Stories from March, 2018
Netizen Report: Internet Censorship Bill Looms Large Over Egypt
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Guyanese Literary Giant Sir Wilson Harris Leaves Behind a ‘Literacy of the Imagination’
"The indigenous people of the Caribbean, the landscape [...] and native myth were [...] given new meaning because of him. He changed the way Caribbean literature is written and read."
City Councillor and Leading Rights Activist Shot Dead in Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Marielle Franco was the fifth most voted councilor for Rio's City Chamber. She was murdered after denouncing police violence in favelas. The crime is being investigated as an execution.
Ugandans Call for the Resignation of Parliamentarian Who Made Pro-Domestic Violence Comments
“As a man, you need to discipline your wife," said parliamentarian Onesimus Twinamasiko during a TV interview.
Is Censorship Coming Back to Tunisia? Court Order Bans ‘Blue Whale’ Online Game
The implications of this decision, if upheld on appeal, would set a new precedent for internet censorship in Tunisia.
‘Aesthetics Japan’ Tweets the Beauty of Japan, From Neon Lights to Misty Mountaintops
“It was traditional Edo architecture and nature that attracted me to it. Then as I grew older, the neon lights of Tokyo made me love it all over again.”
From Graffiti to Politics, Anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi Speech Is Becoming More Visible in Eastern Europe
Activists in the region have been sounding the alarm about increasingly emboldened hate speech against Jewish people and apology for perpetrators of the Holocaust.
Millions of People Take to the Streets in the Largest Show of Support for the Feminist Struggle in Spain's History
Almost six million people joined the international strike on March 8, and hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand firm measures against gender discrimination and sexist violence.
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 5-11, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from 208 countries. Number 159 on the list? Guyana. And number 15? Kazakhstan.
International Women's Day in Latin America Was a Day of Protest, Debate and Resistance
Social divisions based on class and race were also part of the many discussions and debates taking place within the movements commemorating March 8th in the region.
Societal Attitudes Are the Primary Threat Against Sexual and Gender Minorities in Ecuador
“We are about to celebrate 20 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality, but we must decriminalize homosexuality in people’s minds and hearts..."
Can Germany's ‘Lex Facebook’ Be Saved? A Business and Human Rights Analysis
Germany's NetzDG forces companies to police hate speech or face astronomical fines for persistent violations of up to 50 million Euro. Is this a good way to solve the problem?
Citizenship, Surveillance and Taxes: A Dystopian Tale
Like the increasing number of people who cross borders for employment, love or safety, you settle someplace else. But your country of origin casts a long shadow...
Why Isn't Mexico's Government Surveillance Investigation Moving Forward?
"Most likely, the politicians who used this software are slowing down the investigation [In Mexico] it is still better to pray to the Virgin Mary for justice than it is to go to the authorities."
Prominent Chinese Feminist Social Media Account Shuttered on International Women’s Day
"...[T]he Chinese government does not understand feminism, does not understand what feminists are doing, and does not understand what they are advocating."
Aurat March (Woman March) Marks Resistance Against Misogyny in Pakistan
"There is a lot of anger that is finally releasing and this march was a way to direct that anger somewhere for something powerful and beautiful."
For Jordanian Women, a Year of Hard-Won Progress and Continuing Challenges
Despite a successful campaign to repeal a legal loophole allowing rapists to marry their victims, there is plenty left to do in the struggle to achieve gender equality in Jordan.
Finland's Reindeer-Herding Sámi Women Fight Climate Change
“We are born to be reindeer herders; it's part of our identity...It's hard to think about your life without it.”
A Trailblazing Filmmaker Wants to Make Sure Native Stories Have Their Place in the US Narrative
"Our thing is 'Natives in charge of their narrative.' That's going to be our narrative for quite some time, moving forward, until something changes in this industry."
Law, Entertainment and Politics in Korea Feel the Wrath of #MeToo
Koreans witnessed the power of the people with the ousting of the president last March. Now they're seeing it again in the form of #MeToo and #WithYou.
What Bitcoin, Tulip Mania and the Nigerian Stock Market Have in Common
"Though tulips had no practical use and lacked fragrance and medicinal value, at the height of tulip mania investors sold their homes to purchase a single bulb. Sound familiar?"