Stories about Women & Gender from May, 2020
COVID-19 tune educates, empowers Indonesia’s remote Marapu community
"Let’s just stay at home. Let’s wash our hands diligently to protect our health and lives."
Has COVID-19 worsened or improved Jamaican family dynamics?
The COVID-19 restrictions in Jamaica have diminished some families' already limited economic power while heaping additional responsibilities on parents. How are different types of families coping?
‘Born Ya': Speaking with Jamaican fine artist Judy Ann MacMillan about her new autobiography
"Fine art itself is under intense challenge in Jamaica, as it is elsewhere. The tenets [...] are in conflict with social improvement, political messages and democratic ideas."
Support networks essential to safely leave violent partners during Ecuador's lockdown
"It is imperative to break the culture of silence."
In Tunisia, women stand on the frontlines of targeted hate speech online
In Tunisia, an uprising toppled leadership and lead to revolution in 2011. Since then, digital space has witnessed heated debates about politics and society — including attacks against women activists and journalists.
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence made more difficult during Ecuador's quarantine
"I’ve tried to leave my partner a few times, but he became the centre of my universe. That’s why, despite everything, I stay with him".
Addressing ‘gaps in history’ through bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"Returning to the land today can feed us, contributing to food sovereignty and the wellness sector by expanding our knowledge and use of wild botanicals and their healing properties..."
Women in Nigeria face a caustic landmine of political advocacy online
“I’ve grown a really thick skin,” said Fakhriyyah Hashim, co-founder of the #ArewaMeToo movement in northern Nigeria.
The healing effects of bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"I have been concerned with how shared historical suffering reveals itself communally and how individuals and nations manage trauma and the desire for self-fulfilment in small places like Barbados..."
Women journalists in Uganda carry ‘double burden’ with online attacks and harassment
Women journalists in Uganda carry the double burden of gender-based abuse online and potential threats related to political reporting. These threats have led women journalists to withdraw from public discourse.
Truck drivers blamed for spread of COVID-19 in East Africa
Truck drivers in East Africa face an onslaught of new COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in borders towns — causing confusion, fear, endless traffic queues, protests and disrupted trade.
In Afghanistan, the war does not spare newborn babies inside maternity wards
When Afghans woke up on the morning of May 12, and found out about two new terrorist attacks, they were reminded that the ongoing war had reached new levels of brutality: this time, not even newborn babies and their mothers were spared. Kabul maternity under attack That day, three militants stormed...
Mali holds elections despite COVID-19 pandemic and terrorist threats
Mali's elections were held under unique circumstances: the ongoing threat of Islamist terrorism and governmental restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Across the Middle East, many women face a double threat: Abuser inside, virus outside
The coronavirus pandemic has once again exposed the dire state of women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa and exacerbated the silent but deadly pandemic of domestic violence.
The nightmare in Syria continues amid new coronavirus fears
The gathering of displaced persons in Idlib, Syria, has sparked international concern that this community — living under the harshest conditions — could be deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 diaries from Wuhan: What future after the pandemic?
"It is natural for us to feel lucky that we stayed alive. However, what about our society? Will it have more respect for human life and rights?"
