· January, 2009

Stories about Women & Gender from January, 2009

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Call for Justice

  27 January 2009

“Let the courts speak loudly on behalf of all the little children whose voices are silenced by these criminals”: Blogging from St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Abeni is all for throwing the book at sexual offenders.

Iran:The first mixed football game draws punishment

  27 January 2009

The first mixed football (soccer) game — females vs. male teenagers — since the 1979 Islamic revolution led to punishment, as an Iranian football club said it had suspended three officials involved. Coralit,an Iranian blogger, says [fa] that some people filmed the match by their mobiles and these films were...

Nepal: The plights of the Kamlaris

  25 January 2009

Untold Stories writes about the plights of the kamlaris, who are found in the rural villages of southwestern Nepal, and the efforts to rescue them. “Kamlaris are house slaves, as young as five, who toil away their childhoods cooking, cleaning and babysitting in the homes of higher caste families.”

Saudi Arabia: Young activist faces social condemnation

  24 January 2009

Saudi Arabia is a conservative society, and when individuals act in ways that challenge convention, not only might they face harsh criticism, but so might their families. A young activist called Amna Fatani has experienced such condemnation recently, and some Saudi bloggers have offered her their moral support.

Korea: Marital Rape and Suicide

  24 January 2009

A man who was convicted for the first time in Korea of marital rape in January of 2009 committed suicide.[EN] The judgement stood for his wife who is from the Philippines and the humiliation led him to suicide. His case brings several issues to netizens — countryside men, multi-cultural families,...

Iran: Women activists support Shirin Ebadi

  24 January 2009

Kosoof, a leading photoblogger, says a group of women rights activists gathered to meet Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, with red roses in their hands to wipe off bad memories of slogans which were written against her outside the walls of her house and remind the positive effects of...

Armenia: Homophobic Media

  22 January 2009

Despite the country's recent endorsement of a UN declaration against discrimination on sexual orientation, Unzipped: Gay Armenia continues to expose the prevalent homophobia in Armenian society. Following recent discriminatory and alarmist comments from a leading member of civil society, the blog notes that one newspaper has discovered there are lesbians...

India: The Surname Debate

  21 January 2009

Indian celebrity Sanjay Dutt sparked a debate in the country when he said: “Women should not stick to their fathers’ surname after marriage just for the sake of fashion. It will be a disrespect for their husbands if they do so.” I love life… so I explore reacts to his...

Africa: Banking on African Women

  20 January 2009

“Women own nearly half of all enterprises in Africa, but have the hardest time securing credit,” writes Guest Author on AfricanLoft discussing African women and entrepreneurship.

Poland, UK: Abortion

  17 January 2009

Polandian notes that thousands of Polish women are having abortions in the UK: “With it being illegal here in Poland, they are forced to travel to other countries thereby adding bureaucratic hassle and a strange environment/language to what must already be a very nasty and stressful situation.”