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  • Spanish PM Sánchez calls early election after housing protests

    Spanish PM Sánchez calls early election after housing protests

    Spain has been thrown into a sudden political upheaval after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced an early general election will be held on November 29, just days after his left-wing coalition government’s flagship housing crisis legislation failed to pass parliament. The snap vote, which comes more than eight months before the latest scheduled general election deadline of summer 2027, is the direct result of mounting public anger over the country’s escalating affordable housing emergency and parliamentary gridlock that has blocked the government’s reform efforts.

    The crisis that triggered the election unfolded after a high-profile eviction captured national attention and galvanized widespread public protest. In late September, 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly removed on a stretcher from the Madrid apartment she had lived in for more than 70 years, after a legal loophole allowed her landlord to jack her monthly rent up from €500 to €2,650. Even after the rent was lowered to €1,650, the cost remained €300 higher than Abascal’s total monthly pension, leaving her unable to keep up with payments. Though her lawyer has since confirmed she will be allowed to return to her home, the shocking incident sparked national outrage and put immense pressure on Sánchez’s government to deliver sweeping tenant protections. On Saturday, just three days before the election announcement, tens of thousands of protesters marched in major Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia to demand stronger rental market safeguards.

    In response to the public outcry, Sánchez’s minority coalition government – made up of his Socialist Workers’ Party and left-wing junior partner Sumar – put forward two emergency decree laws to address the crisis. The first proposal included progressive reforms such as suspending evictions for vulnerable tenants through 2030, extending expiring rental leases for two years through 2028, raising taxes on tourist apartments, and restricting residential property purchases by large investment firms the administration labeled “vulture funds”. The second, more controversial decree met fierce opposition from the right, as it included the automatic renewal of rental contracts, a core demand of left-wing groups and the national tenants’ union Sindicato de Inquilinas.

    Both bills were defeated in parliament on Friday, leaving the government without a path to advance its housing agenda. Sánchez, who has served as prime minister since 2018, announced the election in a national televised address on Monday, arguing that a fresh mandate from Spanish voters was necessary to break the political deadlock and continue pushing progressive reform. “We need to renew and broaden people’s support for this government,” he said, adding that to overcome resistance from elite interests to his agenda, “we need the support of the people” and a broader progressive majority in congress. Currently, Sánchez’s coalition holds only a minority of seats in parliament, relying on ad-hoc support from smaller regional and nationalist parties, including Catalan and Basque pro-independence groups, to govern. The coalition took power after the 2023 general election, when the conservative People’s Party (PP) won the most seats but failed to secure a parliamentary majority, allowing Sánchez to cobble together a governing coalition with left-wing and regional allies.

    Opposition leaders have welcomed the early election, framing it as a long-overdue chance for Spanish voters to reject the current government’s agenda. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said after the announcement, “At last, Spaniards will be able to decide.” He cast the upcoming vote as a stark choice between “decline or change, lies or change, incompetence or change, division or change, corruption or change.” The right has argued that the government’s proposed housing reforms would backfire, discouraging new rental property construction and driving up prices even further. “Housing doesn’t get cheaper with decrees, it gets cheaper with more homes,” PP lawmaker Juan Bravo said last week.

    Most recent opinion polls suggest the PP is on track to win the most seats in the November election, but it would still need to form a coalition with the hard-right Vox party to take power – a prospect that has left many progressive voters concerned about a shift to the right on social and economic policy in Spain. For voters across the political spectrum, the upcoming election will be defined first and foremost by the country’s ongoing housing affordability crisis, which has pushed housing costs to record highs and left millions of low-income and vulnerable Spaniards at risk of displacement.

  • Teachers in Republic of Ireland begin industrial action

    Teachers in Republic of Ireland begin industrial action

    A widespread industrial action has been launched by primary and secondary school educators across the Republic of Ireland, escalating a growing pay dispute that threatens major disruption to the country’s education system this month. Two of Ireland’s largest teaching unions, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), kicked off work-to-rule measures starting Monday, with a full 24-hour nationwide strike scheduled for October 14.

