Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2013
Lebanon's First Civil Marriage “Approved by Justice”
Lebanon's first civil marriage has been recognized by the Ministry of Justice. Earlier this year, Kholoud Succarieh and Nidal Darwich initiated Lebanon's first civil marriage on Lebanese soil, in a country where only religious marriages could be contracted until then, and where civil status is administered by religious authorities. The couple argues that their contract is legal according to Lebanese law, and submitted it to the Interior Ministry.
Iranian Singer Ermia's Show Biz Veil
A young singer's decision to wear a veil on the Persian language hit television show Googoosh Music Academy attracted both cheers and jeers from Iranians who tuned in.
Will Brazil Stem New Tide of Immigration?
The global financial crisis, wars and natural disasters have inspired a new wave of immigration to Brazil. The development of successful immigration policies may contribute to Brazil’s reputation as an emerging global power.
Film Exposes Madagascar's Child Sex Trade
The journeyman.tv published on March 25 a detailed investigation using undercover filming to expose the booming child sex trade in Madagascar: One mother in the film testifies: My daughter was...
Maldives Rape Victim's Flogging Sentence Touches Off Anti-Tourism Campaign
Global outrage is growing against a Maldives court's verdict to flog a 15-year-old girl who is originally a victim of rape and sexual abuse. More than one million people have signed a petition created by the campaign website Avaaz.org, urging Maldivian authorities to protect the girl.
Barbados: Shutting People Out?
Has Barbadian society become more exclusionary? Code Red cites a report that suggests it might have.
Saudi Royal Advisor to Sue Twitter User
On Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran writes: A member of the Saudi Shoura Council said today that he is going to sue a conservative writer for attacking him on Twitter....
Jamaica: The Female Image in Dancehall
[It] can be seen…as a celebration of full-bodied female sexuality. Especially the substantial structure of the Black working-class woman whose body image is rarely validated… Jamaica Woman Tongue thinks International...
Condom TV Spot Pulled in Kenya After Religious Outcry
A public service announcement promoting condom use to combat the spread of HIV in Kenya was recently pulled from the airwaves after the TV spot caused an uproar among the country's religious leaders.
The Return of China's First Lady
Reversing a streak decades long of low-profile presidential wives, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan accompanied her husband, new President Xi Jinping, to Russia on his first foreign tour, marking a return of the role to the political spotlight.
Russian Nationalists Rally Behind Subway Shooter
After all, how can one not react with outrage upon learning that Alexandra Lotkova, a pretty, twenty-one year old college student, got three years in prison for using a non-lethal gun to protect herself from knife-wielding thugs, who had already stabbed one of her friends!
US Rape Case Resonates in France
The ramification of the Steubeunville rape case has had an impact beyond the US borders. Following the sentencing of the perpetrators for rape of a minor, CrêpeGeorgette [fr] tries to unpack the rape...
Brides Traded In India As Sex Commodities
The blog on India's Gendercide posts a video which shows shocking stats of bride trafficking, the Indian version of domestic sex-trafficking.
Japan's ‘Sex Slaves’ Phantom Fuels Petition
The GoPetition site published Do not select Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympics petition which has been introduced to many local sites. It accuses the current Japanese administration of denying the...
Italy: Grillo's Party Takes the Lead in Political Stalemate
Social media played an influential role in the success of M5S, leading to one of the youngest Parliaments in Europe -- but Italy's political stagnation is far from over.
Tales of Love and Sex from Angola
Rosie Alves is a 21-year-old blogger in Luanda who writes short tales often about love and intimate encounters in her blog "Sweet Cliché". She shares with Global Voices her motivations and aspirations, telling us more about her generation and the growing Angolan blogosphere.
Parveen Rehman Killed, Pakistan's Largest Slum Loses its Guardian Angel
Parveen Rehman, a leading social worker in Pakistan was shot dead close to the country's largest slum Orangi, in Karachi were she had worked tirelessly for three decades. A trained architect, Parveen documented land in the ever-growing city to protect it from Karachi's notorious land mafia, who she had been receiving death threats from for years.
Rapists Get Off Light in Cayman Islands
Code Red blogs about “two recent cases reported in regional media [which] demonstrate the extent of the injustice which girls who survive sexual assault face.”
Survey: Sexuality Rights on the Internet
The Association for Progressive Communications is calling on sexuality rights activists to complete a survey describing how internet regulation affects them.