Perspective

The law as it already exists is "enough" to protect French schoolteachers if it's properly applied. That's the view of one teacher who teaches pupils about secularism and respecting all religions and freedom of speech here in France. Sophie Mazet spoke to us as the French cabinet discusses a proposed bill to close blind spots in the French Republic in the face of radical Islamism. The new bill is designed to prevent another murder of a teacher after Samuel Paty was beheaded outside his school in October for showing pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Human rights clearly "comes second" to French President Emmanuel Macron when he invites his Egyptian counterpart to France for a state visit. So says Human Rights Watch's Katia Roux, hitting out at the French leader, despite Macron saying he spoke frankly and openly to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about human rights during the visit. Roux says economic and strategic interests clearly come first, despite thousands of activists being jailed in Egypt amid a vast crackdown on civil society under Sisi's leadership.

Research shows up to one in five women in the UK have had to miss work, education or leisure activities as they couldn't afford to buy period products like tampons and sanitary pads. Now Scotland has become the first country in the world to legislate to ensure all women have free access to sanitary products. Those behind the new law are hoping other countries will follow suit. We spoke to Monica Lennon, a Member of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Labour Party's Health and Social Care spokesperson, who proposed the landmark legislation.

Renowned Irish journalist Declan Walsh has released “The Nine Lives of Pakistan'”, his account of the tumultuous decade he spent covering the country for the Guardian and the New York Times. His time in the country came to an end when, one day, he was ordered to leave. His search for an explanation for why he was deported, along with vivid accounts of the people he encountered during his reporting, form the basis of his book.

Joe Biden's victory in the US presidential election last month was secured in large part thanks to the youth vote, a demographic won over by Biden's environmental policies. We speak to John Paul Mejia, spokesperson for the Sunrise movement, about the group’s support for Biden - and how it's planning to ensure he doesn’t backtrack on his climate change pledges once he’s in the White House.

Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world, and has been for over a decade according to The World Economic Forum. While many nations have put in place measures to try and rebalance the books on the issue, it could take another thousand years for France to get there according to the European Trade Union Confederation. Ines Wagner, a researcher at the Institute for Social Research in Norway, gives us her perspective on the Islandic system and describes how the onus of proof of equality is on the companies rather than the employees.

Violence and racism in France’s police force has brought tens of thousands out into the streets to protest in recent weeks. While accusations have been made in the past, last week’s viral video of a black man being beaten in his own studio by officers, coupled with a new law that aims to limit the publication of images depicting police officers has brought a new level of attention to the problem. Mame-Fatou Niang, a professor of French and Francophone studies, gives us her perspective on racism in France.

In late state trials, Covid-19 vaccines are showing promising results, potentially heralding the beginning of the end of the pandemic. That is if they pass the final validations and people decide to take them. But there is reluctance. Samantha Vanderslott, a Social Sciences researcher at Oxford University, tells us that men are currently more wary of Covid-19 vaccinations than women, and the French are among the most skeptical, with just over half of the population saying they would take the jab.

Around the world, Covid-19 lockdowns have been having far-reaching effects on our collective mental health, with children and teenagers disproportionately affected by a dramatic reduction in time spent with other people. We spoke to Lynn Dolce, CEO of the Edgewood Center for Children and Families, based in San Francisco. "We're hearing story after story of really serious depression and anxiety," she told FRANCE 24.

Australia is still grappling with the legacy of its historic subjugation of the country’s Aboriginal minority. We speak to Greta Morton Elangué about her online film festival Black Australia, an event she hopes will give the world a chance to hear the stories of an often marginalised community.