    The INTO, which represents the majority of Ireland’s primary school teaching workforce, confirmed that normal school operations will face significant interruptions amid the industrial action. Union members have withdrawn from all pre- and post-school student supervision duties, and will refuse to attend any staff gatherings or parent-teacher conferences scheduled outside standard contracted school hours.

    Union leaders say the walkouts and work restrictions stem from the Irish government’s failure to deliver what they call “meaningful commitments on pay” after the previous national public sector pay agreement expired at the end of June. This teacher action is not an isolated incident: it follows similar work-to-rule moves initiated last week by more than 100,000 public sector workers across Ireland, including hospital nurses, administrative school staff and government civil servants.

    Two additional days of full national strike action have already been penciled in for October 14 and 21. On these dates, education officials warn that most primary and secondary schools across the country could close entirely, with union picket lines set up at education sites and government buildings nationwide. A third major teaching body, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), is also set to join the industrial campaign, launching its own work-to-rule starting October 12.

    In response to the escalating action, a spokesperson for the Irish government stated that administration officials remain open to entering good-faith negotiations with the union leadership, but will not agree to be pressured into accepting a pre-determined outcome to the pay talks before discussions even begin.

  • France to close up to 500 schools on Monday over student protests

    France to close up to 500 schools on Monday over student protests

    Days of escalating violent clashes between law enforcement and student demonstrators have left France’s education system in turmoil, with officials announcing Sunday that up to 500 secondary schools across the country will operate at partial or full capacity closures on Monday.

    France’s Education Ministry spokesperson Édouard Geffray confirmed that security requirements have not been met to hold normal classes at between 400 and 500 high schools, leading to widespread full or partial suspension of instruction. Since the student movement launched last week, 24 educational facilities have been subjected to arson attacks or extensive looting, Geffray added.

    What began as a localized protest in Paris over failing education standards has rapidly spread across the nation in seven days, drawing thousands of participating students to major urban centers including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille. The core grievances of the demonstrators center on longstanding systemic issues: chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded learning spaces, and chronically under-maintained, dilapidated school infrastructure.

    By Friday, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reported that 735 of France’s 3,700 total secondary schools had already experienced disruption of some form from the unrest. While Geffray warned that the scope of school closures on Monday could match the disruption seen on Friday, he outlined plans for a gradual, partial resumption of normal academic operations once security is restored.

    In a sharp rebuke of extremist elements involved in the unrest, Geffray claimed that far-left activist groups had infiltrated the original student-led movement, hijacking the peaceful protest agenda to carry out systematic violent action. “This clearly creates major risks for both our education staff and enrolled students,” he stated, adding that 78 education workers have sustained injuries in the clashes — a scale of violence against school personnel that he described as unprecedented in modern French history.

    Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that law enforcement carried out 1,747 arrests across the country during unrest on Friday alone. According to reporting from Agence France-Presse, protest organizers have rejected the government’s initial responses and called for additional mass demonstrations to proceed on Tuesday, accusing national leaders of failing to put forward any concrete policy solutions to address the students’ core demands.

    Over the weekend, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that his administration was rolling out new policy measures to tackle the challenges voiced by students and education staff. The government’s proposal includes commitments to protect the continuity of instruction, upgrade deteriorating school facilities, reorganize daily school schedules to reduce overcrowding, and increase transparency around France’s controversial university admissions platform.

    Lecornu also added that the government is accelerating legislative review of its pending “vandal-pays” bill, which would require anyone convicted of damaging school property during the protests to cover the full cost of repairs and reconstruction.

  • Two people killed as floods hit Spain’s Catalonia region

    Two people killed as floods hit Spain’s Catalonia region

    Deadly flash flooding has swept across northeastern Spain’s Catalonia region, leaving at least two people dead and triggering a massive emergency response as authorities warn of ongoing risks to local communities.

