Schools in France told dozens of girls in abayas to go home on the first day of the school year, a minister says. The government argues the garments go against secularism rules.

A big part of New Zealand's World Cup legacy could involve keeping girls in football longer. To this end, a symposium focused on enhancing the understanding and acceptance of the effects of menstruation on athletes.

Matiullah Wesa, the founder of an Afghan girls' education project, was arrested in Kabul by Taliban authorities, according to the UN mission to Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021, thousands of Afghan families have found refuge in neighbouring Pakistan. Many Afghans decided to flee their country in order for their daughters to have an education, the Taliban having imposed a ban on secondary and higher education for girls. Pakistan does not offer real prospects of integration or employment to refugees.

Reports of unexplained poisonings in girls' schools and dorms in Iran have increased since November. Authorities have claimed the victims are experiencing symptoms of "stress," but activists say it's unlikely.

In an interview with DW, Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy spoke about her new animated film, "Sitara: Let Girls Dream," on the issue of child marriage. She says that some 12 million girls in the world are not able to reach their potential due to early marriages.

Millions of girls in India are missing out on school due to stigma over periods and a lack of sanitary facilities. Menstruation remains a undiscussed subject in many communities.

Like most new mothers, Serena's life was upended when she had a baby, and balancing her education with mothering led to trauma and stress. But unlike most, she was only 15 years old.

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, most girls have been banned from going to high school. But some women are resisting, like Hamida Aman, founder of Radio Begum.

A community group in rural Zimbabwe is making reusable sanitary towels so that girls don't have to miss school when they have their period. The Chiedza Community Welfare Trust, in Zimbabwe's Mutasa District, started sewing cloth sanitary pads when founder Gladys Mukaratirwa realized that local girls were missing school every month because they couldn't afford disposable hygiene products.

Despite repeated calls on the Taliban to allow girls to attend classes again, the group still has yet to answer. Netizens have taken to the web under the #LetAfghanGirlsLearn campaign to demand back the right to study.

For more than nine months, Afghan girls over the age of 11 have been prohibited from going to high school. The Taliban have not reneged on the ban they imposed on taking power last August, despite their initial promise to do so. In the western city of Herat, FRANCE 24's reporters followed one teacher who hopes that her former students will be able to continue their education. They also met a teacher who is defying the ban by giving clandestine lessons. Meanwhile, some fathers are trying to convince the authorities to reopen girls' schools for their daughters.