Maldivian Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon poses for a photograph during an interview with The Associated Press in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015. © AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena

On the occasion of International Women’s Day Dunya Maumoon, Foreign Minister of the Maldives has been speaking out on women’s rights in her island nation. Maumoon, for many years has been an ardent supporter of human rights and women’s rights in the Maldives, is the daughter of a former president. In a DW interview she underlined her commitment to women’s rights at home and abroad. 

© Colourbox

We are living in the 21th century. In this modern age we tend to think that men and women are equal. But are they really? Ahead of International Women’s Day 2016, DW spoke with activist and feminist Kristina Lunz about how far we’ve come and how far we’ve yet to go regarding gender equality.

A man walks in front of an ad for a skin-brightening product © picture-alliance/dpa/S. Sen

It is an obsession that literally goes under the Indian society’s skin! “Don’t go out in the sun to play, you’ll turn into a dark-skinned witch and then nobody will marry you!” Sounds funny?!

© picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Sohn

Germany has been facing huge problems in regard to refugees that have been arriving in the country since last year. One might say, all this is caused by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policy of accepting refugees and refusing to define a maximum number of refugees Germany will allow into the country. In this regard Germany stands very much alone in the European Union.

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Anyone who wants to say something on International Women’s Day this year has to say something about what happened on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany. The massive sexual assaults on women in front of Cologne central station – and also in other German and European cities – were reported in various international media. And it is abominable! In Germany this topic is now almost only discussed in the context of “foreigners and women” or “Islam males and their image of women” and “what this means for Germany.” These are of course very important and worthy of debate in the light of the gigantic wave of refugees currently arriving in Germany.

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There’s something we missed in recent media coverage of the two Pakistani stories, writes feminist writer, academic Ayesha Hasan.  

I read a good blog a few days ago. The title is Getting Married is not an Accomplishment, written by Natalie Brooke. In her blog the author states that society tends to see “getting hitched” as a much greater accomplishment than getting a promotion or having a great career.