    In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed reporters, confirming that the crisis remains in a critical phase. “The situation in Catalonia is still very complicated,” Sánchez stated, noting that ongoing rainfall and saturated river basins are preventing first responders from fully containing the hazard. Local emergency management agencies have deployed hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and civil defense personnel to carry out water rescues, evacuate at-risk neighborhoods, and clear roads blocked by mud and debris.

    The extreme weather event, driven by an unusually slow-moving storm system that dumped more than 200 millimeters of rain over a 24-hour period in parts of the region, has caused widespread infrastructure damage. Dozens of rural and suburban towns have lost access to clean drinking water, and key transport links including regional rail lines and major highways have been closed indefinitely. The Catalan regional government has declared a 15-day state of emergency for the worst-hit areas, unlocking immediate emergency funding for relief efforts and long-term recovery.

    Authorities have urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone zones to follow evacuation orders strictly, warning that residual flood risk remains high even as rainfall begins to taper off. Spanish officials have also begun preliminary assessments of the total economic damage, with early estimates suggesting losses could run into hundreds of millions of euros for agricultural operations, small businesses, and public infrastructure. As of the latest update, search operations are still ongoing to confirm no additional people are unaccounted for in the most severely affected areas.

  • Watch: What we know about Russian strikes on Kyiv bridges

    Watch: What we know about Russian strikes on Kyiv bridges

    A fresh wave of Russian attacks has once again struck a critical infrastructure link in the Ukrainian capital, marking the second straight day that strikes have targeted Kyiv’s Northern Bridge. Dan Johnson, the BBC’s senior Ukraine correspondent, is currently positioned in the immediate vicinity of the damaged crossing, providing on-the-ground reporting of the aftermath of the latest attack.

    The repeated targeting of the river crossing underscores the ongoing pressure Russian military operations are placing on key transportation networks in and around Kyiv, as the conflict in Ukraine enters another phase of intensified strikes on urban infrastructure. Local authorities have not yet released full details on casualties or the extent of structural damage to the bridge, which serves as a vital connection for residents and supply movements in the northern part of the capital region.

    Johnson’s presence near the site comes as international media continues to document the impact of daily strikes on Ukrainian cities, bringing first-hand perspective on how the attacks are disrupting civilian life and transport links across Kyiv.

  • Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit

    Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit

    A fresh wave of Russian drone attacks has struck one of Kyiv’s key river crossings for the second straight day, unfolding just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the Ukrainian capital for an unannounced solidarity visit. The Sunday morning strike on Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge came 24 hours after an initial drone assault that damaged the bridge’s roadway and snarled local cross-city traffic.\n\nKyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the latest attack inflicted additional damage beyond the bridge itself: a critical heating main serving the capital’s northeastern Desnyanskyi district was hit, leaving thousands of local residents without temporary hot water access. In an immediate update posted to his Telegram channel, Klitschko wrote, “Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene.” Unverified amateur footage circulating online captures the chaos of the strike: civilian cars are seen traveling across the span moments before a drone slams into the structure, triggering a massive fireball that sends thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the Dnipro River.\n\nThis latest attack is part of an intensifying four-day campaign by Moscow to target major critical infrastructure across Kyiv. Over the past week, two of the capital’s key Dnipro River bridges — Pivnichnyi and Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge — have been repeatedly hit by Russian drones. Prior to Thursday, neither span had been targeted since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Both bridges play a vital logistical role, connecting the western and eastern halves of the capital.\n\nThe first strike on Pivnichnyi Bridge on Saturday left two people injured and damaged both the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines, Klitschko said. Just days earlier, Pivdennyi Bridge endured multiple direct drone hits that damaged its structural cables. The repeated assaults prompted Kyiv’s defense council to convene an emergency crisis meeting on Friday to coordinate response efforts.\n\nRussia has publicly defended the targeting of the two bridges, claiming they are used by Ukrainian forces to transfer troops and military supplies across the capital. The Kremlin has also issued a repeated warning urging all foreign citizens, including diplomatic staff, to evacuate Kyiv immediately. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the recent wave of infrastructure attacks as a retaliatory measure against Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities, a claim that ignores the fact that Moscow launched its own large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure first.\n\nWhile military analysts note that modern reinforced concrete bridges such as those crossing the Dnipro are unlikely to collapse from individual drone strikes, repeated consecutive attacks carry significant risks. Experts explain that even if the spans do not fully collapse, frequent assaults will force prolonged closures to repair damage and gradually weaken the bridges’ structural integrity over time, rendering them unusable for both civilian and military traffic.\n\nKlitschko has sounded the alarm over the growing pressure on Kyiv, warning the city is facing a “very dramatic situation” as Russian forces batter critical infrastructure, logistics hubs, residential housing and other key city facilities.\n\nCoinciding with the latest strike, Merz’s surprise trip to Kyiv brought a fresh show of German support for Ukraine. Arriving in the capital by train, the German chancellor met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and paid respects to fallen Ukrainian defenders at a city memorial. During his visit, Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s longstanding commitment to Kyiv and pledged new additional assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.\n\nIn a post on X outlining the purpose of his visit, Merz wrote: “Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us. Germany’s security also depends on the outcome of this war. That is why we are helping out of our own self-interest as well.”

