In a groundbreaking move to address Japan's declining population, Tokyo's metropolitan government will implement a four-day workweek starting this April, reports Fortune. The initiative, led by one of the country's largest employers, aims to help working parents balance childcare responsibilities with their careers.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced the policy change during the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly's regular session, as reported by the Japan Times. "We will continue to review work styles flexibly to ensure that women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events such as childbirth or child-rearing," Koike stated.

The decision comes as Japan faces an unprecedented demographic challenge. Government data shows that between January and June, the country recorded 350,074 births, marking a 5.7% decrease from the same period in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Japan's total fertility rate – representing the number of children a woman has in her lifetime – stood at 1.2 in 2023, with Tokyo's rate even lower at 0.99. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that a rate of 2.1 is necessary to maintain a stable population. The Central Intelligence Agency reports that the median age of Japanese citizens is 49.9 years, compared to 38.9 years in the United States.

The new policy includes a "child care partial leave" provision, allowing eligible employees to reduce their daily work hours by two. This initiative builds upon Japan's decades-long efforts to boost birth rates, which began in the 1990s with mandatory parental leave policies, daycare subsidies, and direct cash payments to parents.

Despite these measures, government data shows the birth rate has continued to decline over the past eight years. The situation particularly affects working women in Japan, where the International Monetary Fund reports that women perform five times more unpaid work, including childcare and elder care, than men – one of the largest gender gaps among OECD countries.

Research suggests that four-day workweeks could help address this imbalance. According to a study by 4 Day Week Global, men reported spending 22% more time on childcare and 23% more time on housework during trial programs across six countries.

Peter Miscovich, global future of work leader at real-estate services company JLL, said that shorter workweeks have shown positive results: "The upside from all of that has been less stress, less burnout, better rest, better sleep, less cost to the employee, higher levels of focus and concentration during the working hours, and in some cases, greater commitment to the organization as a result."

However, Julia Hobsbawm, founder of workplace consultancy Workathon and author of "Working Assumptions: What We Thought We Knew About Work Before Covid and Generative AI – And What We Know Now," cautioned against viewing the four-day workweek as a universal solution. She emphasized, "I firmly believe that there is no one size fits all. In a time of increasing flexibility across working practices, both technological and human, you simply can't say that the one size that might fit one industry, in one country, for one purpose, of a four-day week, fits all."

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The regional government of Madrid, working alongside the Israeli Embassy in Spain, has awarded special recognition to Israeli women who fell victim to the Hamas attacks of October 7, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The event, which featured powerful testimony from former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, stands in contrast to recent European criticism of Israel.

Gritzewsky was abducted that fateful Saturday from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside her partner Matan Zangauker and freed approximately a year ago, stood as the representative to receive the award on behalf of all the Oct. 7 female victims.

Addressing an emotionally charged and supportive audience, Gritzewsky courageously recounted the severe abuse she endured during her captivity. She issued a powerful call to raise awareness, unite in the fight against terrorism, and maintain unwavering efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages, including her partner.

Minister for Social Equality Ana Redondo García presented the award, declaring that Madrid now serves as a voice for those who remain voiceless.

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Iraq's parliament is preparing to pass legislation that would lower the legal age of consent from 18 to nine years old, while simultaneously removing women's rights to divorce, child custody, and inheritance, The Telegraph reports.

The amendment, backed by a coalition of conservative Shia Muslim parties, would overturn the country's "personal status law," also known as Law 188, which has been considered among the most progressive women's rights in the Middle East since its introduction in 1959. "The amendment would not just undermine these rights," said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch. "It would erase them."

Iraq is legalizing child marriage and lowering the age of consent to just 9.

Iraqi women's rights activist risks her life and confronts an iman who sponsored the bill.

