Stories about Women & Gender from January, 2010
Puerto Rico: Bloggers discuss Roe v. Wade
The 37th anniversary of the landmark United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade (January 22, 1973) spurred bloggers in Puerto Rico to express their opinions about a ruling that still sparks controversy. The decision made abortion legal in the United States, and it was extended to Puerto Rico due to the Island's political relationship with the US.
Russia: Miss Virtual Yakutia 2010
eYakutia posts an update on the ongoing Miss Virtual Yakutia 2010 contest.
The Balkans: “Six Reasons for Marrying a Balkan Man”
Ruth Platt-Stavrik's “Six Reasons for Marrying a Balkan Man” – at MladiInfo.com (via Belgraded).
Belarus: LGBT Issues
BelarusDigest quotes from a chapter on Belarus that was included in the Greenwood Encyclopedia of LGBT Issues Worldwide earlier this year.
Africa: African women's struggle for credibility
A discussion about African women's struggle for credibility: “Africans have faced discrimination for centuries, yet women have been marginalized for much, much longer.”
MENA: Breaking the veils
AltMuslimah reviews the exhibition Breaking the veils: Women artists from the Islamic World, which contains art and literature from women in over 20 countries, including Palestine, Yemen and Morocco. The exhibition, which stated in Jordan, is now touring the US. The review can be read here.
Philippines: “Renewable Marriage Bill”
A partylist group in the Philippines wants to introduce a law that would put a ten-year expiration date on marriage contracts. As expected this unique proposal generated an intense reaction in the blogosphere.
China: Sexism in Han Han’s Film Review?
C. Custer posts the question on whether Han Han, a famous Chinese writer, is using sexist language in his comment on the woman director of the recent movie Confucius.
Trinidad & Tobago: Woman is Boss
Bloggers comment on Kamla Persad-Bissessar‘s winning of the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago's current opposition party.
Sudan's First LGBT Rights Organization?
Throughout 2009, the Sudanese blogosphere has been in slumber mode. However, many previously inactive bloggers are blogging again along with new ones that have arrived on the scene recently, writes Sudanese Drima, who brings us the latest online discussions.
Saudi Arabia: Moving closer to child marriage ban
Crossroads Arabia speculates that the Saudi government seems to be moving closer to a ban on marriages of women under the age of 18.
Haiti: Restoring Communications and Local Media Networks
Haiti's communication infrastructure was seriously damaged after being devastated by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12. It can be very empowering for people in Haiti to be able to narrate their stories in their own words. With this is in mind, Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters have launched projects to help restore local media projects.
Hong Kong: Media harassment of activist
tj_legg blogs about the dirty act of a local magazine in publishing student activist Christina Chan Hau-man's bathroom pictures in the cover. The blogger interprets the dirty tactic as a mean to silence Chan.
Morocco: Tips for Women Travelers
Evelyn in Morocco writes up a list of tips for foreign women traveling in the kingdom.
South Korea: Woman worker's promotion grief
71% of the South Korea working woman believed that the promotion systems at their companies placed women at a disadvantage. (via James Turnbul's Grand Narratives)
Philippines: Top gay films of the decade
The Bakla Review lists the ten most important gay films of the past ten years in the Philippines
Cambodia: Bloggers discuss LGBT issues
LGBT issues are not openly discussed in Cambodian mainstream society but they are being debated in the blogosphere. Blogs have become online venues that address LGBT concerns.
Trinidad & Tobago: Discussing Homophobia
Trinidad and Tobago's gspottt thinks that “2010 is off to a promising start” thanks to sociologist Linden Lewis’ addressing of the issue of homophobia in the Caribbean.
Arab World: Article on polygamy causes a stir
Nadine al-Bedair's article entitled "Me and My Four Husbands" has caused controversy and outrage amongst the Arab and Muslim blogosphere. However, there are also those that have defended her piece. Katharine Ganly explores these reactions.
Caucasus: Society, sex and the dating game
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, hopes that new freedoms would quickly replace the old have often been dashed by the re-emergence of traditional practices. Largely kept suppressed by the communist system, gender and issues of sexuality were particularly affected. Slowly, however, discussion is starting to take place online.
China: Bloggers’ Reviews of Avatar
James Cameron’s blockbuster, Avatar, was released in China on 2 January 2010, two weeks later than the rest of the world. It is proving popular among the Chinese people. Apart from praising the 3D and special effects, Chinese people also link the story to a controversial social issue in China:...
