· March, 2009

Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2009

Azerbaijan: Like a virgin (reprise)

  31 March 2009

Following on from earlier posts on the matter of virginity in Armenia, Scary Azeri in Suburbs recounts the situation in Azerbaijan. The blog concludes that medical techniques to restore a bride's virginity for her wedding night are more advanced in the former Soviet Union than in the West.

Saudi Arabia: Censoring Skin

From Saudi Arabia, Susie describes the ‘trouble’ censors go through to ‘cover up’ women's skin: “Certainly seeing all that tempting erotic skin, and coloring in all those feminine body parts must have some kind of perverse effect on these men who have been entrusted with keeping the entire country out...

Azerbaijan: Blogger Interview

  29 March 2009

Dotcom, an online project which has participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States, has published an interview with Azerbaijani blogger Arzu Geybullayeva on blogging and citizen media. In particular, she talks about her work on gender issues and media freedom as well as about her blog, Flying Carpets and...

Mexico: Unsolved Feminicide Along the Border

  26 March 2009

Violence along the United States - Mexico border has reached staggering levels. The killings in border cities like Ciudad Juárez has already totaled 400 in the first two months of 2009. More than 370 women have been murdered in the cities of Juárez and Chihuahua “without the authorities taking proper measures to investigate and address the problem.” This crisis, often called feminicide, has been a cause for organizations and blogs to take to the internet to help raise awareness to the plight of the victims and their families.

Libya: From Funerals to Weddings

From the death of a cousin after a lethal penicillin injection to discussing why Libyan men prefer marrying 'stupid' women over those who are educated, Fozia Mohamed sifts through posts written by established and new bloggers in her country to bring us those stories and more.

Azerbaijan: Novruz in absentia

  25 March 2009

Scary Azeri in Suburbs recounts celebrating Novruz in London with her friends from Azerbaijan. The blog says that for a moment she felt as if she was in Baku and also reflects on married life in the U.K.

Trinidad & Tobago: Pompoms

  24 March 2009

“I thought for a second I was hallucinating. Like I think I’m hallucinating when I hear some wild rumour that Papa Patos wants to invoke the Terrorism Act during the Summit of the Americas to stop people from protesting. I mean it can’t be, can it? Cheerleaders in cricket? Why,...

Azerbaijan: Cultural Clash

  24 March 2009

Scary Azeri in Suburbs remembers a visit from her teenage years to the mountain village of Ismailli. The blog says the trips were always a welcome escape from the summer heat of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, but the blogger also remembers that they also highlighted the cultural differences between the...

Ukraine: Women

  24 March 2009

Alina Rudya's Kyiv Post piece on Ukrainian women has generated 133 comments so far – as well as a discussion at Natalia Antonova's blog.

Jordan: Call to end Honour Killings

Jordanian Qwaider calls for an off and online campaign against the so called honour killings, in which women are killed by relatives for having relations with men. “Every year, over 20 women lose their lives on suspicion of infidelity in Jordan alone,” he notes.

Jamaica: V-Day

  20 March 2009

Abeng News Magazine reports that Jamaica is an active part of the international V-Day 2009 campaign – “a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.”

Bahamas: To the Mothers…

  18 March 2009

Bahamian blogger Womanish Words missed International Women's Day and pays a late but meaningful tribute to the mothers of the world “who are most at risk globally, because of poverty, war and victimization”.

Angola: Celebrating Angolan Women's Day with poetry

  17 March 2009

March is a month of double celebration for Angolan woman: apart from International Woman's Day, Angolan Woman's Day is celebrated on March 2nd because of the bravery of four women who fought for Angola's Independence. Bloggers celebrate by publishing poems and paying homage to women who suffer, love and fight with a large smile on their lips and bold eyes.

Armenia: The virginity debate continues…

  17 March 2009

Following posts by the Frontline Club and Global Voices Online, Jezebel also comments on the tradition of the red apple in Armenia. In particular, the post has initiated further discussion by Armenians and foreigners alike of a custom which promotes the virginity of the bride but not the groom.

Egypt: New Fatwa on Divorce

The Middle East Blog reports on the latest fatwa (religious edict) from Egypt saying: “According to an Egyptian Sheikh, neighbours now have have the right to demand the divorce of a couple if they believe them to have irreconcilable differences.”