Stories about Women & Gender from May, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing the Signs
“It matters not how many skyscrapers, malls, American chain restaurants or chemical plants a country has…if [it] possesses at least five or more of these signs of underdevelopment and tyranny, then it is still a third world country at the very core”: Alien in the Caribbean sees many of those...
Armenia: Online insult leads to tragedy
Blogian comments on the killing of a teenager in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri after he reportedly insulted a local girl on Odnoklassniki, the Russian equivalent of Facebook. The blog says that the story is indicative of a culture of violence, relationships between men and women, and a failed...
UAE: Susan's in Saudi Arabia
Susan, a Dubai-based blogger, visits Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a business trip. Read her impressions and watch her video at amazingwomenrock.com.
Japan: Marriage Hunting!
Since autumn of last year, in Japan, a new term has been floating in the air. It is konkatsu 婚活 (an abbreviation of kekkon katsudô 結婚活動), based on the popular phrase shûkatsu (就活 job hunting), it may be roughly translated as ‘marriage hunting’. Konkatsu is not merely a new word,...
China: Gay wife
Li Yinhe blogs about the situation of the wife of homosexual male in China [zh]. There are around 20 million homosexual male in China and 80% are married.
Turkey: Female-designed Mosque Opens
Turkey's first mosque designed by a woman was opened in Istanbul, writes Emre Kızılkaya.
Egypt: New blog for human rights
Ramy Raouf started his new Egyptian blog for human rights (EBFHR) [Ar]. The blog monitors the development of human rights especially in Egypt, as well as the Arab world in general.
Jordan: 11th Honour Killing this Year
Kinzi from Jordan recounts the 11th honour killing in Jordan this year: “Mother of six, stabbed 18 times by one brother, 4 by another, for telling them her whereabouts were ‘none of their business’.” This last crime claimed the life of the mother's 20-week-old fetus as well.
Armenia: Transgender video blogging
Unzipped comments on news that transgender blogger Hye Trent will be video blogging his physical transformations during surgery and other procedures. The blog says the move is unprecedented and brave.
Iraq: Organised ‘crackdown’ on homosexuals
In the past few weeks there has been an increase in the persecution of homosexuals in Iraq, due to an organised 'crackdown' based on a religious decree for their death. This has been met with anger and outrage amongst both the Iraqi and global LGBT blogosphere.
Guyana: Advertising Issue
The new Banks beer commercials in Guyana have blogger Imran Khan incensed: “What does it say about a company which foists upon a nation an advertisement lecturing to the citizenry that we should all guzzle alcoholic beverages because it builds the nation?”
Poland: Hitler and Abortion
Sylwia Presley reviews online reactions to neo-Nazi anti-abortion posters that appeared in several public places in Zielona Gora at the end of April.
Saudi Arabia: Women not allowed
Saudi blogger Aysha Alkusayer describes how her hopes were dashed after being turned away from an audition, which was supposedly open to both sexes, in Riyadh. “Today I hoped and this was wrong. It is probably best to believe that discrimination against, race, gender or faith would never change,” she...
USA: Opening Conversations on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides free or inexpensive sexual health services to young men and women in the United States and abroad, has launched a YouTube campaign. The organization is encouraging people to share their thoughts and experiences around getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases, educating their kids about sex, and discussing reproductive rights issues.
China: Co-ed subway cars
A Beijing politician's proposal for women-only areas on the city's subway is open for public debate; at Page Writers, anonymous Katie debates the merits of the idea.
Jamaica: Stereotyping
“Every Jamaican man lives in fear of a lie. It’s a lie that continues to wreak havoc on both sides of the racial and gender divide and is a frequent topic of pornography: the Black, male stud”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp examines the effects of the stereotype.
Russia: Valentina Tereshkova
Belatedly, a link to Copydude‘s post about Valentina Tereshkova, “the first woman in space.”
Iran: “Prisoner of Colours” is Executed
On Friday morning, Iranian authorities executed Delara Darabi, a 23 year-old woman, who was convicted for a murder at the age of 17 and held at the Rasht Central Prison for several years. Delara had earned notoriety as “the prisoner of colours” for her haunting paintings of prison life that were admired by many.
Trinidad & Tobago: Beautiful Boys
“I find myself tiptoeing around dying poui blossoms. They remind me too much of all that we have lost here. In the poui time that is also the killing time. Regardless of the season, regardless of new crime plan…we continue to gorge ourselves on the blood of our children”: Attillah...
Cuba: Ladies Attacked
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to a report that says the Damas de Blanco were attacked by both police and private citizens following a Mass in the Cuban province of Matanzas.
Libya: Women, Writers and Artists
Women in Libyan society are loved, respected and cared for as mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and wives. The state guarantees freedom and equality between men and women but it still runs across cultural norms and traditions. Fozia Mohamed digs into the Libyan blogosphere for posts on women and here are her findings.