  • Will Spain’s housing crisis lead to a snap election?

    Will Spain’s housing crisis lead to a snap election?

    Spain’s simmering housing crisis has taken a sharp new political turn, with the country’s national Congress voting down a slate of emergency policy measures designed to address skyrocketing rents and widespread affordable housing shortages. The legislative defeat has thrown the ruling government into chaos, fueling immediate speculation that a premature national election could be called months ahead of the scheduled 2027 vote.

    Public anger over the ongoing housing emergency has been boiling over for years, as rental prices in major urban centers including Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia have surged far beyond the average household’s ability to pay. Many young and low-income Spaniards now report being locked out of homeownership entirely, with stagnant wages failing to keep pace with the double-digit growth in housing costs seen across much of the country. In response to the latest legislative setback, organizers have rolled out a schedule of coordinated mass marches in cities nationwide to demand urgent action from political leaders.

    The BBC’s international correspondent Guy Hedgecoe is on the ground in the Spanish capital, Madrid, reporting on the unfolding political and social fallout from the Congress vote. Political analysts note that the rejection of the housing reforms exposed deep rifts within the governing coalition, leaving Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with few options to pass meaningful legislation before his current term ends. If the government is unable to form a new majority or advance an alternative policy package, a snap election will become increasingly likely, reshaping Spain’s political landscape for years to come.

  • Protesters across Spain demand action over housing crisis

    Protesters across Spain demand action over housing crisis

    A wave of mass demonstrations has spread across Spain this weekend, as thousands of frustrated citizens take to the streets demanding sweeping tenant protections, just days after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority leftist coalition government saw its emergency housing legislation defeated in Congress.

    The current housing crisis, which has sent rents skyrocketing and pushed thousands of vulnerable households into risk of eviction, reached a breaking point last month with the forced eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home after she could not cover a sharp rent hike. That incident ignited immediate public outrage and nationwide protests, pushing Sánchez’s government — a partnership between his Socialist Party and the left-wing Sumar alliance — to rush two emergency decree bills to parliament in a bid to address widespread anger.

    The proposed legislation carried a series of key reforms to ease pressure on renters: the first bill would have suspended evictions for vulnerable tenants through 2030, extended expiring rental leases for two years until 2028, raised taxes on tourist-focused short-term apartment rentals, and restricted residential property purchases by the government-labeled “vulture funds” that have bought up large swathes of Spanish housing stock. The second bill enshrined automatic renewal of rental contracts, a top longstanding demand from tenant advocacy groups and left-wing political actors.

