women's desk

December 12, 2024

Best of 2024: Five must-read articles from the Women’s Desk section

Every article published in Women’s Desk this year has left its mark, but a few stand out for their exceptional writing or compelling subject matter or worldwide relevance. As the Women’s Desk Section Editor, I’ve compiled a list of five articles that I think everyone should read, presented in chronological order

17-year-old Maria Mitko shines a spotlight on her favourite Women's Desk articles from the past year

December 06, 2024

Armenia’s new domestic violence legislation is good, but not good enough

In Armenia, as in many parts of the world, real progress against domestic violence requires both legislative action and societal change. Strengthening legal definitions, expanding victim protections, challenging gender norms and increasing support for survivors are all essential steps in Armenia’s ongoing journey toward a safer society

17-year-old Nare Arushanyan interviews the head of Armenia’s leading domestic violence support group

November 29, 2024

My experience as a teenage refugee from Artsakh

Post-war life changed the person I am. It makes you question your whole existence; you appear to be in an identity crisis, which is even worse when everyone around you is in trauma. But I don’t want to identify myself with that devastating experience. Rather, when I think about Artsakh, I remember the warm and happy years that I spent there

18-year-old Lana Tonyan shares the trauma of fleeing her homeland to a new life in Armenia

November 22, 2024

What does Sri Lanka’s new female prime minister mean for the country’s young girls?

What does Dr Harini Amarasuriya appointment as prime minister – only the third woman to hold this position – mean for Sri Lanka? Harbingers’ Magazine spoke with young women and girls in Galle on the significance of the prime minister's appointment

16-year-old Lisindi Liyanage talks to young Sri Lankans about a prime minister of many firsts

November 15, 2024

Social media’s redefinition of ‘girlhood’ is Gen Z’s way of perpetuating the patriarchy

While feminism asserts that all genders have equal intellectual capacity, the ‘girlhood’ trend that has been proliferating on social media since 2023, especially TikTok, advocates that women are incompetent in all facets of life, from financial decisions to nutrition, and endorses detrimental habits

16-year-old Noa Gomberg is the winner of The Harbinger Prize 2024: Women's Desk

November 07, 2024

The return of Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: rebrand or ruse?

The aesthetic of the lingerie brand – deemed sexy and appealing, but also toxic and narrow-minded by some – was meant to be transformed into a supposedly body-positive and more inclusive version

15-year-old Sofia Vorobei argues that the lingerie company rebrand is another marketing opportunity

October 24, 2024

Moving on from the past: Abortion should be a constitutional right

Ahead of the US election, abortion rights are a crucial issue for many young women—including myself. Here's a look back at the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v Wade, the consequences so far, and where presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on abortion

17 year-old Alia Saphier explains the controversy around abortion rights in the US

October 17, 2024

Behind the apron: Are TikTok’s ‘trad wives’ truly traditional?

The ‘trad wife’ trend is not realistic. Hannah Neeleman and Nara Smith’s lifestyles are not attainable by the average person. Ask your grandmother if her traditional marriage included rolling in the field with her freshly made sourdough or, more realistically, performing a lot of tiring manual labour to look after the family and house

14-year-old Helena Bruździak explores the social media trend and its implications for feminism

October 03, 2024

Refugee women in Armenia build community through knitting

The Shuhel group, supported by the feminist peacebuilding NGO Women’s Center Shushi in Yerevan, provides a space for refugee women to build community and knit, sew, embroider and sell their handcrafted quilts, jewellery, and other goods

18-year-old Alyona Sargsyan explains how an initiative in Yerevan offers a safe space for women

August 22, 2024

A must-read: White Torture shares the agony of women prisoners in Iran

I urge you to pick up this book, to stand with Narges Mohammadi, who has risked so much to publish these testimonies, and the courageous women who have shared memories of their darkest days

16 year-old Camilla Savelieva reviews Narges Mohammadi’s book on women prisoners in Iran

