· January, 2012

Stories about Women & Gender from January, 2012

Brazil: Sex Scandal on Big Brother Provokes Debate on Machismo

  30 January 2012

The live broadcast of an alleged rape on the TV show with the highest ratings in Brazil on 14th January, with no immediate intervention by TV Globo, led thousands of internet users to declare their disgust and outrage, but also provoked an important debate on machismo and sex education in the country.

India: Child Abuse In Mumbai

  30 January 2012

Debolina Raja Gupta blames Mumbai police for not being able to solve the recent child abuse cases and the trend is on the rise as a consequence.

Cuba: Pope's Visit & Human Rights

  30 January 2012

In the wake of more repression against Las Damas de Blanco, Uncommon Sense thinks “that the pope should postpone his visit until human rights conditions improve in Cuba.”

Serbia: The Media War Against Angelina Jolie

  26 January 2012

Angelina Jolie was concerned about the reception of her director's debut movie, 'In the Land of Blood and Honey', in Bosnia and Serbia, and some of her fears turned out to be justified. Sasa Milosevic reports on the virtual battle that Jolie's film has caused.

Sierra Leone: Say Grace Before Drowning

  26 January 2012

Black Looks writes about “Say Grace Before Drowning”, a film by Sierra Leonean/American Nikyatu Jusu: “The film tells the story about a woman’s struggle to overcome the insanity of war as she tries to adjust to a life in exile.”

Puerto Rico: Debating Maripily

  25 January 2012

In 80 Grados [es], Melissa Fernández Arrigoitia responds to a controversial column written by Nelson Rivera in the same digital publication on the supposed virtues and failings of the model Maripily.

Guatemalans Climb to Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence

  23 January 2012

“On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida [“Climb for life”], there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence,” Antigua Daily...

Guyana: First Female Colonel

  20 January 2012

Repeating Islands notes that “in a history making moment, the promotion of Guyana’s first female Colonel was today announced. She is the region’s first serving female colonel.”

Bahamas: A Belief in Democracy

  19 January 2012

“To date, my country has not put in place anything to serve and build me; to every politician who has served in parliament in the time I have been voting, people like me have been invisible. In our democracy, we do not count”: Hence the reason Blogworld puts forward her...

Iran: Women activist shot dead in Texas

  18 January 2012

A Texas Medical Center student and Iranian women activist was shot dead on Monday in Houston. Gelareh Bagherzadeh was driving her car when she was shot.  Authorities said it is unknown what prompted the shooting. Iranians users are showing concerns over this murder in Balatarin, an Iranian link-sharing website.

Trinidad & Tobago: “Disturbing” Laws

  18 January 2012

Globewriter points out some “strange and disturbing laws” that are still on the books in Trinidad and Tobago, saying: “Yes, T&T can’t deal with LGBT rights but it is so on the ball for child marriage rights.”

Iran: Golshifteh Farahani posed nude for Le Figaro

  18 January 2012

Madame Le Figaro published a nude photo of Golshifteh Farahani, Iranian actress based in Paris, and there has been a huge interest and reactions to this quite rare photo on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. In a few hours the photo received more than thousands of comments and likes...

Iran: Another Blogger in Jail

  17 January 2012

According to confirmed reports from Tehran, Parastoo Dokouhaki, Iranian blogger and journalist, is arrested by authorities. Parastoo is a women activist as well. She writes in her blog  “Zan-Nevesht” and in its English version “The Remains of the Day“.

Pakistan: Bigotry Or Blind Hatred?

  17 January 2012

Sana Saleem reports that on last Saturday evening a group of men attacked a church in Manghopir because children were singing carols which allegedly disrupted their prayers.