"You're following Muhamad who married 9-year-old Aisha 1400 years ago. That is not normal in today's world!" pic.twitter.com/JnpUT3RUF5

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) November 9, 2024

Previous attempts to change the law failed in 2014 and 2017 due to backlash from Iraqi women. However, according to experts interviewed by The Telegraph, the coalition now holds a large parliamentary majority and appears poised to succeed. The Iraqi parliament will formally debate the latest amendments before putting them to a vote.

"It's the closest it's ever been. It has more momentum than it's ever had, primarily because of the Shia parties," Dr. Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said. The proposed amendment is part of a wider political move by Shia Islamist groups to "consolidate their power" and regain legitimacy. "Stressing the religious side is a way for them to try and regain some of the ideological legitimacy that has been waning over the last few years," he explained.

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), approximately 28% of women in Iraq are already married by age 18. A current loophole allows religious leaders to officiate marriages, including those involving girls as young as 15, with paternal permission. These unregistered marriages are particularly widespread in economically poor, ultra-conservative Shia communities. The amendment would legitimize these religious marriages, putting young girls at increased risk of sexual and physical violence. Additionally, these women "will have to stay in harmful situations because they fear losing custody of their children," Sanbar said.

The proposed amendment would also give Muslim citizens the option to choose between the current secular personal status law or religious law based on their sect. However, in dispute cases, the husband's sect would take precedence. "It's explicitly written in the draft that when there's a dispute between the couple, the sect of the husband takes priority," Sanbar said. "This is going to remove a lot of protections for women... it will undermine the principle of equality before the law."

Athraa Al-Hassan, international human rights legal adviser and director of Model Iraqi Woman, expressed fear that Iraq's system of governance could be replaced with the Guardianship of the Jurist – a Shia system placing religious rule above the state. The system is similar to Afghanistan and Iran, where a Guardian Jurist is the supreme leader. "What they aspire to in parliament is not in the interest of society, but their personal interest," Al-Hassan told The Telegraph. "Iraq is a civilized civil state that cannot be otherwise. The first female minister in the Arab countries was Iraqi and the first female judge was Iraqi," said Al-Hassan. "We aspire to progress, not regress."

The action has sparked protests in Baghdad and other cities, organized by Coalition 188, an Iraqi group of female activists opposed to amending the personal status law. The action has sparked an outcry on social media, with women's rights activists accusing the government of trying to "legalize child rape."

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A female student has been arrested at Tehran Islamic Azad University after staging a protest against dress code regulations by partially removing her clothing, according to reports from Euronews and Amnesty Iran.

The incident, which was captured on video by other students and widely shared on social media platform X, occurred after security officers allegedly harassed the woman for improper hijab wear. The student, whose identity has not been released, was filmed from a classroom overlooking the campus. The video has garnered significant attention online, with social media users praising the woman's actions as courageous.

Video: Arab social media

Syed Amir Mahjoub, the university's public relations director, said security personnel handed the student over to police authorities. He denied any physical confrontation took place and stated that preliminary investigations suggest the woman was experiencing psychological distress.

In Iran, a student harassed by her university's morality police over her "improper" hijab didn't back down. She turned her body into a protest, stripping to her underwear and marching through campus—defying a regime that constantly controls women's bodies. Her act is a powerful… pic.twitter.com/76ekxSK7bI

— Masih Alinejad (@AlinejadMasih) November 2, 2024

Amnesty Iran has called for the student's immediate and unconditional release. In a post on X, the organization demanded she be protected from "torture and other ill-treatment" and granted access to legal representation and family members. The group also urged an investigation into allegations of physical abuse and sexual violence during her arrest.

Iran's authorities must immediately & unconditionally release the university student who was violently arrested on 2 Nov after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials at Tehran's Islamic Azad University. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/lI1JXYsgtm

— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) November 2, 2024

Emily Schrader, an online activist for the Iranian people, posted on Instagram: "Initial reports indicate that following the protest incident, she was abducted by 4 security forces from the campus and was severely beaten before being dragged into a car and taken to an unknown place. According to an eyewitness, the girl was beat so badly her head hit the door of the car and she was bleeding profusely to the point that traces of blood were seen on the tires of the car."

