· December, 2012

Stories about Women & Gender from December, 2012

Promiscuity: The Image of Brazilian Women Abroad?

On a television program in Portugal, the president of the Portuguese Bar Association claimed "one of the things Brazil has most exported is prostitutes, among other things." Online responses have been fierce, and the polemical statement is raising questions about the images and stereotypes of Brazilian women abroad.

30 December 2012

Don't Mess With Egyptian Women!

Maryanne Gabbani, a Canadian expat and blogger, wrote a new blog post entitled “Don't Mess With Egyptian Women” to mention two stories she heard recently which, took place in the village she's living in.

29 December 2012

Delhi’s Rape Case Stirs Movement for Justice in Nepal

The recent Delhi gang-rape case has not only evoked rage across India but also spread indignation to its neighboring countries like Nepal. Activists in Nepal have been protesting in front of the Prime Minister ’s residence at Baluwatar demanding justice for Sita Rai, who was raped in Kathmandu.

29 December 2012

Africa's Tainted Global Media Coverage

The #Kony2012 campaign contained quite a few over-simplifications about Africa. African media itself is not immune from this sort of criticism either. Here is a summary of the gems, errors and other inaccuracies in media coverage of Africa.

27 December 2012

South Korea: X-Mas Mass-Scale Speed-Dating

The first-ever mass speed-dating on the Christmas Eve in South Korea turns out to be a complete failure where 90% of participants were male. Reportedly over 20,000 people signed up and...

27 December 2012

India Debates Capital Punishment for Rape

Shocked at the brutality of the recent gang-rape of a 23 year old woman in a Delhi bus, Indians are asking for stricter laws and harsher punishments for violence against women. There has been vigorous debates going on about capital punishment for rapists, started out by a member of Parliament, Sushma Swaraj.

26 December 2012

Bangladesh: Mobile Health Service For Expecting and New Mothers

Both the Maternal and child mortality rates are high in Bangladesh. On the other hand the mobile penetration rate is close to 65% and many of the subscribers are female. Aponjon, a maternal health care service using mobile phone was launched recently targeting expecting and new mothers in Bangladesh to reduce maternal and newborn illnesses and deaths.

26 December 2012

Conversations: Pregnant Syrian Refugee in Winter’s Cold

This post contains a conversation between News Deeply and Ayesha, a 29-year-old woman living in the Atma refugee camp in Idlib Province, in northwestern Syria. She is one of an estimated 50 pregnant women in the camp; volunteers tell us there is an acute need for baby milk.

25 December 2012

Macedonia: Nude Art Twitter Calendar for Charity

Twelve Macedonian women – regular Twitter users – took part in a humanitarian project organized by @IlinaBookbox, two photographers and one designer via the hashtag #ТвитерКалендар (Macedonian for ‘Twitter Calendar’)....

24 December 2012

Caribbean: What Happened in 2012 (Part 2)

The first part of this post observed that in the Caribbean blogosphere, the year was punctuated by hunger strikes - the first in Cuba and the second in Trinidad and Tobago. Part 2 of the regional blogosphere's 2012 summary recalls other issues that got Caribbean netizens talking - from the Olympics to the need for greater political transparency…

20 December 2012

Delhi Gang Rape Case Evokes Rage Across India

A recent gang-rape of a 23 year-old woman on a Delhi bus has stirred shock and outrage in India. This incident has raised a lot of questions regarding public safety in the Indian capital and criticized the approach of the society towards taboo subjects such as sex and rape.

18 December 2012

Presenting the Balkan Minorities

Fifteen young journalists from six different countries have produced a series of personal stories about representatives of the minorities (in a broad sense) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, and...

13 December 2012

India: The Menace Of Eve-Teasing

Main Toki at The Broken Scooter highlights the challenges to tackle Eve-teasing, sexual harassment of women in public places. In India the law exists but it does not define eve-teasing...

11 December 2012

Voices of Dignity – Women Survivors of Colombia's Armed Conflict

Through the powerful testimonies of Yoladis Zúñiga and Petronila Mendoza -two Colombian women who fled their homes after paramilitaries killed their husbands and raided their villages- the multimedia project Voices of Dignity provides an intimate and necessary look into the struggles of the victims of Colombia's armed conflict.

11 December 2012

Mehzar – Pakistan's Youngest Victim of Violence Against Shias

Mehzar Zahra is one of the youngest victims of the ongoing assault on Shia Muslims by terrorists and extremists organizations in Pakistan. The 12 year -old girl was shot while her father was taking her to school. Her father died instantly and she is battling for her life in a hospital in Karachi.

11 December 2012

Standing Up for Stalking Victims in Japan

Forty-nine different groups that campaign to end violence against women came together and made a joint statement on November 19, 2012 calling for concrete measures to support stalking victims and prevent homicide by stalkers in Japan. The statement was made after an incident on November 6 in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where a woman was stabbed and killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend. The victim had asked the police for help four times, but was turned down each time due to lack of legally permissible evidence.

11 December 2012