Stories about Women & Gender from September, 2008
Japan: The Unhealthy Image of “Ladylike”
Japanese blogger Miyakichi at Miyakichi Nikki writes about why the image of ladylike beauty in the world today so unhealthy [ja], tracing the preference for pale skin, 40cm waists and high heels back to the histories of Europe, America and China and connecting them to modern styles in Japan.
Saudi Arabia: The need for Saudi nurses
Saudi writer Sabria Jawhar argues that more Saudi women should become nurses: “Even in 2008 a stigma that nursing is a less than noble profession remains in Saudi minds.”
Saudi Arabia: Fighting hypocrisy
Saudi blogger Sara is tired of the hypocrisy she sees around her: “an example is people in ramadan do pretty weird things .. pretending to go to a religious lecture and they are not even interested in hearing what the guy has to say .. it’s just because there’s guys...
Why do Egyptians get Divorced?
Statistics show that 75,000 Egyptian couples got divorced in 2006/2007. Marwa Rakha brings up oline reactions to the phenomena in this post.
Indonesia's anti-porn law
Yalun blogs about the negative impact of Indonesia's anti-porn law.
Bahrain: Hair-raising conversation
Sous, a Swede living in Bahrain, repeats a conversation she had with an Indian woman, who after finding out that Sous was fasting told her she should cover her hair: “Swede: Well, I’m thinking to shave it all off and then that problem is solved! Indian:No!…Aren’t you married? Swede: No....
Young Egyptian Women Do Not Want to Work!
While some women are still struggling to prove themselves in the workplace, the young generation of Egyptian men and women seems to be taking different route. Marwa Rakha brings us the story of how young Egyptians told a television show that they did not want their wives to work.
Pakistan: rape and silence of the society
Adil Najam of All Things Pakistan discusses the growing number of rapes in Karachi and opines that the silence of the victims and the society is to blame.
Saudi Arabia: The need for laws not just education
Hala outlines her position on male guardianship over women: “I’m just a simple person who believes that although education about rights and wrong is important yet it’s not worthy without laws that protect the rights, since we can lead a horse to the water but we can’t make it drink…...
Saudi Arabia: Sarah Palin for Saudi?
American Bedu wonders whether Sarah Palin would make an ideal citizen of Saudi Arabia: “she favors creationist teaching instead of evolution…She does not believe in abortion… She ‘should’ know much about oil coming from the key American producing state.”
World Bank Film Competition – Social Dimensions of Climate Change
The world bank has a call for submissions of short 2-5 minute documentaries that show the social effects or aspects of climate change. The deadline for the competition is October 24th 2008. They would like submissions from developing countries (particularly from the youth), covering any of the following categories. -...
Russia: Putin's Sex Appeal and the “New Cold War”
Vilhelm Konnander writes about Vladimir Putin's sex appeal and the West's alleged “psychological need for negative power projection – a primitive urge to make Putin look impotent at a time when ‘barbarious Russia’ stands at the gates of our ‘imaginary western world of values’.”
Saudi Arabia: Women and their drivers
“In Saudi Arabia you can tell a lot about a woman by her relationship with her driver. Yes I call it a relationship. Because, unlike anywhere in the world, drivers are a necessity and not a luxury that is used on a whim.” Read a description of the different relationships...
Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Sexual Politics
“Her winning smile and girl next door looks serv(e) to convince me that she could possibly be the scariest woman to be seen in western politics since Margaret Thatcher. But what I don’t appreciate is the fact that the American media did what can only be interpreted as an honour...
Saudi Arabia: Anger at child marriages
Crossroads Arabia reports on the case of a girl who was married without even realising it: “Imagine going to get a new ID card and discovering that you’ve been married since you were ten years old.”
Saudi Arabia: Is wearing nail polish permitted in Islam?
American Bedu has learnt than many Muslim women do not wear nail polish for religious reasons. Find out why here.
India: Films and Feminism
Beth Loves Bollywood does a post on “filmi” feminism – picking on a scene from a Bollywood film.
Haiti: The Road Ahead
jmc strategies says that “Michèle Pierre-Louis is now officially the Honorable Prime Minister of Haiti…just in time for the opening of the chapter on what may turn out to be the biggest challenge facing Haiti this decade: how to rebuild after the devastations wrought by Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and...
Afghanistan: First Policewomen
Azar Balkhi reports that for the first time in Afghan history, first policewomen were appointed on official positions in Herat, western province of Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia: Don't judge Palin as a mother
Saudi-based blogger Nzingha, a mother of five, feels that Sarah Palin has been judged on the wrong criteria: “One shouldn't choose to not support Palin because she is a mom just as one shouldn't choose to support Palin simply because she is a woman. Her ability to do the job...
Gays in Vietnam
Noodlepie links to an article which discussed the situation of gay men in Vietnam.
