· March, 2012

Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2012

Bolivia: The Wandering Hands of the Santa Cruz Mayor

  31 March 2012

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.

Trinidad & Tobago: Divisive Politics

  27 March 2012

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 practice of divide and rule to ensure that it keeps its party base solidly behind it and in support of all...

India: Young Women Learning About Participatory Video

  27 March 2012

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.

Cuba: Pope Arrives Today; What Will His Visit Bring?

  26 March 2012

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.

This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere

  24 March 2012

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

  23 March 2012

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. With you.”  

Cuba: Bloggers Continue to Speak Out about Papal Visit

  23 March 2012

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.

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

  20 March 2012

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

  19 March 2012

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

  19 March 2012

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 74. She is best known as the miner’s wife who led a hunger strike in 1978 that brought down the...