Stories about Women & Gender from September, 2011
Cuba: Jailed Activists
Uncommon Sense continues to keep a close eye on three members of the Damas de Blanco who were arrested recently, as well as political prisoner Sara Martha Fonseca, whose son was allegedly attacked after trying to obtain information about his jailed parents.
Brazil: The Sexist Ad of Supermodel Gisele Bundchen
Thalita, from the blog Futepoca, comments [pt] on a lingerie advertisement featuring the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen that has been object of intense discussion because of its alleged sexist content.
Brazil: Blogging Carnival in Defense of Abortion
The Brazilian blog Blogueiras Feministas (Feminist Bloggers) has selected [pt] a series of posts about the women's right to abortion following a blogging carnival that took place on September 28.
Greece: “Europe, come be in my shoes, before judging me”
Global Voices in Greek translator Margie Lazou posts an open and unvarnished account of her daily struggles as a single mother in crisis-ridden Greece on her personal blog: “All those people out there in Europe, please, come live here, be in my shoes for some time before judging me.”
Cuba: 14 on Trial for Girl's Death
“It seems that we’re destined to remain in the dark about yet another case that we’ve only found out about through foreign newspapers and independent bloggers”: Rosa Martinez, writing at Havana Times, doesn't understand the authorities’ silence on the death of a Cuban minor.
Cuba: Female Prisoner on Hunger Strike
Pedazos de La Isla uploads a video showing “what happened on Saturday, September 24th, to Sara Marta Fonseca Quevedo and other dissidents who were peacefully protesting”, while Uncommon Sense notes that Fonseca has since begun a hunger strike.
Caribbean: Bloggers Saddened by Wangari Mathai's Death
Bloggers from Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas mourn the death of “The great African (Kenyan) environmentalist…and the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize, Wangari Maathai”.
Cuba: More Arrests Post-March
More reports of activists being arrested in the wake of a peaceful protest march that took place this past Saturday.
Cuba: “Damas” Targeted Again
The Ladies in White were once more targeted this weekend for their “planned march to a church to honor Our Lady of Charity on her feast day” – bloggers have a lot to say here, here, here, here and here.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: More Violence Against Women
The escalating violence against women in St. Vincent now has Abeni “officially scared.”
Saudi Arabia: Women Allowed to Join Shura Council
Saudi women, who cannot drive in their own country, will be granted the right to become members in their country's 150-member consultative or Shura council, an advisory body which has limited powers in government and legislation. The decision was welcomed by netizens.
Update on Global Voices Mentorship: Meet the Activists
For over a month, ten Global Voices bloggers have been working with activists from ten different countries as mentors of members of the new Blogger Swarm initiative of Activista, the youth network of international development organization ActionAid.
Global: Interview on NATO's Evolution
We Magazine‘s Ulrike Reinhard interviews NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Dr. Stefanie Babst on video about the “we” in their work, and how NATO has evolved over time as an organization – touching on globalization, gender equality, multi-national defense spending, political leadership and communication.
Cuba: “Damas” March Tomorrow
Uncommon Sense will have his eye on Cuba tomorrow as “the Damas De Blanco (‘Ladies In White)…participate in a march and other ceremonies commemorating Our Lady of Mercy, the patroness of prisoners, a fitting celebration for a group committed to advocating for the release of Cuban political prisoners.”
Puerto Rico: Marcela Lagarde on Women and Citizenship
Verónica RT posts a summary and the video of the conference “The Body and Women's Citizenship” [es] offered by the Mexican feminist scholar Marcela Lagarde.
Cuba: Image of a Free Woman
Rebeca Monzo examines the new image of the Cuban woman, saying: “In official spheres they speak of the revolutionary woman, mother, comrade, worker, housewife. But what’s certain is that, more and more, our women suffer transformations that are detrimental to their appearance and self-esteem.”
Cuba: Officers Sentenced
Crossing the Barbed Wire blogs about three officials of the National Revolutionary Police who will be serving prison terms “presumptively [for] overrul[ing] charges (in exchange for gifts) against a truck driver who ran over a woman on a public road more than a year ago.”
Cuba: Interview with “Habanastation” Actress
Havana Times interviews Claudia Alvariño, the actress “who plays an important supporting role in the recently released Cuban film ‘Habanastation’.”
Global: Reflections on Peace Day 2011
To mark the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, female bloggers from The SunFlower Post share their perspectives on world peace by reflecting on the realities of their lives in Mexico, China, Turkey, Russia and Latvia.
Mozambique: Sant'Egidio Community Fights Back Against HIV/AIDS
Lack of access to care for HIV positive people has been well documented on the African continent. Many initiatives strive to show that things could improve with collective effort, and among them is the Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) program.
Ukraine: Short Films by Youth for Gender Equality
Young film makers in Ukraine have participated in a short film competition that challenges stereotypes of women and defend gender equality. These films touch on issues that can be understood by speakers of any language.
