island queens - how women in guinea-bissau keep the peace in their community till death do you part - why tying the knot remains popular in the philippines dispite a ban on divorce and: taking the limelight - women in saudi arabia are revelling in new freedoms

this is saudi arabia - and so is this. wasn't this the country with strict rules about segregating men and women? where concerts were forbidden in public spaces? i could have never imagined something like this would happen with me, because we are, we were a very conservative country. entertainment was something that was looked down on. i think i am a typical saudi woman in the sense that i am strong, that i am resilient and you can't tell me who i am and who i am not, so how dare you tell me? this is solskin. solskin is her dj name, and it means “sunshine” in danish. solskin: it's fine, it's fine i'll hug around. friend: how are you today? solskin: good! how are you? solskin has a day job as a magazine editor. during the week, she works in riyadh, the saudi capital.

so i am an anxious person i get nervous. so i figured if i can at least get as much done beforehand then i can relax and enjoy and go with the flow. so right now i am just picking my songs. picking the vibe that i think dorar would enjoy. and this is the artist she'll be performing with tonight—dorar, who used to work in human resources for a pharmaceutical company. 7 months ago i quit my job. so i was like i can't do this s**t anymore. i can't be in a 9 to 5 job writing paperwork like what the f**k. dorar's family lives in jeddah - she moved to riyadh on her own. just a few years ago, this would have been unimaginable. women weren't permitted to live alone - a male relative had to be part of the household. now dorar works for an audiovisual production company. she also djs at night.

saudi women performing as djs: some people here still find it a bit unusual—or even shocking. but that doesn't bother dorar. she wants to encourage others to follow their dreams. i know in the end it's not about me being a woman or it's not about me being saudi, it's about showing that you know that attitude. and i just wanna be part of the inspiration to let people know you can do whatever you want if you feel like it. saudi arabia is a kingdom. in 2015, salman bin abdulaziz was crowned king—and his son, mohammed bin salman, or mbs for short, the prince. a year later, mbs announced the vision 2030 project— a reform intended to strengthen the economy. saudi arabia was to become a strategic hub between the middle east and the rest of the world - and align itself more

closely with the international community. that also entailed a cultural shift - including integrating women into the workforce and granting them more personal freedoms. but music, djs and parties—all existed before vision 2030. the underground scene was very intimate; it was in people's houses. things are kind of literally hidden, because it had to be, because if you had speakers in your trunk you could be arrested. what are you doing with these? promoting the music industry is also part of the vision 2030 strategy. suddenly now it's just: here is more opportunity, here is funding, here is education because , we as a society, we decided, governmental at least, we decided that art in particular is something to be invested in. dorar was still in school when the country began to change. it was a very fast paced change. in 2016 we weren't able to drive and then 2017 i see

my classmates driving themselves to their classes. and just having this freedom to go out for lunch. now, just a few years later, she's looking forward to her set tonight. and she'll also be paid for it. this change opened up so many doors not just for me to be in the music industry but for me to discover myself and discover you know the community that i relate to. and obviously it is very empowering that i can make money out of this now. it's something that i want to tell my children, my grandchildren later. but are these new freedoms accessible to all saudi women? officially, women are no longer forced to wear headscarves, face coverings, or the long robe known as the abaya. the female employment rate has doubled and many rules concerning male guardianship have been eliminated. and yet, the reforms are contradictory.

people who raise their voice to demand equal rights for women are liable to be locked up or silenced. more than two-thirds of saudi arabia's population is under the age of 30, and young people are embracing new entertainment experiences. like the soundstorm festival, a 3 -day electronic music event that features international and local artists and draws a crowd of about 200,000 each day. i couldn't imagine at all feeling this, coming to such a place. like 5 years ago here in riyadh such a thing won't happen. i really like the freedom here. everyone is encouraged to be themselves. they can express themselves through fashion, makeup and nothing will be judged. saudi arabia is no longer as closed as it used to be. and while the mindset of the general public may not be changing as fast as the growing music industry—the opportunities that have arisen, have already changed lives.

at least for solskin and dorar. their set is tonight. i don't know how you would define a saudi woman. but i am pretty sure she looks like me, she looks like dorar, and others with the abaya and the niqab that is also a typical saudi woman. we are all of that everything in between. i know that we are resilient, that we can find a way so in that sense i'd be honored to call myself a saudi woman. later i wanna be producing, maybe open up a club somewhere. i want to be playing music and seeing people in front of me having a good time and you know flowing with the music that's basically my dream.

