After a year marked by isolation, loneliness and violence in the city, many self-defense and martial arts gyms say they are seeing more interest from women.

For dozens of generations, a serene stretch in the highlands of southeastern Australia has been a sanctuary for the women of the Djab Wurrung people, where babies were delivered in the hollows of majestic birthing trees and the placentas were planted nearby to imbue saplings with their spirit. Soon, though, bulldozers may arrive on this sacred ground, as the state government in Victoria moves ahead with a long-delayed plan to widen a highway.

One study in 2012 found that when 10-year-old girls wore sports uniforms over skirts, they were significantly more active during recess.