Stories about Women & Gender from September, 2008
Saudi Arabia: No to Fashionable Abayas
Mosan Mosan, from Kuwait, writes about a crackdown by Saudi authorities on fashionable Abayas (black cloaks worn by women) ahead of Eid – a celebration which marks the end of the Holy Muslim month of Ramadhan.
Libya: Diaspora and Difficult Times
Two young Algerian sisters were killed in the UK. Anglo-Libyan explains how families in the diaspora come together at such difficult times.
Jamaica: Power Struggle
“Portia Simpson-Miller…represents to the elite and middle class in Jamaica what Obama represents to white, bible-thumping, gun-toting mainstream America. Which is worse I wonder: To be black (socially speaking) in a black country or to be black in a white country?” Annie Paul provides thoughtful commentary on the recent opposition...
Kyrgyzstan: Head of Central Election Commission resigns
Genderstan reports that Klara Kabilova, former head of the Central Election Commission of Kyrgyzstan, made a statement about receiving threats from Maksim Bakiev, son of President Kurmanbek Bakiev. In her statements she mentions that he swore at her and threatened her safety.
Japan: The psychology of prostitution, and why it should be legalized
id:fromdusktildawn delves into the the roots and social context of prostitution [ja], arguing that by looking down on women who work in the sex industry, men offload feelings of guilt about their lust for prostitutes onto the prostitutes themselves. The blogger claims that by legalizing the 5 trillion yen prostitution...
D.R. Congo: Legislator faces rape allegations
Congolese blogger Alex Engwete [Fr] calls for a major politician to step down, amid accusations he raped a 12 year-old girl [Fr].
Morocco: Rural Women
Peace Corps volunteer Duncan Goes to Morocco explains what life is like for women in the rural community where he lives.
Indonesia: Breastfeeding campaign
Everything Indonesia blogs about a breastfeeding campaign in Indonesia
Malaysia: Molotov cocktail thrown at politician's house
A molotov cocktail was thrown at the house of Malaysian politician Teresa Kok. She condemned the act and attributed the “despicable act to certain media groups and blogs that have deliberately demonised and portrayed (her) as chauvinistic, anti Malay and anti Islam.” She adds: “They persisted in reporting similar fictitious...
Jamaica: Child Missing
After an eleven year-old girl goes missing in Kingston, Abeng News Magazine examines the plight of Jamaica's children: “With no inclination to tackle the complexity of the issues involved and no plan in sight to deal squarely with the crime menace…the youth will remain at the top of the island's...
Jamaica, Senegal: Wife Beater
“The worse it gets for Bara, the worse it gets for his wife”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Stet tells the story of a wife beater in Senegal.
Barbados, Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Issues
Living in Barbados says that the recent battle for leadership in Jamaica's opposition party proves “that the overlapping values of candidates’ religion, race, gender, class, colour, speech, perceived intelligence and such personal characteristics–may play out in our little garden of politics at least as much as we think they do...
U.S.: Russian Woman's View of a U.S. Church
Russian History Blog translates a U.S.-based Russian woman's tirade about a local church she has to attend because she “[wants] to please [her] husband.”
China: Infant Formula Scandal Highlights Decline in Breastfeeding
Health authorities in China reported this week that nearly 53,000 children have become sick after consuming tainted infant formula. As the effects of these contaminated dairy products become more widespread, many are discussing the alternative to formula — breastfeeding. The scandal erupted earlier this month when Sanlu, China's top-selling infant...
Bulgaria: A New Blog
Petya of Bighead announces a new blog project: How to Marry a Bulgarian.
Poland, U.S.: Ancient Kings and Presidential Candidates
The beatroot muses on what's considered “politics” in the United States and Poland.
Jordan: Honour Crimes Condoned
From Jordan, Naseem Tarawanah gives us a shocking preview of honour crimes in his country, where judges seem to condone such actions.
Jamaica: Post-Portia
“The whole class battle is already history and vanishes with Portia. Still, we will hear about it as long as Portia is leader of the PNP…”: Jamaica and the World examines the aftermath of the opposition's party's leadership elections.
Ukraine: MTV and Domestic Violence
Natalia Antonova links to her piece on GlobalComment about “MTV Ukraine and the normalization of domestic violence.” LJ user maryxmas has translated Antonova's text into Ukrainian; a Russian translation is posted in the feministki LJ community.
Jamaica: Portia Prevails
Both Active Voice and My View of JamDown from Up So blog about former Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller's victory over “the unprecedented leadership challenge by long-time party stalwart Dr. Peter Phillips.”
Iran:The Stoning of Soraya M.
Parsarts reports that “The Stoning of Soraya M.” is a new, Iran-focused movie. It’s about a woman who gets stoned in a small town in Iran.