fall in love, get engaged, get married - and then live happily ever after. hmmm. . . it's not been like that for decades. since the 1970 s, there's been a general rise in divorce rates worldwide - though with considerable regional differences. most countries permit divorce. . . . most - but not all! a mass wedding on a grand scale. in march 2023, 2023 couples exchanged marriage vows on one day. the city of bacolod, on the philippine island of negros, made it easy for couples to tie the knot. couples like miky and john, both in their mid 20 s, for whom the wedding was free of charge. like many here, they couldn't have afforded

the ceremony otherwise. john and miky said this was the most important day of their lives. the more lavish the ceremony, the better. the elaborate mass wedding is a huge celebration - to mark a decision that's for life. because for now at least, divorce is not an option in the philippines, where marriage is held in very high regard. finaly, we're officially a couple. i'm happy that i now take his name. getting married is easy. getting divorced impossible. april tadios would like nothing more than to get divorced. but the law prohibits it. the 41 -year-old has to provide for her daughter on her own.

her husband left her years ago. since then, juliana has hardly seen her father. her memory of him is fading. a few photos in the family album are all that remains since he went to seek work abroad, as so many do here. he later broke off all contact. and no divorce means no requirement to pay child support. "i'm afraid that i won't be able to give her everything she needs. when she asks me for something, i say, 'be patient, we can't afford it at the moment, we don't have any money right now. ' she understands that. then she says, 'mommy, that's okay. ' fortunately, my daughter is very kind, so we don't have any problems with each other. " what god has joined together, let no one separate.

this phrase from the bible is enshrined in law in only two countries worldwide: the vatican and the philippines. father jerome secillano says divorce is not the way to solve relationship problems. he sees the philippines as a beacon in the darkness, rather than a country that's trailing others in its development. the circumstances are different from these countries compared to ours. so we don't need to be like them. so i guess we should even be proud that here we are sticking to it and now that we are protecting marriage as an institution. so no to divorce. " the only way out accepted by the church and the state is an annulment, where the marriage is treated as having never existed. but it's a lengthy process that only the wealthy can afford. there have been many attempts at reform in the past, but all have fallen foul of the philippines' complicated political system.

veteran lawmaker edcel lagman often champions the cause of the disadvantaged, and has put forward a bill that permits divorce in certain cases. he's confident it will eventually become law. while marriages are supposed to be solemnized in heaven, many plummet into hell became use of human frailty. and because of this, many are in infernal agony, more particularly abused women and abandoned women. we would have to give a lifeline to these couples in distress. april tadios earns what she can from babysitting, but struggles to make ends meet. it's been eight years now since her husband left.

he doesn't support her or their daughter, but the law still states she must remain married to him. thankfully, when things get really bad, she does at least have relatives who help out. it's sad for those who finally want to get away from their ex-partners but can't because they're still married on paper wherever you go, his name goes with you. but when i found out there's a chance that i might be able to divorce in future, i felt hope again. hope that one day i will be able to file the papers and that we will be separated for good. for john and miky, getting married means they can start a new independent life together. the philippines is quite a conservative country, where the values of the catholic church are still cherished by

many. "i don't like divorce. you need to take the time and be fully sure about your partner before you get married. if you're not sure, then don't get married. it's as simple as that. "i think divorce is okay. even if you've known someone for a long time, you don't always know what they're thinking and what's going on inside them. and you can't predict what the future holds. " should they, one day, no longer be so happy together, it's possible they won't have to stay together any longer than they want to. this woman is royalty - even if it doesn't appear so at first glance. ines necanam is working hard to earn money for her family.

she can sell a kilo of oysters for about three euros. one day, she will be queen. but exactly when? that's a secret kept by the women of orango. to be queen, you have to go through several rituals. but they are secret. you have to know the traditions, and know exactly how to prepare the shells for the sacred ceremonies, for example. it's the women who hold the power among the bijago people living on this island far off the coast of guinea-bissau. they are the head of the family, and above them are the queens. at the moment, there are three. as dictated by tradition, they also serve as priestesses. they make all the important decisions on the island, such as when to sow and harvest, and when to

hold religious ceremonies. only women are allowed inside their round huts. every problem is discussed at length. we help people with their marriage problems. we know about everyone's problems here on orango. if a couple is arguing and they don't come to us, we'll hear about it from their neighbors. and then we'll help them find a solution. women may have the power here, but they also do most of the work. they build the houses and do the housework - and they also own all the property. some of the oysters that ines necanam collected this morning are being cooked for the family's lunch. the people on orango live modestly, relying on what nature has provided. the men go out to fish, but they don't do much other work. instead, they have a lot of leisure time. yet no one questions the division of labor.