Some news outlets have reported that intelligence agents arrested the woman and transferred her to an undisclosed location. A local university-affiliated newspaper stated she had been taken to a psychiatric facility.

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The role of women in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has evolved significantly over the decades. From being sidelined to leading combat units, women in the IDF have defied expectations and broken through barriers. This article will explore the history, challenges, and triumphs of female soldiers in the IDF, highlighting their journey toward equality and recognition in a traditionally male-dominated environment.

History of Israeli mandatory IDF service

Israel is unique in that it mandated military service for both men and women as early as 1948. This policy was established during the War of Independence when the new nation faced threats from surrounding countries. David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, believed in the necessity of a people's army, enlisting citizens regardless of gender. His famous assertion was, "Security will not exist if our nation's women do not know how to fight." This principle led many women to serve courageously alongside their male counterparts.

Despite their significant contributions, the IDF made a controversial decision shortly after the formation of the state. Following a tragic incident involving the rape and abuse of a female soldier by enemy forces, the military removed women from combat positions. This led to the establishment of the Women's Corps, which operated under a separate chain of command. This segregation meant that women often missed out on the same benefits that their male peers enjoyed, limiting their career advancement and opportunities within the military.

Alice Miller vs. the Air Force in the Israeli Supreme Court

In 1995, Alice Miller, a South African immigrant, was denied the opportunity to apply for combat pilot training in the Israeli Air Force. Despite holding a civilian pilot's license and pursuing a degree in aeronautical engineering, the military's refusal to consider her application led to a landmark legal battle. Miller sued the IDF for gender inequality, and the case reached the Israeli Supreme Court.

The ruling was a victory; the ban on female pilots was deemed unconstitutional. While the court upheld the exemption of women from combat roles, it granted them the option to pursue such positions if they chose. Unfortunately, Miller was later rejected from the pilot program due to medical reasons, but her case marked a significant step toward gender equality in the IDF.

Units with female soldiers

Following Miller's case, the IDF slowly opened more roles to women. The first units to include female combat soldiers were specialized units such as the Rocket Artillery Unit, Oketz Unit, and Search and Rescue Brigade. Women also began patrolling the Jordanian border in the Caracal Battalion. By 2003, women occupied over 25% of officer positions in the IDF, signaling a shift in military culture.

The Segev Committee, established in 2007, further aimed to integrate women into the IDF. The committee recommended revising drafting protocols and ensuring that all roles were accessible to women, regardless of their length of service.  It proposed quotas to ensure women's representation in senior ranks and a gender code to guide interactions between male and female soldiers. However, the IDF Rabbinate opposed the integration of women into front-line roles, citing concerns about religious male soldiers. It also faced strong resistance from senior IDF officials, who argued that most women could not meet the physical demands of combat roles. As a result, many of the committee's recommendations were not fully implemented.

Despite these setbacks, women continued to advance in the military. The first female fighter pilot graduated from the Israeli Air Force Academy in 2001. In subsequent years, women were appointed to high-ranking positions, including the first female major general in 2011 and the first female infantry battalion commander in 2017.

Harassment in the IDF

Gender harassment has been a persistent issue within the IDF. A 2016 internal survey revealed that one in six women in service had experienced sexual harassment. This reality underscores the challenges women face as they navigate their military careers. While progress has been made, the fight for a safe and equitable environment continues.

The future of women in the IDF

The future looks promising for women in the IDF. With more roles becoming available and a growing acceptance of female soldiers in combat positions, the landscape continues to change. Women are increasingly taking on leadership roles and proving their capabilities in various military functions.

As more women enter the ranks, they bring diverse perspectives and skills that enhance the IDF's effectiveness. The ongoing integration efforts are essential not only for the military but also for broader societal change. The achievements of women in the IDF serve as an inspiration for future generations, demonstrating that barriers can be overcome.