August 22, 2024

How Armenian teens have adjusted to a new life, a year after fleeing home

Almost one year ago, in September 2023, the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, home to a significant Armenian population, fell under Azerbaijani control, prompting a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia. Five refugee girls now living in Yerevan share what has the past year been like

15 year-old Charlotte Wejchert interviews five refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, now living in Yerevan

August 22, 2024

What a female president means for Mexico and the world

Sheinbaum’s presidency marks an important milestone in the history of Mexico. Up until this point, Mexico was a country run by men, known for its persistently high levels of violence, especially against women

17 year-old Maria Mitko explores the potential impact of Claudia Sheinbaum’s groundbreaking election win

August 08, 2024

How can America learn from Netflix’s Sex Education?

The show's success and relevance is not just due to its own quality, it's also because American sex education is not as effective as it should be. A lack of comprehensive sex education doesn’t mean a more or less conservative new generation — it means a less educated one

16 year-old Sanjana Senthil explores the problems with sex education programs in the US

August 06, 2024

The rise of female entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan

The rise of female entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan marks an important change in the country’s development. As these women continue to break barriers and redefine societal roles, they create a legacy of empowerment and growth

18 year-old Kasiet Dzholdoshbekova showcases stories of the dynamic women powering a new world in the heart of Bishkek

August 06, 2024

How five overlooked female inventors changed our lives for the better

Women have made a significant impact on the world for hundreds of years. Their inventions may be widely known or used, from navigating us across the globe to saving time and lives. But do we know the faces of those behind them?

17-year-old Maria Mitko shares the stories of the women behind some of our world’s inventions that have helped change our lives for the better

August 01, 2024

Forgotten herstory: five female scientists who changed the world

When I’m looking through my textbooks, I often see prominent male scientists described as ‘the father of.’ The same doesn’t go for women involved in discoveries, who are often hidden behind their male counterparts

17 year-old Ananya Prasanna shines a light on women in maths, palaeontology, chemistry and biology

July 17, 2024

The ‘pink tax’ – another hidden weapon in the oppression of women

The so-called ‘pink tax’ may not be an actual tax, but it is an audacious and harmful way for businesses to make profit at the expense of women through misogynistic marketing schemes

16 year-old Camilla Savalieva explains what the ‘pink tax’ is and its consequences for women

June 20, 2024

Harrison Butker's speech feels like a scene from The Handmaid’s Tale

In a public speech full of misogynistic, homophobic and hateful comments, an NFL player has sparked widespread criticism. While free speech is a fundamental right in the US, at what point does it cross the blurry line into hate speech

14 year-old Helena Bruzdziak on a commencement by US football star and its misogynistic message

June 13, 2024

How human rights advocate Sima Samar inspired me to never give up

Sima Samar is a strong supporter and advocate for her people, and girls like me are continually inspired by her work to make our futures better. Girls can take note of these qualities, despite the restrictions they may face, and become great leaders

16 year-old Swita expresses admiration for Afghan human rights activist Sima Samar, and discusses the key attributes of a good leader

May 02, 2024

Women-only spaces are necessary, not sexist. Here’s why

While opponents can claim that the exclusion of men amounts to sex discrimination, many argue that women-only spaces are a solution to gender inequality. These places prioritise women’s well-being and ultimately, have no negative effect on anyone

17 year-old Maria Mitko explains the importance of women-only spaces and announces the launch of the Women’s Desk at Harbingers’

April 18, 2024

Womansplaining mansplaining

Mansplaining. If you’re a woman, I can almost guarantee that you sighed at that word. Societal history has allowed for sexism to take route but there are steps we can take today to reevaluate and correct these behaviours

17 year-old Alia Saphier explains mansplaining and how to break the cycle

March 22, 2024

‘Her name was Liza.’ Violence against women is on the rise worldwide

Recent shockwaves over the brutal rape and murder of a women in Warsaw reiterate the dangers women face globally. It seems the United Nations SDG goal to ‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ is far from being achieved by its 2030 date

15 year-old Klara Hammudeh reports on the global implications of a recent crime in Warsaw