    Despite the government’s last-minute push, both bills failed to secure enough support to pass. The first was defeated by a vote of 178 against to 172 in favor, while the second was rejected 184 to 166. The conservative opposition People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox had already pledged to block both measures from the start. Already lacking a parliamentary majority, Sánchez’s coalition relied on backing from small nationalist parties from Catalonia and the Basque Country to pass the bills — but the centre-right pro-independence Together for Catalonia (JxCat) announced its opposition just ahead of the vote, condemning the legislation to defeat.

    In response to the parliamentary defeat, tenant unions across the country organized roughly 50 coordinated marches for Saturday in major population centers including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, one of the first cities to see large-scale mobilizations earlier this month. Clashes erupted in the eastern coastal city of Valencia near the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, which was hosting an industry real estate summit. Spanish media reports confirm that dozens of protesters pushed past security barriers and threw projectiles at police officers, who responded by firing rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. A spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants’ Union described widespread public anger boiling over into the streets, confirming the demonstration had kicked off earlier Saturday morning.

    The largest demonstration is projected to take place in the capital Madrid, where pro-housing reform activists have maintained a continuous encampment at the iconic central Puerta del Sol square for multiple days leading up to Saturday’s mobilization. “We’re not here for pleasure or comfort. We’re here out of conviction,” protester David told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE ahead of the march. Madrid’s Tenants’ Union released a statement Friday night arguing that while the government’s proposed reforms fell far short of what was needed, the outright rejection of the legislation has dramatically worsened a housing crisis that is already devastating working-class communities across the country. The union has now called for a general strike to demand urgent action on the country’s deepening housing shortage.

    While the property management company that owns Abascal’s apartment later negotiated her return to the home at a reduced rent following the public backlash, protests have continued to gain momentum as broader systemic issues drive unrest. Official data underscores the severity of the crisis: the Bank of Spain estimates a national shortage of 700,000 affordable homes, driven by a persistent gap between growing housing demand and stagnant new construction. National statistics institute INE reports that overall house prices rose 12.2% over the past year as of the second quarter of 2026, while real estate firm Idealista data shows average national rents climbed 8.5% in 2025 alone. Madrid saw average rents jump 9.7% last year, making it one of the country’s most expensive rental markets alongside Barcelona, where average rent hits €23.80 per square meter compared to Madrid’s €22.70 per square meter.

    The parliamentary defeat of the housing bills has also intensified political speculation, with analysts now suggesting Sánchez could be forced to call an early general election. The next scheduled national vote is not set to take place until summer 2027, but the minority government’s repeated struggles to pass legislation amid shifting parliamentary alliances have raised questions about its ability to govern through to the end of its term.

  • Russia strikes second major bridge in Kyiv, mayor says

    Russia strikes second major bridge in Kyiv, mayor says

    Fresh Russian strikes have targeted a second critical infrastructure bridge in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, marking a sharp escalation in Moscow’s campaign against key city facilities, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

    The latest attack damaged the road surface and overhead power lines for trolleybus transit on the Northern Bridge, Klitschko confirmed in a statement posted to Telegram on Saturday. Following the strike, all traffic traveling from the left bank to the right bank of the Dnieper River on the bridge has been temporarily blocked, with emergency response teams already deployed to the site to assess damage and begin repairs.

    This assault on the Northern Bridge comes just days after repeated Russian drone strikes targeted Kyiv’s Southern Bridge (known locally as Pivdennyi Bridge) starting last Thursday. In that initial attack, one Russian drone struck critical power cables on the Southern Bridge, disrupting transit operations.

    Before this string of attacks that began Thursday, neither of the two major bridges connecting the eastern and western districts of Kyiv had been hit by Russian forces. Analysts and Ukrainian officials say this new targeting of key capital transit links signals a clear shift into a new phase of Russian offensive operations against Kyiv’s core infrastructure.