the women are proud of their strong role. unlike the women on the mainland, we're independent. we don't wait for the men. we don't have to beg them for money to do our shopping. we can decide for ourselves what to spend the money on. some 3,000 people live on orango most of them in the village of eticoga here, women decide who they want to marry. their parents then ask the parents of the chosen partner to agree to the marriage. the men are allowed to have several wives. they don't have a problem with living in a matriarchy. there are advantages for them. and just like the women, they're proud of their traditions.

ever since queen okinka pampa, we've become famous for being the island where the women have all the power. here, problems are solved before they get bigger. and we have our queens to thank for that. okinka pampa is revered in orango. her remains are kept here in this hut in eticoga - it's become a sacred place for people to visit. she is known for leading the resistance against the portuguese colonial powers, and for championing social reforms and women's rights, until her death in 1930. today though, there is also a village chief: caitano di pina. queen nene pays him regular visits, as his opinion is important to her. after all, the men should also have a voice. in this way, the women ensure that no problem is ignored, and everyone feels included.

the government in the capital, bissau, seems to care little for the role of the women on orango. it sends its decrees to caitano, not the queens. but no one here pays that any mind. the government in bissau could learn something from us. there, the politicians don't listen to the women. here on the other hand, everyone works together. and that's why everyone in our village accepts decisions that are made. the queens' hut is the center of power, says 80 -year-old queen nene. here, the women carry on the tradition of okinka pampa. we all work together, and we put a lot of effort into that. first, the men and women meet separately, then they meet with one another. once everything has been discussed, we queens have the last word.

the island may no longer be home to a pure matriarchy, but it is definitely a contrast to the patriarchal power structures on the mainland. the archipelago it's part of was never fully colonized. that has allowed its democratic traditions to be largely preserved -- making orango a place of peace. when maria reyna sings indigenous songs, another world opens up to her. the soprano sings in purepécha, mixtec, and her own native language, mixé. it's time for a soundcheck for her show tonight in mexico city. "of course we can speak spanish, but when we speak in

our native language, everything's different. our language is what shapes our view of life and of the world. it's the basis of everything. " maria reyna left oaxaca, the city where she grew up, to study singing. she's fluent in spanish, but always dreamed of performing in mixé. today, she sings on the big stage. she performs in 14 indigenous languages. she's fighting that they're not forgotten. someday she hopes to sing in all 68 of mexico's indigenous languages. "there are languages that are in danger of extinction; some are disappearing. it's very sad because when a language dies, a culture dies with it. " tonight she's going to dedicate a song to her mother in mixé.

"when i return to my home village, everything is different. because my parents don't speak spanish, when i'm there, i speak my native language. " some 600 kilometers away lies the mountain village of tlahuitoltepec. people here lead a modest life. a world apart from maria's glamorous life. but the conversations over the family kitchen table will always be familiar. maria's mother has lived here all her life but she encouraged her daughter to see the world. "my mom says she's proud. and that it's a good thing that other people get to hear our language. " maria reyna had to finance her singing studies with side jobs as a maid. nevertheless, her success should give hope to others. "i think the most special thing is to be an inspiration to other indigenous women who are pursuing their goals and dreams.

" the singer will soon perform on stage in new york. she wants to wear a traditional scarf. showing where she comes from is important to her. but many mexicans turn their backs on their homeland when they move to the u.s.,in search of a better life. they risk losing their native mixé language. maria reyna says music has brought her closer to her roots. she performs in traditional dress and says that it's part of her storytelling. "when we go up into the mountains, there are many colors and flowers that we encounter on the way. they're shown by these. " but back in mexico, the reality is somewhat contradictory. while indigenous cultures seem to be celebrated in public life, with markets full of handicrafts, most indigenous people live in poverty, neglected by the state.

"yes, some aspects have been forgotten, but here -- thanks to people like maria reyna -- our work is made visible. " these days, maria reyna is in a position to financially support her parents, to give something back to them. she hopes her music will make a difference and give others the courage to follow her path. "with our art, we're sowing seeds. in my case, it's with music. by singing in my native language, i want to inspire children and young people, i want to show them that it can open doors.

" a farewell ritual before maria reyna leaves her village: before everyone says their goodbyes, the family gathers to pray to mother earth. "we ask mother earth that nothing happens to maria. we pray that she's able to keep up her singing, that everything works out for her in the city. " back in mexico city, maria reyna's concert begins with the song dedicated to her mother; she sings that while her mother is far away, she has her close to her heart. the audience doesn't need to be able to understand the mixé lyrics to be moved by the special magic of her singing

>> this is dw news live from berlin. libya struggles with thousands of bodies left by catastrophic flooding. they are being pulled from the sea. some of the victims swept away after dams burst. now the red cross is warning of danger from uprooted landmines. also on the program, european commission -- backlash led by poland and hungary, who say