Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2015
Favianna Rodríguez: ‘Artists are Risk Takers and Truth Speakers’
Favianna, the daughter of Peruvian migrants to the United States, now 36-years-old, is a force to be reckoned with.
Russian Girls Show Conservative Beauty Contest Just How ‘Modest’ They Can Be
Almost immediately after the contest was announced, VKontakte users began criticizing the Parliamentary League’s decision to make modesty and headscarves the focus of its contest.
German Company's Videos Imagine Modern Women as Passive and Dependent
Women in Germany are outraged over one insurance company's videos explaining different types of policies, in which women are described as passive and naive — a role more in line with the expectations of the 1950s than 2015. Birte Vogel writes on her blog Thea – Frauen in Sprache, Medien und Gesellschaft (Thea –...
Trinidad & Tobago's Politics Hits New Low With ‘Product of Rape’ Mudslinging
"Vernella has offended every victim of rape and sexual abuse, every child born out of rape and incest...As a woman, she should know better. I am appalled and disgusted."
Documenting the Systematic Decline of Women's Rights in Macedonia
Although southeast European countries are progressive in many other ways, the decline of women's reproductive rights in some Western Balkan countries has been a worrying trend. In Macedonia, several small protests have been held in recent years to demonstrate people's opposition to government involvement in determining public sentiment on issues...
Two Brave Acid Attack Victims Take School Exams From Their Hospital Beds
Seema Basnet and Sangita Magar aren't letting their injuries get in the way of their education.
Iranian Social Media's Short Attention Span for #AcidAttacks Against Women
Acid attacks on women last year in Isfahan created a fearful atmosphere and sparked protests. Despite developments, social media users seem to have moved on from the topic.
Afghan Woman Beaten to Death and Burned for Allegedly Setting a Quran on Fire
"What happened in #Kabul today was absolutely against the law, Sharia law and does NOT represent Muslims in Afghanistan."
How Guatemalan Group ‘Las Poderosas’ Uses Theater to Confront Violence Against Women
For these women, theater is a means to heal trauma and raise awareness of gender-based violence within a country where two women a day are killed on average.
Can Kazakhstan's Sabina Altynbekova Banish Brand Borat?
Young volleyball star Sabina Altynbekova has used her overnight fame to present herself as a symbol of Kazakhstan. How far can she go with it?
Five Young Feminists Still Missing in China
The Chinese feminists arrested on the eve of International Women's Day have yet to resurface, sparking massive online campaigns for their release.
After the Charlie Hebdo Attack, Can We Laugh About Anything?
"Freedom of speech must be complete. However, freedom of conscience and worship must be protected too."
One Small Step for a Trinidadian Rocket Scientist, One Giant Leap for Young Women
"I know what space did for me -- it pulled me outside of myself -- and I wanted to give that back," Dr. Camille Wardrop Alleyne tells Global Voices.
Memory Banda Escaped Child Marriage in Malawi, but Her 11-Year-Old Sister Wasn't so Lucky
Eighteen-year-old Memory Banda has managed to escape the cycle that turns half the girls in her southern African nation into brides, and usually mothers, by her age.
Croatian Women's Rights Activists Don't Only Take to the Streets—They Rename Them
For International Women's Day on March 8, residents of Croatia's Rijeka woke up to discover activists had changed the names of many streets to honor forgotten female figures.
Strangled with Her Own Scarf: A Student's Murder Haunts Kyrgyz Society
As the anniversary of 19-year-old Camilla Duishebaeva's murder approaches, many believe the investigation has been deliberately impeded.
The Ban on “India’s Daughter” Brings India’s Sons into Focus
The documentary about the horrific 2012 Delhi rape case wasn't perfect, but any thoughtful critiques were shoved aside when India's government banned the film and asked YouTube to block it.
Internet Doodles as a Gauge of Women's Status in China Today
"But the boss rejected our idea and changed the image. The new caption says, 'You deserve special care.' I saw Google's today, and I just feel sad."
Gender Perspective Comes to Puerto Rico's Public School System
"Even though it isn't an end in itself, this step is a tremendous instrument in favor of human rights in Puerto Rico."
International Women's Day: One Date, Billions of Contexts
Although International Women's Day was first spearheaded by socialist groups, and focused on working women, the day has now taken on distinctive forms in different locations all over the world.
Is Afghanistan Getting Closer to a Reckoning with Gender Violence and Discrimination?
"Women's rights in Afghanistan can only go so far, until men stand for it too."
