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On a single day -- July 2 -- three women were murdered by their husband in Turkey. The following day, a young woman was killed by her 16-year-old brother. Since then, there have been several murders of women by their husband or a close male relative. The Turkish government continuously fails to tackle the issue, and instead tries to defend itself from any responsibility or blame. This week, Sunday's Zaman spoke with several representatives from women's organizations in İstanbul and discussed the many facets of the nationwide femicide (killing of women).

Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) today announced the publishing of its latest Dossier, Dossier 32-33: Sexualities, Culture and Society in Muslim Contexts, available in paperback hard copy and in a free online version.  Extended in size due to a wealth of contributions, the Dossier is the result of collaboration by 17 authors, all leaders in women’s activism and research in Muslim contexts.  It presents case studies from 11 settings: Senegal, Sudan, the East African Coast, Zanzibar, Georgia, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Jordan, Turkey and the USA.  Comprised of in-depth studies and shorter factual reports, the Dossier explores how women and certain men navigate expectations and restrictions relating to sexuality and reproductive rights in their specific contexts.

On June 3, the day that the Elections Commission announced the victory of ‘Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt’s presidential race, television announcer Radwa Ruhayyim covered the festivities in Tahrir Square. Surrounded by ululating revelers, she noted that, amidst the celebrations, several women had been assaulted. [1] Live coverage of the June 8 inauguration festivities also included references to assaults that day. Tragically, the story of mass sexual assaults at large political gatherings is nothing new. Between November 2012 and August 2013, over 200 women were assaulted at political events including celebrations of the second anniversary of the January 25 uprising against Husni Mubarak and protests against President Muhammad Mursi in 2012 and 2013. The women were surrounded by large groups of men who tore their clothes, groped their bodies and penetrated them with their fingers or, in some cases, with bladed instruments. Some women were so badly injured that their hymens were torn and their reproductive organs permanently damaged.

Women are the sole providers for one in four Syrian refugee families, struggling to provide food and shelter for their children and often facing harassment, humiliation and isolation, according to a report from the UN high commissioner for refugees.