Stories about Women & Gender from October, 2010
Egypt: From Dakar … with love
Fatma Emam, an Egyptian female blogger, wrote about her experience in searching for her real identity during her visit to Dakar.
MENA: Women Writing; Women Reading
Canadian expat, Maryanne Gabbani, recommended a few of her favorite female writers from the Arab world. In a way, she is trying to prove her experience that while life for women in the Middle East is all sunshine and lollipops, women are not the doormats that they are imagined to...
Brazil: Dilma, Cristina and machismo in the media
Rodrigo Vianna at Escrevinhador [pt] draws parallels between the rise and leadership of Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez and Brazilian presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff, and slams the often sexist media both women face.
Guyana: Just Say “Hell, No”!
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to an end, The Guyana Groove says: “It is time for every woman in Guyana to hold hands and in unison yell to the top of your voices at every single abusive man, ‘HELL, NO!'”
Saudi: Female-only hospitals
American Bedu discusses the idea of female-only hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Read the blog post and the numerous comments on it here.
Bahamas: The Time Is Now
Weblog Bahamas‘ Sidney Sweeting says: “The time has come to take the gloves off and let Government get real serious about crime in the country or everything else will be for naught.”
Taiwan: Foreign wives and citizenship
Sinocentric looks at the place of foreign wives in Taiwanese society. The number of foreign wives in Taiwan, mostly from China and Southeast Asia, has increased significantly in recent years.
Lebanon: TV Shows on Homosexuality Create Buzz
"A gay killer has the passion of a woman and the aggression of a man," states Zaven Kouyoumjian, Lebanese host of Siree Wenfatahet, a program broadcast by Future TV and one of the highest rated TV shows in the Middle East. Following are reactions from the LGBT community in Lebanon on this show and others dealing with the gay community on television.
Brazil: the prospect of a female president
Veteran women's rights activist Rachel Moreno looks at [pt] what having a female leader would mean for Brazil if Dilma Rousseff succeeds in the second round of presidential elections on 31st October.
Puerto Rico: Second Blog Day Against Violence
Bloggers Nahomi Galindo Malavé and Verónica RT convened bloggers in Puerto Rico to express themselves on violence against women and the media for the Second Blog Day “No More Violence Against Women.” [ES]
Armenia: Domestic Violence petition submitted
Following the recent outrage expressed by some Armenian bloggers following the death of a 20-year old woman at the hands of her husband and mother-in-law, Blogian says that the petition it set up to lobby the government to pass a law on domestic violence was signed by 3,196 individuals before...
Mexico: 20-year-old Woman is New Police Chief of Northern Mexican Town
Marisol Valles García is a married 20-year-old woman studying Criminology; she is also the new chief of police in Práxedis, Chihuahua, a town located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico's most violent city.
India: Mobile Phones & Security
In India, “nine out of ten women reported feeling safer due to their mobile phones”, informs Priyanka Matanhelia, who is researching on mobile phone usage amongst youth.
Sri Lanka: Why Women In Politics Always Matters
“The main obstacle to equal political representation of women in political institutions in Sri Lanka is political parties”, comments Chulani Kodikara in a recent interview with Groundviews.
Saudi Arabia: Online Impressions
From Saudi Arabia, The Eternal Philosopher Duha Husseini offers us an insight on “online impressions.” She adds: “I remember a time when 99% of Saudi internet users used aliases, including myself, for fear we might be judged based on what we share online. That has now changed.”
D.R. of Congo: Mobile Phone Light Saves Life of a Mother
Mobile phone light saves life of a mother in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Everyone is healthy in the end, but she was required to undergo a C-section. Apparently during the operation, the electricity at the hospital went out, and there was somehow no petrol on hand to run...
Trinidad & Tobago: Tragic Accident
A recent accident in which a car ran over two police officers, killing one and leaving the other in critical condition, prompts bloggers to comment. Jumbie's Watch says: “Until such time that the laws are actually enforced we will continue to see death and destruction around us”, while Lisa Allen-Agostini...
Trinidad & Tobago: In Honour of Rhea
“I am thankful for Rhea holding on to this jackass called activism. I am thankful because she was one of those relentlessly amazing Trinidad women who hold on despite the sexism, despite the belittlling, despite her commitments to family, despite her own personal struggles”: Attillah Springer pays tribute to activist...
Cuba: On Exile
“When, at the turn of the year, the prisons are emptied of political prisoners, for a time they’ll lose the stigma of being human rights violators…they are trying to decrease the size and strength of the dissidence”: Iván's File Cabinet suggests that “the proposal to leave Cuba could be expanded...
Kenya: My Life as a Transgender Girl in Kenya
Lindsay is a transgendered woman living in Kenya who shares her life and her journey to womanhood on her blog Living Lindsay- My life as a transgender girl in Kenya. She describes herself as “I'm a normal girl with not-so-normal traits. I am transgender, or transsexual if you like.”
India: Manipur widows stand up for their rights
Anjulika Thingnam at Voices From The Ground narrates the plights of the widows in the Manipur state of India and mentions how they can claim pension benefits from the government.