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Pursuing a career as an entrepreneur is undoubtedly for the unconventional. It takes being a particularly bold woman to choose this path, and even more so to leave everything behind and make aliyah. Among Israel's extraordinary society, made up of a one-of-a-kind, international melting pot, are these ambitious businesswomen, bravely striving to integrate into a new environment at a time when community is a most valuable resource. Local communities "Kehila" and "HER Tel Aviv," focused on helping women adapt during this transition, joined forces to present an unprecedented networking event in Tel Aviv on August 27.

Kehila, founded by Grace Lancer and Hanna Shtein, fosters an environment where female business owners can network, share ideas, and promote their services. The community welcomes a diverse range of professionals through bi-weekly meetings. While these gatherings have typically been small-scale, the recent event, co-hosted with HER, marked a significant expansion. HER, founded by Israeli-American Sivan Hadari Avneri, aims to create a safe space for women who have made aliyah, focusing on small business owners, women in tech, health, fertility, careers, and even facilitating new friendships. The platform also features a job board and marketplace.

"When I made aliyah, even being half Israeli and half American, I myself found it challenging to adapt to Israeli culture," Hadari Avneri told the crowd of 100 women at the event. "I left my whole family in New York and I was here by myself. And there's all these challenges that all of you face, which is not knowing the language or trying to get together with a culture that's a little bit more chutzpah than you're used to at home, or finding an apartment, finding a job, finding girlfriends. You just start from zero because you're a Zionist, which is not a dirty word. You're a Zionist and you want to be here." 

"Hanna and I started Kehila at the beginning of this year," Grace added. "The reason was that we both come from cities like London and LA, where networking is a really big thing. We wanted to create a space to bring English-speaking female entrepreneurs together in Tel Aviv because we felt like there was a gap in the market for this."

As the sold-out event began, attendees were each assigned to one of ten groups, indicated by a number on their name tag. Each group was given a designated area and a question sheet to facilitate networking. This structured approach proved helpful, as even outgoing individuals like myself initially found it intimidating to mix and mingle with such a large and diverse group.

In the blink of an eye, the room was gushing with passionate conversations, discussions, and laughter. "I hate the word networking because a lot of the time it's fake," Hanna said. "We wanted it to be a genuine space where people could form relationships first, and business connections could naturally follow. We think that the best business connections come from real relationships." 

This approach proved successful, as evidenced by the diverse attendance, including a notable presence of local Israelis alongside women from all over the world. While chatting with two friends at the event – a jewelry maker and a tour guide – I gained insight into the high demand for such gatherings. "I don't see these kinds of events in Israel often, so I knew I had to come," one of them remarked.

The event's complete success became evident as even I, to my surprise, unintentionally made new friendships and connections, got tips, and brainstormed ideas on various subjects. "Isn't this just amazing?" an enthusiastic, frequent participant asked me on her way out. As the event drew to a close, women of all ages were still actively connecting, wholeheartedly expressing their gratitude to Sivan, Grace, and Hanna. What began as a room of timid individuals transformed into a community connecting Israeli female entrepreneurs on both personal and professional levels, marking the beginning of a new era for women in Tel Aviv's entrepreneurial scene.

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The UK government is set to treat extreme misogyny as a form of terrorism for the first time, according to a report by The Guardian. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has initiated a review of the counter-terrorism strategy to address violence against women and girls and identify gaps in current legislation.

Under the proposed plans, teachers would be legally required to refer pupils suspected of extreme misogyny to Prevent, the UK government's counter-terror program. The review is expected to be completed this autumn as part of a new counter-extremism strategy to be unveiled by the Home Office next year.

Does stoning women to death count as "extreme mysogyny", @YvetteCooperMP ?

How about the public flogging of women?

Are the muslim rape gangs who target underage white girls in cities like Rotherham to be charged as terrorists?

And will the councillors, social workers, labour… pic.twitter.com/acWeJpXUB1

— Jonathan Kinlay (@JonathanKinlay) August 18, 2024

Cooper told The Telegraph, "For too long, governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we've seen the number of young people radicalized online grow. Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy."

