Stories about Women & Gender from May, 2015
Women Entrepreneurs Are Blossoming Amid China's E-Commerce Boom. But Can They Peg Back Patriarchy?
"What I see is Ma’s fear as a male leader of increasing female power, having already made so much money from women."
Sex, Religion and Politics Collide in ‘Dirty Paki Lingerie’
Pakistani-American Aizzah Fatima has brought her one-woman play to all sorts of venues in recent years. Even the play's title offends some. It's called: Dirty Paki Lingerie.
In Pakistan's Peshawar, Where 132 Children Were Slain, a New School Promotes Peace
The Peshawar School for Peace, which was inaugurated on 6 May 2015, aims to promote interfaith harmony, girls' education and social cohesion. Global Voices spoke with those behind the school.
Can Abortion Be Discussed in Medellín's Metro?
Residents of the city of Medellín, Colombia, are asking themselves if the metro is the place to talk about abortion, stemming from an ad by the #ladecisiónestuya (the decision is yours)...
On Dubai's Roads, Women Hop on Harleys and Shatter Stereotypes
You might not expect to see women riding motorcycles if you took to the UAE's roads, but a group of women from all over the world are doing just that.
Pregnant 11-Year-Old in Uruguay Refuses Abortion
Niña de 11 años embarazada que no quiere abortar genera polémica➝http://t.co/uPBo6NEKcC #Aborto #Embarazo #Uruguay — Periódico La Tribuna (@PLaTribunaFunza) May 8, 2015 Pregnant 11-year-old who refused to abort creates controversy....
Argentinians Organize Online to Demonstrate Against Femicides
Under the hashtag #NiUnaMenos (Not One Less), Argentina is mounting a campaign against the alarming increase in the number of femicides, which shows no signs of going down. Many of the country's public personalities...
Verdict Delayed in Detained Iranian Artist Atena Farghadani's Trial

Atena Farghadani was arrested over a cartoon she drew that depicts Iran's members of parliament as animals voting on law that will restrict access to contraception and criminalise voluntary sterilisation.
Atena Farghadani Goes on Trial Tomorrow in Iran for Her Cartoon About Access to Contraception

The cartoon that sparked her arrest depicts members of parliament as animals. She is charged with spreading propaganda against the system, insulting members of parliament and insulting the supreme leader.
The Poetical Is Political as Tajik Wordsmith Declares ‘Death to Afghanistan’
'I do believe, that whoever wishes death to Afghanistan, cannot have any love for Tajikistan.'
Rohingya Boat Refugees Rejected by Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia
"Action on #Rohingya is a real test of character for #ASEAN. Are we compassionate or heartless nations?"
Along Morocco’s Border With a Spanish Enclave, Women Shoulder Twice Their Weight ‘to Earn a Morsel of Bread’
These women carry loads of 100-200 lbs for the chance to earn $5 per day across the border from Spain's Ceuta to Morocco.
Afghan Rapper Escaped Teen Marriage by Singing About It
Sonita Alizadeh is now living and going to school in the US, and she’s still making music about social justice in Afghanistan.
Mr. Bureaucrat, Russia's ‘Wrinkled’ Young Women Would Like a Word

In response to a sexist outburst by a ranking government official, young women have started posting selfies with the hashtag #WrinkledWoman while scrunching up their faces to lampoon the remark.
Israeli Professor Shows the World: ‘This Is What a Feminist Looks Like’
Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor Dr Sydney Engelberg shot to internet stardom after his photograph comforting a fussy baby while continuing to teach went viral, reports Maya Norton
How the Internet Both Facilitates and Challenges Rape in Russia

The explosion of online social networks makes it easier than ever for sexual predators, but the Internet also presents women with new weapons against a legal system stacked against them.
Two Tragic Cases Throw a Harsh Spotlight on Latin America's Abortion Laws
A Salvadoran woman is pardoned after seven years in prison, convicted of abortion for a stillbirth, and a Paraguayan 10-year-old girl, allegedly raped by her stepfather, is denied an abortion.
Amaal Said’s Portraits of Belonging: An Interview
Zachary Rosen interviews photographer/poet Amaal Said. Amaal was born in Denmark to Somali parents and is currently based in London: AIAC: Your photographs are remarkable in how they challenge and...
This Is What Happened When a Musician Allegedly Said Ugandan Women Are Inferior to White Women
"I would date Ugandan girls for casual sex and not serious relationship," says Ugandan musician Coco Finger in an interview with Uganda's New Vision newspaper.
Clashes in Mahabad, Iran, Following the Controversial Death of a Female Hotel Worker
"It's one thing to be Kurdish in Iran and a another to be a Kurdish woman. #JusticeForFarinaz."
The Mexican ‘Corrido’ of Feminist Liberation
Junio del 75 en México no te asombres Se juntaron mil señoras para hablar mal de los hombres […] Liberación absoluta es meta de la mujer Pero aquello de que...