Stories about Women & Gender from December, 2012
Mock Bride-Kidnapping in Kyrgyz Capital
[D]espite the [girl's] cries for help and the clearly illegal and rude behavior of [the purported abductors], not a single person rushed to help [the girl] or called the police... Several young men watched the incident with interest. Some men discussed: "What is it? [Bride kidnapping]? It means there will be a wedding!"
Women Banned from Using Mobile Phones in Indian Villages
A village council in the Indian state of Bihar has banned women from using mobile phones because it is “debasing the social atmosphere” and leading couples to elope. Similar bans have also been seen in other parts of India.
Fighting Deportation in the U.S.
The national "We Belong Together" campaign is compiling testimonies in response to the passing of new immigration laws in the U.S. and addressing the prejudices they perpetuate.
Sex Tapes of Chinese Official and Anti-Corruption Fight
While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP chief secretary's anti-corruption talk still lingered in our ears, an obscene sex tape of former Chongqin CCP Secretary went viral online and within 63 hours he was sacked. People wonder the CCP really serious about anti-corruption work?
The Many Faces of Everyday Violence Against Women
The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Abdoulaye Bah gives an overview of reactions in the francophone blogosphere on this important day.
Iran: Jailed Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Ends Hunger Strike After 49 Days
The Iranian blogosphere is filled with joy as lawyer and prisoner of conscience Nasrin Sotoudeh has reportedly ended her hunger strike after 49 days.
Breastfeeding in Public in Lima, Peru
How do mothers from Lima [Peru] breastfeed in public? Are there breastfeeding areas in malls? Are we protected by law? These are some of my questions as I write, but I want to go back to the initial question: Why is breastfeeding in public seen as unpleasant? In parenting blog...
14 Mexican Women are Murdered Each Day
Fourteen Mexican women [die] each day as a result of violence according to a report published [es] by the Fundación Origen women’s’ rights group. Erwin C. highlights this report in a post about violence against women in Mexico in the blog The Latin Americanist. Erwin also looks at the record...
India: Haryana Rape Cases Prompt March Against Violence
In recent months, rape in the Indian state of Haryana seems to have become commonplace and Dalit women are in a vulnerable position. A nine day long march titled Dalit Mahila Garima Yatra (Dalit women pride march) traveled through towns and villages of Haryana meeting rape survivors, officials and community members.