Society
Welcome to our section on society.
From gender and sexuality to science and technology, our coverage speaks to the societal shifts fundamentally changing our daily lives. Here, we unpack health inequalities and the varying accessibility of education internationally.
This is also the home of our coverage of crime, justice and where we discuss the ways in which the law impacts different members of civil society.
Colombia’s political prisoners’ futures hang on electoral outcome
Guerrillas talk about the peace process. Alicia Prager reports.
Can men help break Kenyan womens’ exclusion?
Can male volunteers help break the cycle of womens’ political exclusion in Kenya? Hannah O’Neill and Louise Donovan report.
Reclaiming the city
In the Barcelona area, local governments and citizens are transforming municipal politics, finds Luke Stobart.
Can a new generation topple Ireland’s 8th amendment?
This Friday’s vote demonstrates a vibrant and long overdue campaign for a secular republic, Éilis Ryan writes.
Rightwing boxer knocked out
The boxer has become the butt of social media jokes, Alessio Perrone writes.
Will new laws tame the tech giants?
Are these new privacy laws the best solution? Mike Morel investigates.
Rape as communal violence in India
Violence against women is being used as a weapon of communal hatred, suggesting India should enact the Communal Violence bill, Nilanjana Bhowmick argues.
Why telling victims not to ‘be victims’ is wrong
Kate Smurthwaite stands in defence of this battered word.
What drives young men to embrace religious extremism in Pakistan?
Pervez Hoodbhoy, one of South Asia’s leading nuclear physicists, talks to Andy Heintz about why the word ‘liberal’ is so unpopular in Pakistan.
Remembering a revolution: May 1968
Spanning hopeless romanticism to utter contempt, Harrison Jones takes an in-depth look at memories of France’s last mass uprising.
And Finally: Meena Kandasamy
The writer and activist discusses domestic abuse, social media and politics in India with Graeme Green.
Britain has no moral high ground on Commonwealth homophobia
The colonial practice of exporting homophobia and contemporary anti-migrant policies should give pause to Britain’s triumphalist rhetoric, argues Sean O’Neill.
Humanitarian drones and other anachronisms
Aid-by-drone, what’s not to like? New tech in the sector brings many problems, Nick Dowson explains.
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‘Repeal the eighth!’: Will Ireland liberalize abortion laws in May?
A long-awaited referendum on abortion is due this May, which will offer citizens the chance to repeal the constitution’s eighth amendment and liberalize Ireland’s strict legislation writes Megan Nolan
Raising voices to stop rape in Bangladesh
The Bangladeshi state is intimidating indigenous human rights defenders. Amy Hall reports.
Why we all belong to a shared community
It is not rationality that unites us, but the fragility of our physical bodies, argues Tom Whyman.
The drugs don’t work
Lea Surugue reports on the dramatic rise of heart disease in Africa and the corresponding crisis of fake cardiac drugs.
Why striking lecturers can’t give up now
Strikes have shown our strength. Academics could demand so much more for our universities, writes Hamish Kallin.
They’ve killed Marielle Franco – for doing good
She was a young, black, city councillor – and a beacon of hope in her Rio favela and for Brazil. Vanessa Baird writes about the gunning down of hope.
Women starving for their basic humanity
Immigration Removal Centres are the shame of Britain, Katie McQue reports.
Survivors and doctors fight back against FGM
Without proper care, the value of post-FGM reconstructive surgery can be limited. Kyle G. Brown reports.
We demand an end to Yarl’s Wood injustice
On International Women’s Day, supporters of detainees write an open letter to the Home Secretary
Save the Children whistleblowers speak out
Brie O’Keefe and Alexia Pepper de Caires speak to Ben Phillips about the ‘loneliness’ of taking on powerful institutions.
Women of Yarl’s Wood stand up
More than 100 women detainees are on all out strike. Those outside detention must show their support, argues Felicity Kersting.
Demanding a solution revolution
Dear #MeToo backlash, we feminists have heard it all before… Kate Smurthwaite writes
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Six ways to be a better ally
Are you a non-black person unsure of how to support black struggles? Kristina Wong has some ideas for you.
When disaster strikes, put women in charge
Oxfam’s Haiti sex scandal highlights how girls and young women are most at risk in emergencies. Vanessa Baird makes the case for keeping men out of it.
The trashing of Oxfam
Abuse must be eradicated but the attack on Oxfam is disproportionate, argues Maggie Black in this opinion piece
Why defunding Oxfam won't stop abuse
‘The idea of altruistic morality puts aid workers in a double bind, eroding true responsibility’
The convenience of smart fridges? Think again
A dystopian short story by Pat Cadigan on the future internet of things.