The Labour MP added, "Action against extremism has been badly hollowed out in recent years, just when it should have been needed most. That's why I have directed the Home Office to conduct a rapid analytical sprint on extremism, to map and monitor extremist trends, to understand the evidence about what works to disrupt and divert people away from extremist views, and to identify any gaps in existing policy which need to be addressed to crack down on those pushing harmful and hateful beliefs and violence."

The Home Office currently ranks several extremism categories, including "incel" or "involuntarily celibate," an online subculture promoting a misogynistic worldview by men who blame women for their lack of sexual opportunities.

Last month, deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth, national lead for policing violence against women and girls (VAWG), warned that online influencers like Andrew Tate could radicalize young men and boys into extreme misogyny, similar to how terrorists recruit followers. Blyth emphasized the need for the Online Safety Act to go further and called for faster action to protect children.

Stop giving Andrew Tate a platform pic.twitter.com/k4jqwKknAH

— Dean OP (@Seb5meister) August 15, 2022

The National Police Chiefs' Council has published a report on violence against women and girls, framing it as a national emergency. Counter-extremism workers have also reported a rise in cases referred to them by schools concerned about the influence of Andrew Tate, including incidents of verbal harassment of female teachers and pupils echoing the influencer's views.

Tate is currently awaiting trial in Romania over allegations of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. He denies the charges.

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According to an article in Asahi Shimbun, a Chinese court has sentenced journalist Huang Xueqin, a prominent figure in the country's nascent #MeToo movement, to five years in prison for the charge of incitement to subvert state authority. This verdict, along with a significant fine of 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000), underscores the Chinese government's intolerance toward activism outside its control, particularly within a system where the upper echelons remain dominated by men.

According to supporters, Huang's release date is set for September 18, 2026, accounting for her earlier detention in September 2021, just a day before she was scheduled to commence a master's degree program on gender violence and conflict at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.

The verdict against #HuangXueqin dealt a harsh blow to #MeToo movement in #China. It's Chinese gov's latest assault on defenders advocating for women's equal rights, fighting sexual harassment & violence against women. https://t.co/WLuUWxCpFU

— Renee Xia (@ReneeXiaCHRD) June 14, 2024

Her co-defendant, Wang Jianbing, an activist known for his labor rights advocacy who also assisted women in reporting instances of sexual harassment, received a sentence of three years and six months on the same charge.

Huang played a pivotal role in sparking China's first high-profile #MeToo case in 2018 when she publicized allegations of sexual harassment made by a graduate student against her PhD supervisor at one of the country's most prestigious universities.

Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International's China Director, condemned Huang's conviction, stating, "These convictions will prolong their deeply unjust detention and have a further chilling effect on human rights and social advocacy in a country where activists face increasing state crackdowns. In reality, they have committed no actual crime. Instead, the Chinese government has fabricated excuses to deem their work a threat, and to target them for educating themselves and others about social justice issues such as women's dignity and workers' rights."

The #MeToo movement in China initially gained traction but was promptly suppressed by the government's crackdown on dissent. Huang and Wang's cases seem intertwined with the broader wave of repression against rights advocates, which predates the #MeToo movement and includes previous incidents such as the 2015 detentions of women distributing pamphlets against sexual harassment on public transport.

In 2022 @IndexCensorship gave our Freedom of Expression in journalism award to Sophia Huang Xueqin. Here's the video that accompanied the award. A little glimpse into how remarkable she is. She must be freed, as must Wang Jianbing, also sentenced today https://t.co/fOxTLcmWo0

— Jemimah Steinfeld (@JFSteinfeld) June 14, 2024

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Oriya Demlich spent the past few years watching her beloved grandfather suffer from Parkinson's Disease and witnessed it slowly erode his independence. After his death, Demlich enrolled in the Tal Campus for Women at the Jerusalem College of Technology to earn a Bioinformatics degree.

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Last month, her late grandfather served as a source of inspiration when she participated in the school's hackathon where she and her teammates decided to come up with a mechanism with life-saving implications for those with the disease.

