Yasmine al-Ajdar,, a 31-year-old Egyptian woman showed how the sport of kickboxing had helped her improve her fitness and confidence, without forcing her to take off her niqab.

Speaking to DW from her basement, a female Afghan football player describes her horror at the return of the Taliban and begs for help. While aid efforts continue behind the scenes, here is her story.

Members of the women's national football team were among a group of female athletes successfully evacuated from Afghanistan. The news was confirmed by FIFAPRO, the association for professional footballers, on Monday.

When the Taliban swept back into power in Afghanistan on August 16, Kabul-based artist and curator Rada Akbar felt she had no other option than to leave. Last week, she managed to escape to France, where she is now in quarantine. In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24’s culture editor Eve Jackson, Akbar describes the Taliban’s bloody crackdown on female artists. “They would either put me in prison or kill me,” she said.

When the Taliban swept back into power in Afghanistan on August 16, Kabul-based artist and curator Rada Akbar felt she had no other option than to leave. Last week, she managed to escape to France, where she is now in quarantine. In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24’s culture editor Eve Jackson, Akbar describes the Taliban’s bloody crackdown on female artists. “They would either put me in prison or kill me,” she said.

Just days ago, Beheshta Arghand made history by becoming the first female Afghan journalist to interview a Taliban official live on television -- now she's a refugee overcome by emotion appealing for help.

Farida Shenga is one of Mombasa's few female rickshaw drivers. While necessity initally forced her into the profession, Farida now relishes it, and takes no nonsense.

Farida Shenga is one of Mombasa's few female rickshaw drivers. While necessity initially forced her into the profession, she now relishes it and doesn't put up with any nonsense.

Dr. Habiba Sarabi is one of four women who took part in the negotiations with the Taliban in Doha at the end of 2020. She is also the first woman to have ruled an Afghan province, that of Bamiyan. Sarabi, who was in Doha when the Taliban took power, spoke to us from the Turkish city of Izmir, where she now lives. She called the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan "a big mistake", branding the US pullout "irresponsible".

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan caused a stir after she appointed Stergomena Tax as defense minister. She becomes the first woman to hold the critical portfolio since the country's independence.

The SPD's Franziska Giffey won 21.4% of the vote, beating the Greens' Bettina Jarasch, who got 18.9%. Besides the national election, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were also electing local legislatures.

Two months after firing her predecessor and suspending parliament, President Saied tapped the engineering researcher to form a government.