Saudi Arabia has announced it will allow women to get a driver’s license without permission of a legal guardian. Learn about some other milestones women in the Islamic kingdom have reached through the years. – By Carla Bleiker

The first Breast Cancer Awareness Month was conceived back in 1985 in the United States. It has since become a tradition in many countries worldwide to designate the month of October for education and awareness raising programs about the importance of early detection and treatment of breast cancer as well as palliative care.

Mammography

I recently turned 45 and my gynecologist gave me a unique gift: a referral for my first ever mammogram.

Why am I even announcing this on a very public platform? Because in most societies anything related to women’s breasts is still taboo, with health issues especially shrouded in secrecy and euphemism.

There are 195 independent states in the world – and the vast majority are ruled by men. Female heads of government or state are rare, but those in power are strong leaders. DW takes a look at some powerful politicians. – By Dagmar Breitenbach, Christina Burack

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The hunger to learn and have an education is a dream most Kashmiri girls aspire and want. © Murali Krishnan

Empowerment for Muslim women in India is still some distance away. Many are denied an education and forced into early marriages. But a recent Supreme Court ruling banning unilateral divorce could be the harbinger of better things to come.

Amidst the grandeur of Cape Town, SA’s main tourist hotspot, lies the informal township of Khayelitsha. In stark contrast to the affluent neighboring towns in Cape Town, many people are afraid to venture here and few believe that any good can come from this community. However Baratang Miya, a self-taught software developer and the founder of the non-profit organization GirlHype, believes otherwise. Through her organization, she aims to empower women and girls with technology and entrepreneurship. She delights in finding “wealth” in a community such as Khayelitsha.

Harvey Weinstein, (3rd from left) and Gwyneth Paltrow (4th from left) after receiving the Oscar for best picture for “Shakespeare In Love” during the 71st Annual Academy Awards Sunday, March 21, 1999

“I’m a famous guy,” he said. But fame, wealth and influence couldn’t protect this sexual predator from his insatiable appetite for helpless young starlets forever. He dangled the promises of a glamorous and successful career to lure and force himself on young, starry-eyed wannabe celebs. Hollywood, according to actress Mayiam Bialik, “rewards physical beauty and sex appeal above all else and profits from the mistreatment of women.”