When Reema (not her real name) was nine years old, her mother walked out, leaving her to care for her two younger sisters and do the cooking and cleaning for her dad -- in cases of divorce in that society, girls stayed with their fathers, while boys went to their mothers, because men and boys simply didn't do housework or childcare. 

Read More

"Ruth, that's enough."

That was the greeting from my Turkish friend when I walked into her apartment one day.  But she was grinning, and it only took a minute for her to explain that this was the name of the friend who was visiting.  

Read More