March 22, 2024

What young Afghan women want to achieve in the world of technology

Despite bans on women’s education and rights in Afghanistan, technology is enabling them to look beyond their restrictive environment to gain more knowledge and chase their dreams

13 year-old Naziya surveys Afghan women on the potential of technology as a tool of income and education

March 01, 2024

Why growing up as a young woman is scary: A teen’s perspective from Poland

Despite the global progress made in women’s rights in the past few decades, Poland still has a long way to go. The country’s strict abortion laws, gender pay gap and prescribed lifestyle for a woman’s future fills me with fear

17 year-old Maria Mitko on the daunting reality of womanhood

February 09, 2024

Media depicting women holds one main aim: Giving a space for women to be judged

Defining a woman starts with using words like ‘trailblazer’ and ‘independent’ and ‘controversial’. A set of words is quite a small frame to describe everything that a person could be

16 year-old Sanjana Senthil’s award-winning essay on Women’s Rights

January 26, 2024

Unattainable ‘angel status’. Patriarchy still skews the narratives of women in power

From fashion breakdowns to dating habits, selective media reporting has long attempted to reduce women in the spotlight to harmful gender stereotypes’

17 year-old Alia Saphier critiques the media’s continual repression of women

December 22, 2023

Helping hands - How Afghan girls are instrumental in providing education

Organisations such as LEARN have been helping girls get an underground education by providing online classes such as science and web design lessons. Through their help and kindness, the power to offer opportunities to others is then passed on into our hands

17 year-old Zohra on the inspiring goal of helping young people follow their dreams

November 24, 2023

Compared to dogs or children, women struggle in the Ukrainian army

Women are a vital part of Ukraine’s future victory but female soldiers continually face restrictions on their basic needs. Instead, women are treated as an object of entertainment rather than living, breathing, and equally capable human beings

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko speaks against the discrimination of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

November 24, 2023

How Claudia Goldin inspires me by shattering barriers in the male-dominated realm of economics

Goldin presented a previously unheard-of hypothesis arguing that access to the contraceptive pill played a vital role in accelerating the revolutionary increase in female workforce participation, doubling in size between 1960 and 1980

18-year-old Nadia Diakowska on the inspiration from this year’s Nobel Prize winner in Economics

November 24, 2023

Since 1960, the contraceptive pill has revolutionized women's lives. One woman financed the research

The invention of the pill not only gave women the opportunity to plan parenthood, it revolutionized Western societies in gender equality. The pill allowed women to stay in education longer, and pursue professional careers

17 year-old Flora Lodd on the history and future of hormonal contraception

October 27, 2023

Denying treatment because women could get pregnant? That’s a new level of toxic absurdity

Women cannot be stripped of basic services, like healthcare, because of their so-called ‘function’, and the word ‘woman’ should not be synonymous with ‘mother’

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko speaks against curbing women’s rights in the US

October 20, 2023

At 12, I promised myself a hysterectomy. That’s how ignorance of menstrual health tortures girls

Young girls like me will continue to suffer because periods are taboo and we are told period cramps are supposed to hurt. The pain of endometriosis is instead chalked up to female sensitivities, low pain tolerance, and the joys of womanhood

17 year-old Erin Walshaw was the runner-up in the Harbinger Prize in Reporting

October 20, 2023

‘Deranged cultural standards’ - How Sri Lanka’s misogyny is impeding its economic recovery

McKinsey Global Institute estimates that advancing gender equality in Sri Lanka could add $64 billion to its GDP by 2025

17 year-old Nadia Diakowska analyses a negative feedback loop between inequality and poverty

October 20, 2023

Are they ‘women politicians’ or politicians? - the challenges women still face in global governance

As a young woman with an aspiration to join the political world in the future, I couldn't believe the public impudence, the unacceptable behaviour one is signed up to tolerate

17 year-old Aleksandra Lasek on the gender bias in politics

September 30, 2023

Flowers for the Future enables Afghan students to “bloom”

Amidst challenges posed by the Taliban’s restrictions, the support from individuals around the world and organisations like FFF are “a source of inspiration”

