Stories about Women & Gender from April, 2011
Chad: White Gold Opens Income Stream For Women
Franseca writes about white gold in Chad: “Shea nuts are indigenous to southern Chad, and have been traditionally pressed into a black oil to add to foods. While nutritious, it...
Iran: Activist and blogger died in a car accident
Bahareh Alavi, 22 years old blogger and women's rights activist died in a car accident. She wrote for years in Dokhtare Khorshid blog. Several bloggers remembered her.
Cuba: The “Queen of Incredulity”
1Click2Cuba profiles Claudia Cadelo, “one of the best-known members of the Cuban blogging community.”
Nigeria: Women Protest in Abuja
Nigerian women say no to violence: “Nigerian women in Abuja protesting against the post election violence in the north of the country. Nigerian women have always at the forefront of...
India: Challenges Of A Single Working Woman
Neha Saxena at YouthKiAwaaz, a citizen journalism platform for the Indian youth, describes the challenges of a single working Indian woman nearing 30, who have a lot of pressure from...
Zimbabwe: Does Violence Deter Women From Entering Politics?
Simon Moyo wonders whether violence in Zimbabwe deters women from participating in politics: “Since the emergence of the MDC as a credible challenger to Zanu PF domination in 2000, violence...
Trinidad & Tobago: Carib Queen Dies
Review of the Indigenous Caribbean and The Voice of the Taino People Online acknowledge the passing of Valentina Medina, the Carib Queen of the Santa Rosa Carib Community.
Malaysia: Boot Camp to “Help” Effeminate Boys
Based on their effeminate tendencies, 66 schoolboys from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia were recently sent to a boot camp aimed at "helping them behave in a proper manner". The boys were identified by their schools, who were instructed last year to identify students who displayed feminine qualities. The blogoshere in Malaysia is divided over this issue.
Tajikistan: Women between a rock and a hard place
Christya Riedel writes about gender issues in Tajikistan and about difficulties that women are facing there – rules for weddings, violence, denied property rights after a divorce.
Thailand: Outrage Over Topless Teen Dancing
The buzz in Thailand in the past week was the scandal caused by the topless teen dancers during the Songkran Water Festival (Thai New Year). The photos and videos of the three girls dancing bare breasted immediately went viral and generated intense online debates on the real meaning of Thai culture and morality.
Puerto Rico: Petition against Violence
Blogger Verónica RT posts the call to sign the petition [es] of the Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico [es] against the dismantlement of the Law against Domestic Violence.
Puerto Rico: Debate on Domestic Violence Continues
In Puerto Rico, the public debate on domestic violence has reached a boiling point. Individuals and organizations react online, and offline, to the recent court decisions regarding the application of the Law against Domestic Violence.
Russia: Social Networking Via a “Prison” Game, Female Users’ Photos
Katya Trubilova of Social Media Lessons From Russia and the UK writes this, among other things, about Russia's largest social network VKontakte: “The most popular app on Vkontakte is a...
Cuba: Women as Soldiers?
Octavo Cerco is irritated by a sign which suggests that “we Cuban women form a battalion for the defense of the fatherland”, saying: “It bothers me greatly that the multiple...
Global: Bloggers Take Issue with Anti-Niqaab Punditry
On April 16, 2011, France's ban on the niqaab and burqa went into effect, re-stirring emotions on the subject and sparking protests in the European country and beyond. In cyberspace, bloggers are taking issue with popular pundits on the subject, focusing particular attention on Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy's pro-niqaab ban stance.
China: College mistress “price list” exposed
Chiafu Chen from Ministry of Tofu has translated a forum post from MOP about the exposure of college mistress “price list” and contract.
Pakistan: In Support Of The Burqa Ban
Kalsoom at CHUP! Changing Up Pakistan highlights Nabiha Meher Sheikh, a freelance writer based in Lahore, who explains why she supports the burqa (full face veil) ban in France.
Colombia: Teen Produced Web Series about Gay Youth
Nineteen year old Jhoncito Arango's most recent web project has certainly caught the local media's eye in his native Colombia, where his web series Yonkis has had a very good reception considering that it tackles a topic that is still considered highly sensitive in this Catholic country: homosexuality.
South Asia: Reactions On The Burqa Ban In France
The recent ban imposed by France on burqa (niqab), the Islamic face veil, has created a lot of buzz across the different blogosphere of the world. Some South Asian bloggers are discussing this issue.
India: The Missing Girl Child Exposed In The Census
Using the recent census data in India Razib Khan at Sepia Mutiny tries to analyze why the ratio of girl child against the boy child is dropping in different parts...
India: How Much Is A Housewife Worth?
In a ruling Indian Supreme Court questioned the Indian government’s Census parameters which placed housewives in the same economic bracket as “prostitutes, beggars and prisoners”. In this context Phoenixritu tries...
