Stories about Women & Gender from November, 2008
Afghanistan: Schoolhildren Attacked by Acid Terrorists
Patrick Frost tells about a shocking incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where some unidentified perpetrators used water guns to shoot acid at a group of girls headed to school.
Nepal Jumps Ahead on Gay and Transgender Rights
After California voters passed the proposition to ban gay marriage in the state, gay and transgender rights is back on the headlines in America. While the debate rages on there, Nepal – a faraway country, much smaller and often ignored on the world stage is now being looked upon as...
Pakistan: Mother of Dolls
Light Within portrays Dr. Senta Siller, who mobilized the women in a remote Pakistani village and led them from the front to make hand crafted dolls in traditional Pakistani attires for collectors’ delight and for the gift market.
Syria: Art of Dialogue
“An argument in olden Arab times was like a dance. People wooed each other, rejected or accepted, negotiated, insulted and convinced each other using subtle messages & connotations, all applied courteously,” notes 50% Syrian.
Saudi Arabia: Marriage Restrictions
Saudi Jeans is annoyed his country's 150-member Shura (consultative) Council rejected a law to simplify the regulations of Saudi marriages to foreigners. “I do not understand the harsh restrictions enforced on citizens who want to marry foreigners. Why should the government bother with who one chooses to marry?” he asks.
Jamaica: Schoolboy Murdered
A Jamaican schoolboy is sodomized and murdered, prompting Carlos King at Abeng News Magazine to write an open letter to the Prime Minister and Long Bench to address the issue of “the sexism and deep-seated and destructive hatred of homosexuality that pervades this society” with “people pandering to the notion...
Armenia: Violence against Women
The world’s oldest Christian nation may have many things to be proud about, but when it comes to women’s rights the ex-Soviet Armenia is possibly in denial. With widespread human trafficking as its worst manifestation, violence against women in Armenia is alarming the world. Will a recent Amnesty International report detailing domestic abuse and government inaction bring about change? Bloggers react.
Japan: A girl in the Pro Baseball League
Yuko Shimonakamura at Yuko no Jinsei to Tigers [勇皇の人生とタイガース] comments with enthusiasm [jp] on the birth of a new baseball heroine, Eri Yoshida, the 16 y.o. high school student who will likely debut as a pitcher in the Kansai Independent League (関西独立リーグ) starting next spring and will play together with...
Morocco: Hemline Indicator
Margot the Marrakesh Mystic correlates the rise of hemlines in Morocco to the changes in the economy.
Egypt: No Manhood for the Manhood Drink!
Egypt has launched a fierce campaign against sexual harassment in the aftermath of the recent events written about here on Global Voices. But people working in the media industry do not seem to get the idea as evidenced by a recent ad campaign.
Barbados: Russian Teen Murdered
Citizens are wondering about the motive behind the murder of a teenaged Russian girl in Barbados. Keltruth Corp and Barbados Free Press are also asking questions.
Cuba: Lomas Fired
Diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution speculates as to why “the highest ranking woman in the Castro regime…has been unexpectedly fired…from her high-profile post as Minister for Foreign Investment.”
Caucasus: Gender Gap Index
Social Science in the Caucasus takes exception to the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index and, comparing data on economic participation, explains why.
Bangladesh: Sex scandal in College
Bangladesh Blogger reports: “Female students of BCIC College, Dhaka have accused their male teachers of sexual harassment, which has led to the arrest of several students and teachers.”
Egypt: Mother incriminated in a case of FGM
On May 23, in a post titled The Victimization of Egyptian Women and Children, I quoted Fantasia – a girl who dreams of a better future for Egyptian women – who wrote about the new laws that were being discussed to protect children in Egypt. The first of which was...
Georgia: Dating & Parties
Ben Sweeney’s Weblog continues to experience life as a Fulbright Scholar in Georgia and keeps readers updated on the local culture in the capital, Tbilisi. Yesterday was the turn of dating girls with curfews and cleaning up after parties.
Puerto Rico, U.S.A.: Gay Marriage
“When I found out California and Florida were state's #29 and #30 in the banning of same-sex marriage, I was aghast”: Puerto Rican blogger Liza says that “the problem with gay marriage is not ‘the gay’ but ‘the marriage’.”.
Philippines: Reproductive Health debate
Should the Philippine Congress approve the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008? The Catholic Church opposes the measure. Many scholars and cause oriented groups are supporting it. What are the views of Filipino bloggers?
Iran: Woman Activist Released on Bail
According to Change4equality, Esha Momeni, the Iranian-American student and woman activist, was released from prison on bail on Monday after being in jail for about one month. Iranian authorities accused her of acting against national security.
Jordan: Poor and Backward
Being poor and backward go hand in hand, according to Jordanian blogger Muoffaq Qabbani, who brings us this story about how poor people insist on having more and more children.
Afghanistan: Fawzia Koofi in France
Azar Balkhi reports that Fawzia Koofi, the Second Deputy of the Afghanistan Parliament, attended the conference of Council of Women World Leaders that took place in France in an apparent sign of revival of gender equality in post-Taliban country.