The team participated in JCT's sixth annual "Hack.Her.It" event organized by the school's Schreiber LevTech Entrepreneurship Center. Some 150 students from the women's campuses participated in the event where they were tasked with coming up with solutions to complex technological challenges posed to them by hi-tech companies including Rafael, Intel, Elbit, Amazon, and more.

Video: Smart brain pacemaker implanted into patient with Parkinson's disease / Reuters

"The Schreiber LevTech Entrepreneurship Center offers a range of programs for students to gain valuable experience in the real world of entrepreneurship, innovation, and product creation on campus. "Students work under the guidance of professional business and tech mentors in hackathons, workshops, and pre-accelerator and accelerator programs", explains Orlee Guttman, co-founder of the center. "These tools and experience are crucial to their futures as entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs".

The center dovetails with the school's overall mission to provide a rigorous curriculum focusing on engineering, health sciences, and business degrees to some 5,000 students from Israel and 38 countries around the world. The school offers a dual curriculum, combining Jewish studies and academia, and consists of students from the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox sectors.

As for Demlich, her team, which was composed of other bioinformatics and engineering students, worked on the "WalkSafe Challenge" (named after the company of the same name) and developed an emergency sensor for walkers used by Parkinson's patients. Their solution garnered so much positive attention from the judges that they made it to the final stage of the competition.

More than 10 million people suffer from Parkinson's worldwide, with 35,000 of them living in Israel. The disease arises from a neurological dopamine deficiency which causes many motor problems such as uncontrollable tremors, stiff joints, a condition called "Freezing of Gait" where the knee is immobile which severely inhibits one's ability to walk properly.

Freezing of Gait is particularly dangerous for those with Parkinson's who need the assistance of a walker to move because the upper body continues to propel forward while the other half is stationary leading to the possibility of falling that could cause a life-threatening head injury.

"A person with Parkinson's doesn't have the same reaction time as the average person if they fall, so they need a companion who can monitor them when muscle locking occurs in order to prevent a fall," Demlich explained.

As such, the team developed an innovative sensor that is based on artificial intelligence that notifies the patient to put the brake on their walkers without external assistance. The device is operated by an app that is accessible on smartphones and uses data to monitor the motion of the walker.

"The app measures the distance between the walker and the person, based on data that is cross-referenced from both sources," a representative from the WalkSafe explained. The sensor is designed to detect when a person is still pushing the walker even though their feet have remained frozen in place. In which case, the person can fall if the walker is not stopped. As a result, the sensor beeps and alerts the patient that he must use the handbrake and thus prevent falling.

"Our app helps Parkinson's patients not only physically through notifying them of potential dangers, but the device helps psychologically as well, as it gives them a renewed sense of independence," Demlich said.

The students will continue to fine-tune their idea and are aiming to create a walker with a device built in to enable the walker to brake automatically if it senses the patient is too far away from it. They are also exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies who would be able to install the sensor they developed on other similar products like a baby stroller.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned the alleged sexual assault of women in Manipur state as "shameful" and promised tough action, his first comments on ethnic clashes in the remote northeast which have killed at least 125 people.

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The clashes began in early May and much of the violence was put down by the middle of that month.

However, sporadic violence and killings resumed soon afterward and the state of 3.2 million people, which shares a border with Myanmar, has remained tense since. Hundreds have been injured and more than 40,000 have fled their homes.

Video: Reuters/India PM Modi calls alleged Manipur sexual assault 'shameful'

The violence began on May 3 after a court ordered the state government to consider extending special economic benefits and quotas in government jobs and education enjoyed by the tribal Kuki people to the majority Meitei population as well.

Modi, who had not made any public remarks about the trouble in a state ruled by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), spoke a day after videos showing women being molested in Manipur surfaced and sparked national outrage.

The videos on social media purport to show two women paraded naked and assaulted on a street before what townspeople on the videos say was a gang rape.

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