16 year-old Sofiya Suleimanova interviews the student-run organisation that supports the ‘rights of students across the world to education’

September 15, 2023

Ukraine’s leniency towards sexual assault is irreconcilable with our nation’s European aspirations

A recent crime in the Zakarpattya region of Ukraine has proven once again how prevalent the problem with punishment for sexual violence is in the Ukrainian legal system

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on misogyny embedded in Ukraine’s legal system

August 10, 2023

Sexual assault should not have a timer

The whole case is another terrifying example of how the justice system worldwide fails victims of sexual assault once again and promotes inconsequential violence, as well as gaslighting the victims into silencing their stories and experiences

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko looks at a recent sexual assault case in Italy

August 09, 2023

Women’s World Cup inspiring a new generation of girls into the sport

The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is on track to receive the highest attendance numbers for the tournament to date, with interest in the women’s game on the rise

15 year-old Isaaq Hussain covers the recent historic achievements of the sport

July 07, 2023

Meet five Afghan girls who dream big for their future

After the Taliban seized power in August 2021, they banned girls from receiving a high school education. Despite these hardships, they are still determined to achieve their goals

13-17 year-old students of the OXSFJ & LEARN Afghan Project share their aspirations

March 03, 2023

‘Girls go missing, schools are closed down, teachers persecuted’. Fight for education in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Pashtana Dorani is the founder of an organisation running 'illegal' underground schools for girls in Afghanistan. She knows first-hand the struggles girls and those teaching them face since the US and their allies withdrew and the Taliban regained control of the country

16 year-old Sofiya Suleimenova interviews Afghan human rights activist

October 07, 2022

The Witcher - a feminist manifesto or a misogynistic tale?

Sapkowski’s saga is not only a fantasy tale - it is also a social commentary. That’s why the TV adaptation has brought into the limelight various types of discrimination, prejudice, and hate-rooted violence

Aleksandra Lasek inquires into the success of Yennefer of Vengerberg as a feminist role model

August 08, 2022

Women’s Euro 2022, a success and an inspiration to the female youth

It is very refreshing to see how female sport is gaining more recognition and the respect it deserves. Women's football is the fastest growing sport in the UK, and it will be interesting to see how female athletes and sport will develop over the next decade

Timur and Sofiya report on public opinions towards Lionesses’ win in the final

August 08, 2022

I doubt that Liz Truss will make girls’ lives better. Here’s why

If elected she has the capabilities to make significant headway in the progression of women’s rights, however based on her history of ineffectual action, it is unlikely for her to make tangible change within the UK

17 year-old Grace Whitehouse considers how Women’s rights in Britain will be harmed under Liz Truss leadership

August 05, 2022

Feminism after the girlboss: anxiety of the bimbo

Bimboism claims to be a leftist-adjacent, anti-capitalist, pro-sex work, pro-LGBTQ feminist movement which attracts significant controversy on TikTok

Sophie Elliott explains ‘bimbo Tok’ in the context of modern feminism

July 05, 2022

It is teenage girls who will be affected the most by abortion bans in the US

The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which removed the right for abortion in the US was done by a group which is 80 percent male, 80 percent white and 100 percent in their 50s or older. The societal group which is going to be affected by the change, is the complete opposite.

16 year-old Sofiya Suleimenova on the implications of overturning Roe vs Wade

January 20, 2022

With the notion of progress gone, gender equality is slowly dying in Poland

Since 2015, the ruling Law and Justice party has rejected the notion of progress which had characterised the Second Republic of Poland - despite the fact that it is the same Second Republic that the same Law and Justice politicians consider to be the embodiment of ideal Polish society.

Aleksandra Lasek on Poland's nationalists' lack of political consistency

November 26, 2021

The @feminist Instagram account took femvertising to the next level

When I look for activism content, I don’t wish to be discreetly tricked into buying a t-shirt, no matter how sustainable it is or what share of the profit goes to good causes.

Eva Smolokovskaya questions the ethics of the @feminist, a social media account with 6.4 million followers

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