Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2016
#JusticeForTonu Goes Viral After Bangladeshi College Student's Rape and Murder
"This issue runs deeper than one isolated incident. It's time we address it #JusticeForTonu."
Mexican Government Hopes to Counter Violence Against Women With Gender Alerts
Government sponsored gender-violence alerts are on the rise as a response to the the daily occurrence of sexual abuse, torture and femicides, but Mexicans are suspicious about their efficacy.
Despite Tradition and Convention, Salsa Keeps Egyptians on the Dance Floor
Believe it or not, but Latin America and Egypt have more in common than ancient civilizations and pyramid-building.
For These Syrian Women, Their 20s Have Been Defined by War
Lebanon was a relatively welcoming place to Syrian refugees when the war started five years ago. Not so much anymore. Three Syrian women tell their stories.
Jamaicans Adopt a ‘Wait and See’ Approach to New Political Leaders
The new Jamaican voter is keeping a keen eye on the government to ensure that issues are addressed and public officials are held to a higher standard.
Russian Online Service Asks Women to Pay to Remind Their Boyfriends to Buy Them Flowers
“Using modern Internet-advertising tools,” the website says, ”we delicately remind your boyfriend that it’s been some time since he’s gifted flowers, and point out that flowers are important to women.”
Gymnast Thema Williams’ Long, Fraught Road to Representing Trinidad & Tobago in the Olympics
Thema Williams, the gymnast whose topless pic caused a social media firestorm, has finally been chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Rio Olympics Test Event.
American Reporter's Assault Reveals How Common Sexual Violence Is in Mexico City
"Women become targets, sometimes without the victims or victimizers being fully aware of it, of expressions that place women second to men, that turn them into objects to be admired."
‘Nude’ Photos of Australian Aboriginal Women Trigger Facebook Account Suspensions
Facebook has been attacked over its suspension of people in Australia for posting a photo of topless Aboriginal women performing a public ceremony.
I Found My Voice in Spanish, a Language Once Used to Subjugate My Ancestors
In part two of her post, Shirley Campbell examines how Spanish is a language at once discriminatory and liberating.
Women Fight Skin Color Prejudice With #UnfairAndLovely Campaign
"I was always told it was better to be lighter, but no this is my skin and I love it #unfairandlovely"
What More Do Latin American Women Want? Equality, Safety and Respect for Starters
"...we want to be able to travel alone without being killed, we want to be able to walk freely in the streets without fear..."
The Flourishing Relationship Between Women and the Book Industry of Jamaica
When it comes to Jamaica's publishing industry, women not only enjoy gender parity -- they are leading the way in all things book-related.
Japan Observes International Women's Day With Mimosa Flowers and Grim Statistics
International Women's Day comes less than a week after a Japanese government survey showed that 30% of working women report being sexually harassed in Japan.
Turkey, March 8 and the Everyday Struggle Against Gender Stereotyping
"#YouAreMuchMoreBeautifulThisWay, so what is it, if we do not pop out of our mothers' wombs as models, all the talking orangutans will criticise us?"
Six Tajik Mothers Who Rule the Roost on Facebook
Tajikistan celebrates Mother's Day, a rebranded version of International Women's Day, on March 8.
Afghanistan's Path to Women's Rights Is Paved With Risk, but Built on Hope
From cycling teams to volunteers treating drug addicted men, Afghan women are carving out roles in a country wracked by violence and insecurity.
Social Media Slams Idea That Murdered Backpackers in Ecuador ‘Were Asking for It’
"These are all comments from my social media feeds which leave me totally ashamed. How can such backward thinking still exist in this day and age."
Human Rights Activist and Indigenous Leader Berta Cáceres Is Assassinated in Honduras
After years of environmental activism and fighting for indigenous communities, human rights champion Berta Caceres was assassinated in Honduras today.
No Country for Bhutan's Fatherless Children
Bhutan's strict citizenship laws, however, aren't doing much to boost happiness these days, as thousands of Bhutanese children abandoned by their fathers have been rendered stateless according to Bhutanese laws.
