country’s women and girls.

Andrew Quilty’s account of the western allies’ hasty withdrawal shows the turmoil it created in Afghanistan but lacks context, writes Lynne O’Donnell.

Uganda is among the latest countries to turn up the legal temperature on its LGBTQ+ populations. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa offer lessons on how to hold the ground on sexual health and rights.

By broadening feminist representation in peacebuilding to include LGBT voices, Colombia is redefining intersectionality, writes Jamie Hagen.

Pro-LGBTQ legislation needs upholding, particularly in an era of conservative repression, writes Graeme Reid.

It was meant to prompt a reconsideration of LGBTQ Qataris. Instead, international coverage of the tournament entrenched local distrust, writes Christina Paschyn.

In the last three decades of the 20th century, the LGBTQ community came out of the shadows and into focus, a liberation aided and captured by photography.

For some, it’s an annual celebration, for others a struggle of constant advocacy. The future of Pride depends on reconciling the two, writes Daniel Conway.

Progress in Thailand and Singapore contrasts with an anti-LGBTQ moral panic in Indonesia and the legal legacy of British imperial rule, writes Anthony Langlois.

On June 5, 1981, the first account of what became HIV/Aids appeared. But a prompt medical reaction was undermined by political apathy, writes Harold Jaffe.

From Poland to Uganda, the politicized backlash against sexual and gender minorities is a bellwether for rising authoritarianism, writes Ari Shaw.

In Poland and other eastern European countries, Ukraine’s queer refugees face political intolerance and social exclusion, writes Joanna Jaworska.

I fled Uganda with my children after my father-in-law tried to kill me. But in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, my sexuality still makes me a target, says Juliet Wabule.

The Canadian Foreign Service officer tells Mike Higgins about queer diplomats’ difficult postings and the perception that LGBTQ rights are a western imposition.

A special episode with HE Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS).

Exploitation and abuse of Nigerians and other people moving have become a profitable revenue source for armed groups in Libya. Tackling this situation will require both a transnational approach and policy tools beyond those traditionally associated with conflict response.

Technologies developed by the private sector can exacerbate gendered cyber harms, but also have the potential to counter and mitigate them.

By identifying and understanding the connections between gendered cyber harms, states can take steps to better counter and mitigate these harms.

It is increasingly difficult for assistance organizations to provide aid in an impartial and neutral manner, particularly where gender-based marginalization is systemic. Project planning that considers gender and inclusivity can boost the reach of aid and provide more equitable assistance.

This paper explores the opportunities in China for innovative approaches to climate action that incorporate gender equality and social inclusion.

In the near term, climate change adaptation efforts must prioritize tackling socio-economic vulnerabilities in the most at-risk regions. Failure to act will worsen climate impacts across the world.

The paper proposes a definition of sustainable procurement so goods, services, works and utilities achieve value for money on a life-cycle basis.

Despite enshrining gender equality in law, Kenya’s 2010 constitution has failed to deliver the transformation many had hoped for. This paper highlights the importance of devolution in enhancing gender equality in Kenya and suggests practical ways forward to facilitate gender-responsive budgeting and planning.

This paper looks at the challenges to address if a human rights impact assessment of trade agreements is to emerge as a robust and credible policy tool for states.

After five years of the W20, women and gender equality remain at the margin of the G20. There is a real risk of the W20 representing a one-off territorial gain at a frontier that could easily be pushed back again.