© picture-alliance/dpa

Although the Bangladeshi authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the murder of blogger Avijit Roy, his wife claims religious fundamentalists killed her husband because of his writings.

A member of the Nigerian Army standing with a group of women and children rescued in an operation against the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. © Picture-alliance/dpa

The Nigerian military reported Boko Haram hostages had been held in terrible conditions in the Sambisa Forest. Earlier they had freed nearly 500 women and girls. Read other news about women here.

A woman, who underwent sterilization surgery at a government mass sterilisation “camp”, walks to sit in a hospital bed at a district hospital in Bilaspur, in the eastern Indian state of Chhattisgarh, November 13, 2014. © Reuters/M. Mukherjee

Women in rural India continue to lack access to proper family planning services. This issue came under spotlight with the tragic death of 16 women who were sterilized in a health camp in the northeastern State of Chhattisgarh in November 2014. The doctor who had performed the surgeries confessed in an interview that he had a history of completing 200-300 surgeries a day. It was also reported that women were given no follow up care.

Sanchaita Gajapati Raju, a lawyer and media professional, chose to give up her life of luxury in 2011 when she set up her NGO, Social Awareness Newer Alternatives (SANA). The organization works tirelessly to provide access to clean water and sanitation facilities in over 20 villages in India. Roma Rajpal Weiß talked to the inspiring young woman about her journey.

We always discuss women’s issues, such as domestic violence, anxiety and depression and most of the times men are blamed for all these problems. I have seen many women end their marriages because they think that they are being oppressed by their partner even when it is not so. Have we ever thought, how we as women can have better love or marriage relationships, and eventually can live happier lives, even when we have problems?

In the early 1990s, Liao Xiaoyi saw the important role played by NGOs in environmental protection in the United States, but she also found problems with the American lifestyle. “During the winter months, the AC temperature in malls and department stores was so high that people had to wear summer clothes, while during the summer months, it was so cold indoors that people had to take thick clothes with them. The weather in the state of California is sunny, but there was a law against airing clothes within your own courtyard, so that people have to use a drying machine; otherwise they would be fined USD 50. I believe our earth cannot sustain this kind of wasteful lifestyle.”

Copyright: picture-alliance/dpa/Roessler

Tugce Albayrak was punched by a man during a disagreement in November 2014. The 23-year-old student fell to the ground and died several days later of a head injury. Her attacker is now on trial. What did he say on the opening day in cour? Read more here.