Stories about Women & Gender from August, 2012
Africa: Post-feminism in Africa?
Simi Dosekun intends to blog about the concept of post-feminism in Africa: “My posts will cover my research interests: African feminism, how as African women we think of ourselves, media and popular culture, the dubious concept of post-feminism which I think is, ironically enough, infiltrating popular discourse in Africa.”
Russia: Pussy Riot & Russian Courts in Perspective
On August 2, four days into the Pussy Riot trial, another hearing began in Yekaterinburg, the regional center of the Urals. Unlike its more famous counterpart, this trial has failed to garner major attention both online and in the media, though it is in certain ways just as indicative of dysfunctional Russian approaches to law and order.
Chile: Mapuche Women Demand Withdrawal of Police Forces
Leyla Noriega from online citizen newspaper La Opiñón [es] reports that three indigenous Mapuche women have been occupying UNICEF headquarters in Santiago for over one week. The women are requesting that the organization ask the Ministry of Interior to withdraw police forces from Mapuche communities in southern Chile.
Costa Rica: ‘We Are All Karina’ Campaign for Dismissed Vice-Minister
Men and women are getting their picture taken with hand-written signs saying, "We are all Karina" to show support for Vice-Minister Karina Bolaños, who was dismissed after a video surfaced where she appeared in underwear speaking to a lover. Karina was black-mailed for years regarding the video, and once she stopped paying, the video was distributed to media and social networks, leading to her dismissal by President Laura Chinchilla.
Mozambique: Meanings Behind Women's Traditional Mussiro Masks
In the northern coast and islands of Mozambique, it is very common to come across women with their faces covered of a natural white mask, called mussiro. The purposes of its use seem to have varied over time, but the tradition still survives.
Kyrgyz Female Wrestler – Hooligan or Olympic Heroine?
Aisuluu Tynybekova, a young female wrestler from Kyrgyzstan, has been named as the country's "best hope to bring home a medal” from the London Olympics. But back home, she faces a criminal charge of “hooliganism”.
World: Why Rape Jokes Are Not Funny
Hannah maintains the blog Afternoon Snooze Button and publishes a rather detailed post aiming at demonstrating “why rape jokes are uniquely bad”. She writes: “People who enjoy rape jokes commonly want to be told that rape isn’t a big deal, that it’s just sex, and that other people think so,...
