Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2012
Bolivia: The Wandering Hands of the Santa Cruz Mayor
Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernández is in hot water because of his apparent inappropriate touching of city council member Desirée Bravo, which was caught on tape by the media during a public event. The behavior may be a repeated pattern of bizarre actions by the controversial mayor.
Ethiopia: Child Abuse Caught on Mobile Phone Camera
Ethiopian Facebook users have launched an online campaign for justice after watching a mobile phone recorded YouTube video which shows a little girl being abused by her mother.
‘Mujeres Construyendo': Empowering Women, One Blog at a Time
Mujeres Construyendo, the first platform for female bloggers in Spanish, wants to convert Hispanic women into creators of internet content. We talk to its founder, Claudia Calvin, about this growing community of bloggers.
Georgia: Anti-discriminatory legislation ahead of Armenia, Azerbaijan
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on the passage of legislation in Georgia outlawing discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, age, and political as well as religious views. The blog notes that the...
Trinidad & Tobago: Divisive Politics
The Eternal Pantomime is critical of what she considers to be divisive politics on the part of the ruling government, which “has also sought to promulgate the good old colonial stand-by...
India: Young Women Learning About Participatory Video
A group of young women in the slums of Hyderabad in India are learning how to make videos to change their communities, and in this next film the group of young girls explain what they've learned and how they are helping their communities and themselves through their work.
Chile: Twitter Debates Therapeutic Abortion While the Senate Waits
While the senate continues to postpone the debate over the legalization of therapeutic abortion, the exchanging of opinions has continued unabated in Chilean cyberspace, most noticeably following two televised debates on the subject.
Cuba: Pope Arrives Today; What Will His Visit Bring?
Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive today in Cuba, even as bloggers chronicle the “wave of arrests and threats” preceding the papal visit. But top of mind for most bloggers, particularly from the diaspora, is whether or not the pontiff will decide to meet with the Ladies in White and other members of the political opposition.
Dominican Republic: Take A Stand for Women
Feminist blogger and journalist María Isabel Soldevila urges people to take a stand and act against women's subordination [es] in the Dominican Republic.
India: How Many Lives More To Ignite A Movement?
Rita Banerji makes a strong case of negligence of the civil society of India in addressing the violence against the girl child and the obsession with male progeny and masculine...
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
Activity in the Caribbean blogosphere this week has been predominantly coming from Cuba and its diaspora, as the country prepares for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI amidst frustration about the human rights situation on the island and dissatisfaction over the pontiff declining to meet members of the Cuban opposition during his stay.
Puerto Rico: Happy Birthday
The feminist blog Mujeres en Puerto Rico is celebrating [es] its third anniversary: “This year will bring important moments for this country's women. If life permits it, we will be here....
Spain: Documentary in Production on the Healing Power of Flamenco
Sin Ruido, or Noiseless in Spanish, is a documentary on Flamenco Dancer Inma Lobato and her work teaching and training people with mental problems. The film [es] will focus on the impact...
Cuba: Bloggers Continue to Speak Out about Papal Visit
Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming trip to Cuba will be the first from the head of the Catholic church in more than a decade. As the pontiff's arrival draws ever closer, bloggers continue to be vocal about their opinions, even as human rights violations reportedly continue.
Video: Short Film for Gender Equality Contest Open for Submissions
SinGENEROdeDUDAS [es] has launched their call for short films on gender equality for the 6th annual contest. Any films shorter than 20 minutes, even if they have participated and won...
Ukraine: Oksana Makar's Gang Rape Case
Foreign Notes, EUobserver.com, and Ukrainiana write about Oksana Makar's horrible gang rape case. Media mentions, updates and fundraising info [ru, uk] is here (support site), here (Vkontakte page), and here...
Arab World: Happy Mother's Day – Tribute to Martyrs’ Mothers
The Arab world marks Mother's Day today, March 21. On social networking sites, netizens send out congratulations to their mothers on the day. They also remember the mothers of the thousands of martyrs killed by the authorities as they protested against dictatorship in this so-called Arab Spring.
Egypt: Women's Right to Divorce Debated in Parliament
The performance of the new Egyptian Parliament continues to stir debate on social media sites. The new parliament was seen as a move towards to democracy. However, the parliament continues to discuss matters that seem irrelevant to the country’s most pressing needs. Now, MPs are discussing a request to strip women of their right to file for a divorce.
Cuba: Black Spring, Nine Years After
The Cuban Black Spring - a term that has come to describe the government crackdown on dissidents that took place in 2003 - marks its ninth anniversary this year. Cuban bloggers remember their history and wonder whether anything has fundamentally changed - especially in the context of the impending papal visit and the pontiff's inability to meet with opposition groups to discuss the country's human rights record.
Cuba: Bloggers Uncomfortable as Pope's Visit Looms
As Pope Benedict XVI's controversial visit to Cuba draws closer, online discussion is heating up. Bloggers are upset over what they perceive as a partnership between communism and Catholicism, especially in light of reportedly ongoing human rights abuses and other surreptitious methods of curtailing personal freedoms.
Bolivia: Remembering Domitila Barrios de Chungara
Emily Achtenberg, in the blog Rebel Currents, profiles Domitila Barrios de Chungara, “long-time social activist, union leader, feminist, revolutionary, and national heroine who died March 13 in Cochabamba at age...
