Stories about Women & Gender from February, 2012
Jordan: The Gay Husband
The Arab Observer, from Jordan, posts a letter he got from a reader who discovered that her husband was gay.
Panama: The Indigenous Leader Who Took on the Government
Amidst Panama's current crisis is a woman who has emerged as the standard bearer of the indigenous struggle: Silvia Carrera who, after being the first woman elected to the position of cacique or tribal chief, has risen up firmly against the mining intentions of the current government.
Tunisia: Spoiling the Revolution
Jolanare is weary of where the Tunisian revolution is heading to in terms of women's rights [fr]. She writes: “A young man verbally attacked me because I was wearing red...
Argentina: Stand Up Comedian on Women and Catcalls
Argentinean stand up comedian Malena Pichot, best known for her webshow “La Loca de Mierda” has a new series, Cualca! and on this first episode[es], she shares her perspective on...
Barbados: “Insultingly Low” Sentence
Barbados Free Press publishes a letter from a reader, expressing outrage at the minimun sentence for a man that claimed self-defense in his ex-girlfriend's murder: “At the same time we...
Puerto Rico: Extraordinary Decisions
“What do you say when you meet someone you think is extraordinary? You should say ‘Hi!’ and then start a conversation,” says Gil the Jenius, who profiles the extraordinary Andrea...
Cuba: Pollan's Family Owed Apology
Iván García writes about the late leader of Las Damas de Blanco, Laura Pollan, recounting a violent assault on the group days before her death and saying: “If they have...
South Africa: Virgin Active Caught in Racism Row
South African newspapers ran a story recently about a South African woman who was racially abused in public at the Virgin Active gym in Morningside, Johannesburg. The story has caused a public outcry on social media which resulted in Virgin Active re-opening the investigation into the incident.
Brazil: New Minister Denounces Torture Against Her Daughter
Blogger and writer Antônio Mello reproduces a denouncement [pt] by the new Minister of the Special Secretariat for Women, Eleonora Menicucci, in which she says that her 1 year old...
Cuba: Bloggers Say Pope Should Postpone Trip
Cuban bloggers have been making their feelings known about the impending papal visit to Cuba, their main concern being that the Vatican is putting its stamp of approval on the Castro government despite regular reports of human rights violations coming out of the island.
Guatemala: The Role of Women in Decision Making
Hector Javier Tecum blogs about the role of women in Guatemalan politics for Americas Quarterly [es]. He argues that the inclusion of women in decision-making positions is still a challenge...
Mexico: Josefina Vázquez Mota Wins PAN Primary
Bloggings by boz reports that “Josefina Vázquez Mota, a member of Congress and President Calderon's former secretary of education and secretary of social development, won the PAN [National Action Party] primary...
Video: Sociology Cinema Gathers Videoclips for Lecture Topics
Online video is being used by sociology instructors at the University of Maryland to teach basic concepts and accompany lectures. In The Sociological Cinema video clips are tagged and referenced so that other sociology instructors can use videos to make their classes more engaging.
Jamaica: Women's Political Role
“The troubling disrespect for the ‘girls’ appointed to the Cabinet seems to confirm that the JLP is committed to the backward notion that ‘man must run tings’”: Jamaica Woman Tongue...
Guyana: Send in the Clowns
“Every morning then, without fail, the clown put on she joie de vivre and tumble out”: Guyana-Gyal tries to keep a smile on her face despite her mother's diagnosis.
Cuba: Nineteenth “No”
“For the 19th time Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been denied an exit visa in order to travel abroad”: Havana Times reports.
Cuba: Sad Songs
Two bits of sad news from Havana Times: the first about the death of a Nueva Trova pioneer, and the second about a domestic dispute that ended in murder.
Cuba: What's on President Rousseff's Agenda?
Brazil's first female president is in Cuba on a visit intended “to strengthen bilateral ties especially in the economic and commercial spheres”, according to the Cuban press. Bloggers are very interested in her agenda.
Chile: NGO Report Reveals Increase in Sex Crimes
According to a report by NGO Activa, sexual crimes increased by 19.1% in Chile in 2011. A post in Activa’s site Ciudad Global [es] says there is a rate of...
