I’m still thinking about harassment because — dammit — the minute I stop thinking about it, I experience something or witness something and it’s right back there in my head, taking up far more space than it actually deserves. I think of the story I wrote about recently, where the…

Marco led me to the entrance of a dark alley. The streetlights were far off, and I could barely make out what lay ahead, seeing only dumpsters and a few homeless people huddled in a corner. I heard scurrying city rats. We were on our way to dinner. And we…

There’s a scene in The Power where Jocelyn, one of the characters, is telling her mother what it’s like to have these new powers: On Tuesday, I went for a run and I just lost track of time and it got dark, but instead of rushing, I just walked home…

While walking my dog one balmy April night, I crossed paths with a man who turned to me and said: “I wanna pin you down and fuck the shit out of you.” As if he has a right to say this. “Asshole!” I screamed. It was the only thing I…

It was impossible to predict how our world would change in March 2020. What began as temporary measures to assess an unusual situation swiftly turned into a global response to an unprecedented pandemic. That’s how I started my piece for the book COVID and Gender in the Middle East that…

I just came back from my 25-year graduate school reunion. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot since then. In 1998, I received my MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). It’s a pretty prestigious place with some high profile people…

Women’s “month” is officially over. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel any different. I’d like to think that this month has led to reignited activism and commitment for real change — has it?! Maybe I missed the memo. We spend this month launching reports, releasing statements, disseminating…

Working on women’s rights is easy, right?! In some ways, yes. All we need to do is take whatever spaces we occupy and make them feminist. In other words, bring your values into your home, your school, your workplace — no matter what kind of work you do. And if…

First of all, you’ve heard me howl about the huge gender gaps we face, and the centuries we need to bridge them. And the economic gender gap is one of the widest. We still face inequalities in pay, in promotions, in benefits, in opportunities, in investing, in savings, in pensions…