    In the wake of the first attacks on the Southern Bridge, Kyiv’s Defense Council held an emergency crisis meeting on Friday. During that session, Klitschko issued a stark warning that the stepped-up pace of Russian drone and missile strikes was putting intense strain on the capital. He described the current situation facing Kyiv as “very dramatic,” noting that Russian forces are systematically targeting critical infrastructure, logistics networks, residential housing, and other essential facilities that keep the city functioning.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the recent wave of strikes, claiming they are carried out in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. This claim comes despite historical records showing that Moscow first launched large-scale strikes targeting Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure early in the full-scale invasion.

  • Women given shorts at Oktoberfest to prevent upskirting

    Women given shorts at Oktoberfest to prevent upskirting

    MUNICH — As the world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival draws its 16-day run to a close this weekend, a longstanding beloved attraction at the event is at the center of a growing debate over digital privacy, gender-based harassment, and gaps in German legislation targeting invasive upskirting filming.

    The Teufelsrad, or Devil’s Wheel, is one of Oktoberfest’s oldest surviving attractions. The spinning circular ride works by accelerating faster and faster until centrifugal force throws riders off the platform. The constant rotation and sudden shifts in speed routinely lift the hems of the traditional dirndl dresses many women wear to the festival, creating an opportunity for bad actors in the crowd to capture invasive footage.

    In recent years, thousands of these voyeuristic videos have been uploaded to social media platforms, where some have racked up millions of views. Investigations by local broadcaster BR uncovered that a coordinated network of content creators, including professional YouTubers from Ukraine and local creators from Bavaria, have profited heavily from these clips. One single video reportedly earned its poster upwards of €9,000 (£7,650). According to Munich-based newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, at least 32,000 invasive videos of Teufelsrad riders are currently in circulation online. Many of the videos clearly show women’s underwear, and some have even been digitally altered to add fake nudity, BR reports.

    While filming upskirts is already illegal in Germany, carrying a maximum penalty of two years in prison, advocates and observers argue that existing law does not go far enough to address this growing crisis. Elisabeth Polaczy, the 80-year-old operator of the Teufelsrad, has taken matters into her own hands. For three years running, she has offered free cycling shorts to women and girls riding the attraction while wearing dresses, to protect their privacy.

    “At this year’s Oktoberfest alone, I’ve distributed more than 100 pairs,” Polaczy told the BBC. “I want to do everything I can to make people feel secure.” She added that while providing the free shorts is not cheap, the effort is worth it for her own peace of mind. The ride’s venue is posted with prominent signs in German and English, alongside official police notices, warning visitors that non-consensual filming is illegal. Still, Polaczy acknowledges that it is impossible to police every visitor with a smartphone, leaving gaps in protection that she is trying to fill. Even some Oktoberfest waitresses have started adopting the practice, wearing cycling shorts under their work dirndls to avoid similar harassment.

    Bavarian police have stepped up their own efforts to crack down on the practice, launching a targeted public awareness campaign at the festival starting in 2025. This year alone, officers have already arrested a 45-year-old Swiss man for allegedly filming under a woman’s dirndl with his phone. Police made 10 upskirting-related arrests in 2025 and seven in 2024.

    But Josephine Ballon, head of the German non-profit Hate Aid which supports victims of digital gender-based violence, said current legislation fails to cover key scenarios that leave women vulnerable. Ballon explained that existing law only applies to intentional upskirting, not cases where a skirt lifts naturally from the motion of a ride and is still captured on camera. She added that new compact recording devices, such as hidden camera glasses, also create new loopholes that current law does not address. Ballon is pushing for harsher penalties for anyone who non-consensually shares intimate images of women online, as well as for platforms that host the content. Drafting for a new updated law is already in the works, according to Ballon.

    City officials in Munich have also taken steps to regulate commercial content creation at the festival. New rules ban unpermitted live streaming from Oktoberfest grounds, and require all professional content creators and influencers to purchase a filming permit in order to capture and monetize footage at the event. Hundreds of permits have been issued to influencers this year, who typically earn revenue from brand sponsorships and product placements posted to their channels.

    As the festival closes, the steps taken by Polaczy and city officials highlight a growing recognition of the need to address digital harassment and invasive content creation that disproportionately targets women in public spaces.