Stories about Women & Gender from April, 2009
Elections in India and Women
World’s largest democracy, India, will hold general elections starting in a few weeks. Indian women, who have long been denied their rightful position at home, at work and at the helm of power also have a huge stake in upcoming elections. Although more and more women are becoming aware of their voting rights and participating at local level politics, a recent report suggests that this year less women are likely to be elected to the country’s parliament.
Azerbaijan: Grumpy old troll
A little over a month after setting up her blog, Scary Azeri in Suburbs responds to a troll who takes exception to what she writes. The blogger is nonetheless happy that even angry readers means more traffic.
Kazakhstan: Happy 130th birthday!
The world’s oldest person has been discovered in Kazakhstan, Askhat reports.
Global Job Losses and Returning Migrant Workers
This post focuses on the stories of the unemployed and migrant workers who are returning home to their countries. Job layoffs are perceived by most people as the primary and most recognizable indicator of the global economic recession. How has unemployment affected individuals around the world? In what ways the reverse migration of workers creating problems for developing nations?
South Korea: No Longer Conservative
The Grand Narrative explains why and how South Korea is no longer a conservative country.
Barbados: How Many More?
“Last weekend, yet another Barbadian woman lost her life to domestic violence”: Cheese-on-bread! wants to know “how many more women are going to die before the authorities and all of us take this issue of domestic violence seriously.”
Qatar: Understanding Qatari Men
The Gulf state of Qatar has a population of approximately one million people, the majority of whom are not Qatari citizens. It seems that many who have come to work in Qatar have the perception that Qataris are aloof; some recent blog posts aim to dispel the myth that it is difficult to get to know Qatari men in particular.
Israel: Palestinian Youth Orchestra Disbanded for Israeli Performance
In honor of Good Deeds Day in Israel, a Palestinian youth orchestra performed for a group of Holocaust survivors. Known as the “Strings of Freedom,” the group was composed of 13 children, ages 11 to 18, from the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Find out what happens next to them in this post.
Vietnamese Mail Order Brides in Singapore
A video documentary exposes that Singapore men could “purchase” Vietnamese brides for S$10,000. Alvin comments: “What’s even more humiliating, the girls were made to visit a clinic in Singapore to get a certificate verifying their virginity before they can be sold.”
