Stories about Women & Gender from August, 2008
China: Watching women's volleyball
Thanks to Bill Bishop at the MarketWatch Olympic Blog, we are given a recount of a day at the beach watching the US, Brazil and China's women's volleyball teams in the semi-finals. Not just that, Bill points us to a link that shows what the Beach Babes cheerleaders had to...
Olympic Hijab Style
British blog Hijab Style shares photographs of Olympians who wear hijab, including Bahrain's Ruqaya al Ghasra and Yemen's Waseelah Fadhl Saad.
Japan: To Japanese women, WaiWai was sexual harassment
Since it exploded on the Japanese Internet less than two months ago, the scandal at Mainichi surrounding the newspaper's former English-language column “WaiWai” has taken on epic proportions. While much has been written about the scandal and its deeper implications, the duration and intensity of attacks on one of Japan's largest national newspapers has surprised almost everybody.
Guyana: Poems of a Fat Black Woman
Signifyin’ Guyana posts excerpts from Guyanese poet Grace Nichols’ “sexy little collection”, which “tell of a fat black woman's trials and tribulations, as well as her moments of triumph in a foreign land.”
China: Minority Terrorist
Michael from Two opposite end of China puts together news concerning bombings in Xinjiang and the Chinese official attitude towards minority.
Egypt's first Septuplets
Egyptian Blogger Zeinobia, writes about an Egyptian woman, from Alexandria, who gave birth to seven babies – even though she claims she did not take any medicine.
Egypt: Alone in New York?
Egyptian blogger Eman is leaving to New York, where she will pursue her higher studies. “Right now I’m in the middle of a whirl of emotions, however that is not something I’m bothered with… What bothers me is people’s reaction to the fact that I am traveling on my own,”...
Iran: Several bloggers protest against polygamy bill
Several Iranian bloggers including Parastood protest [Fa] against polygamy bill. Shirin Ebadi, Noble Peace laureate, also protested against this bill.
Nigerian prostitute arrested in Italy
Le blog de [moi] posts a disturbing photograph of a Nigerian prostitute, arrested during a recent raid in Italy, laying half-naked on the floor of a jail cell, covered in dust.
China: Olympic cheerleaders~
Via the Time China blog we find Youtuber selegant's footage of the cheerleading routine during yesterday's USA-Nigeria football match. One commenter writes: “That's the Sichuan Cats. You need to win tough competitions to volunteer at Beijing.” Do check out the Related Videos there.
Jordan: Boys, Girls and Facebook
Jordanian Sha3teely [ar] is annoyed of boys who tarnish the reputation of women on social networking sites like Facebook, once their relationship goes sour.
USA: Blogging for Anglican Inclusion of LGTB Priests and Bishops
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual priests and bishops made efficient use of citizen media to support their campaign for inclusion in the Anglican Church at the recent Lambeth Conference, a global gathering of 650 bishops and archbishops held at the Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom.
Zimbabwe: Where are the women?
Natasha writes about the role of women in conflict situations. Looking at Zimbabwe crisis, she asks, “Where are the women?”
Japan: Revising the Law of Transgendered People
Joe Jones from Mutant frog blogs about the Act Regarding Special Provisions for the Treatment of the Gender of Persons With Gender Identity Disorder recently passed in the Diet.
Saudi Arabia Bans Women from Olympics
Egyptian bloggers Mona Eltahawy and CP wrote about Saudi activist Wajeha Al Huwaider, who is protesting against her country's decision to ban Saudi women from taking part in the Olympics.
Egypt: Did an Egyptian tycoon order the murder of a pop star?
Raed, from the blog Babylon & Beyond, discusses rumours surrounding the involvement of an Egyptian businessman with the murder of Lebanese singer Susan Tamim in Dubai, UAE. Another blogger, Zeinobiya sheds more information on the murder here.
African MSM & Sex Workers Voice Concerns and Hopes at AIDS 2008
The AIDS 2008 conference (IAC) in Mexico City drew to a close on August, 8th, 2008. The theme of the conference was “universal action now” and judging by the heavy international attendance, the focus on marginalized communities and the daily newsletter aptly called “Global Voice”, it delivered on the promise....
Arabeyes: Female, single, and away from home?
For many single Arab women, to live and work or study away from their family is not a choice made easily, because of fear of 'what people will say'. A number of bloggers from around the Arab world have voiced their frustration recently at the obstacles single women face.
Iran: High ranked cleric is upset about Olympics Opening
Kamangir reported that the Leader of the Friday Prayers in the religious city of Mashhad, Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda, stated regret because Iran’s team in the opening of the Olympics was led by a woman.
Albania: A muslim country?
A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court discusses the changing role of religion in Albanian society, claiming that “after thousands of years of changing religious affiliations by Albanians in response to their circumstances, […] for the first time in Albanian history, fundamentalists of all stripes are intentionally taking actions to...
Michèle Pierre-Louis, Haiti's new prime minister
Bloggers discuss Michèle Pierre-Louis, Haiti's newly-confirmed prime minister and only the second woman to hold that position, and the rumors about her sexual orientation, which nearly undid her nomination.