Stories about Women & Gender from March, 2013
Changing Attitudes on Child Marriage in India
In rural India, two out of five girls are child brides. Though Indian law has made child marriage illegal, girls and boys bonded by traditional social norms and values are most likely to get married early defying the legislations. But the situation is changing as a number of women, who had been married as children, are speaking out against child marriage.
Palestine/Syria: A Tale of Two Women
Palestinian blogger Budoor Hassan shares the story of two women in this blog post – Nariman Tamimi in Nabi Saleh, a tiny village north west of Ramallah in the West Bank and Maha Ghrer in Bustan Al-Qasr, a neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria.
Breaking All-Male, Offline Trend, Cambodia's First Female Lawmaker Blogs
Meet Mu Sochua, the first woman ever to be elected in Cambodia's Parliament and one of the very few politicians in Cambodia who actively use social media.
Global Voices is Awesomely Gender-Balanced
The Guardian Data Blog shares research by J. Nathan Matias, Irene Ros and Adam Hyland for their Open Gender Tracker that shows Global Voices women have written half of all stories, almost no matter how you slice the data.
Tips On Writing About Demographics
How many people? Demographics Revealed, a new blog of the Population Reference Bureau and the Population Association of America offers advice on how to write about demographics.
Beauty & the Beast? “Ethnic” Pageant Winner Enrages Russian Nationalists
When top Russian blogger Rustem Adagamov posted the news of Abdrazakova's victory in the 2013 Miss Russia pageant on his blog, along with some her photographs, his post attracted comments like "Are there still Russian girls in the Russian Federation?"
Jamaica, Barbados: Class & Justice
When I said let’s focus on substance rather than style or appearance it hadn’t yet occurred to me that in this case style IS the substance or a substantial part of what’s at stake. Active Voice blogs about a landmark case involving a Jamaican who was subjected to a cavity...
One Billion Rising Campaign In Colombo
The One Billion Rising campaign constitutes of one billion people across the world showing their antipathy towards all forms of violence against women. Meg posts pictures and analysis of the One Billion Rising campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 14th of February, 2013.
Guyana: Taming the Beast of Power
I start to call it the red-eye beast that can whisper in you’ head and tell you to do unspeakable things. Guyana-Gyal blogs about power, and how it affects all relationships.
Trinidad & Tobago: Anything But “Nothing”
Tillah Willah takes issue with Nicki Minaj's “going on American television and describing her country, my country as ‘nothing’.”
India Aims to Woo Women With New Budget
Women-centric programs get a hefty 10 percent increase in India's new 2013-2014 budget. However, some women’s and citizens' groups claim that the government's move is inadequate and superficial.
Catholic Church Condemns Sterilization Law in Panama
Panama's National Assembly of Legislators has passed a law that allows women over the age of 23 with two or more children to opt for a free sterilization. The Catholic Church has deemed the law disastrous and has asked that it be repealed. At the same time, Panamanians are divided into those who see the law with good eyes and those who reject it.
Saudi Prince: “A Rational Man Would Not Tolerate Women Going to The Streets”
A Saudi Prince said today that a rational man would not tolerate women going to the streets [in protest]. The comments, by the deputy governor of Qassim province Faisal bin Mishal, follow the crackdown on a sit-in by women, who called for the fall of the Saudi Interior Minster last Monday. The women, some with their children, as well as citizens who helped them during their protest, are now under arrest.