The #MeToo movement has spread from the United States to other parts of the world as women have increasingly spoken out about sexual assault and sexual harassment. One country where it has struggled is Japan, where discussions about sexual harassment and sexual assault remain highly taboo. Japanese women are much less likely than their U.S. counterparts to describe non-consensual sex as rape. Further, women who publicly accuse their attackers often face significant public backlash. On this

China’s rapid economic growth over the past two decades been nothing short of remarkable. Of course there’s been a dark side to this growth. As China has built more factories, power plants and cars, it also became one of the most polluted countries on earth. But since President Xi Jinping declared a ‘war on pollution’ in 2014, China has also made big strides in tackling some of the problems. It’s become a global leader in renewable energy from solar and wind, has cut smog in big cities and is

The use of orphanages fell out of favor in the U.S. around World War II, and the institutions were largely replaced by the foster care system. But in parts of Asia and Africa, the number of orphanages has actually risen in recent decades – spurred in part by the death toll from conflict and HIV/AIDS. Many of these institutions are privately owned or run by non-profits and receive no government money. Instead, they are funded entirely by donations. The growth has led to criticism by some child

For many people, the thought of spending your life next to the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean is an envious one. But for many people in the tiny fishing village of Cajio Beach in western Cuba - it’s something they only want to escape. Life for them is a constant struggle and filled with disappointments. Few have hope for a better life in Cuba - and so the only promise for many is to board a raft or small boat in hopes of making the 90 mile journey to the United States alive. This glimpse

Around the world, rates of teen pregnancy have been dropping for decades. But in Latin America, rates of teenage motherhood remain stubbornly high. Today they’re about 36 percent higher than the global average. One country where the problem is particularly acute is Venezuela - where teenagers account for nearly one in four births. Venezuela's economic crisis has had a big effect on its public health system – including efforts to curtail teen pregnancy. On this edition of Global Journalist, a

In recent days Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he would withdraw his country from the treaty governing the International Criminal Court. That move came just over a month after the ICC’s top prosecutor announced that she had opened a preliminary investigation into atrocities carried out as part of Duterte’s “War on Drugs.” In the 20 months since Duterte took office promising to “slaughter” drug users and drug dealers, more than 12,000 people have been slain in extrajudicial

Egypt will hold a presidential election at the end of this month. But there’s little drama about who will actually win. President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi, who led a 2013 coup against the country’s first democratically-elected leader, is expected to be handily re-elected. That’s because el-Sissi’s government has arrested or intimidated all viable potential opponents. The president’s only opponent is virtually unknown – and was actually an outspoken supporter of el-Sissi until just hours before the

In 1979 China's Communist Party implemented the “One-Child Policy” to slow the country’s population growth. The policy was lifted in 2015, yet the effects of 36 years of strict population control will be felt for years to come. Today there are about 7.6 workers for every person over 65 in China. By 2050, fully 40 percent of the population could be over that age and the country is projected to have 100 million people 80 and over. On this edition of Global Journalist, a look at the emerging

Most people probably know little about the tiny South American nation of Guyana. In the U.S., it made headlines back in the late 1970s after an American cult leader named Jim Jones took his followers there – and more than 900 died in a murder-suicide after drinking poisoned Kool-Aid . But recently Guyana has been in the news for more positive reasons. That’s because ExxonMobil has made one of the most promising offshore oil discoveries there in decades. Yet the sudden discovery of all this cash

The Kurds have played a key role in the Syrian war. With U.S. military aid, a Kurdish militia called the YPG has done a large share of the ground fighting that has led to the near-defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Still it’s not clear that these military gains have brought the Kurds any closer to their dream of a Kurdish nation. On this edition of Global Journalist, we look at the prospects and aspirations of the Kurds after the defeat of ISIS, and what may become of thousands of