The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a major catalyst in narrowing the domestic gender gap. Between 2019 and 2024, American fathers increased time on childcare by 11% and housework by 30%, while mothers' time remained stable. This has significantly accelerated a pre-existing trend toward more involved fatherhood.
Contrary to the Western view of the Kurdish SDF as allies, many Arab-majority cities in Northern Syria perceived their rule as a foreign occupation. The advance of Syrian government troops was met with public celebrations, revealing deep local resentments and a complex internal dynamic often missed by international observers.
While a domestic gender gap persists, it has shrunk dramatically, largely due to fathers increasing their contributions. Before the pandemic, mothers spent 100% more time on domestic tasks; by 2024, this gap had narrowed to 60-65%. If this rapid rate of change continues, gender parity could be achieved within a decade.
Unlike China's scripted party congresses that project unity, Vietnam's is a genuine contest between distinct factions with competing visions. The main conflict pits a pro-Western, police-aligned faction against a military faction favoring old communist allies and state-controlled economics, making the outcome highly uncertain.
The party leader’s anti-corruption drive, a tool for consolidating power by purging rivals, has been ineffective against the military. Because the army has its own disciplinary system, it has remained a coherent and powerful faction with a state-centric economic vision, directly challenging the leader's market-based reforms.