International Women’s Day 2009 · Global Voices

For International Women's Day on March 8, Global Voices authors and editors trawled world blogs to write a series of posts on women's rights in recognition of the achievements of women.
To see more posts related to women's rights visit Global Voices “gender” topic.
Happy International Women's Day!
Middle East: Women Looking for a Cause to Celebrate
Female bloggers from across the Middle East joined hands in marking the International Women's Day with posts reflecting on the occasion and celebrating the lives and achievements of women who have touched them.
Iran: No Cake for Iranian Women on their Day
Although the Iranian government does not recognize the International Women's Day and has banned activists from organizing gatherings to commemorate the day, Iranian bloggers and women activists remembered March 8.
Egypt: Dalia Ziada urges Saudi Arabia to end discrimination against Muslim women
On the occasion of Prophet Mohamed's birthday, Egyptian blogger Dalia Ziada launches a campaign asking Saudi Arabia to end their discrimination against young Muslim women worldwide!
Armenia: International Women's Day action sparks virginity debate
A recent rally to mark International Women’s Day after which red apples were buried, a symbol of the bride losing her virginity, has prompted intense discussion in the Armenian blogosphere.
Americas: Celebrating Women's Day
Bloggers from across Latin America also commemorated International Women's Day with posts about the day which is celebrated every March 8 throughout the world.
Photo by Jesus Molina and used under a CC license
Caribbean: Message for Rihanna
The Rihanna/Chris Brown headlines have been capturing the interest of bloggers Caribbean-wide recently, not only because Rihanna is Barbados-born and bred, but because the whole issue of domestic abuse hits really close to home.
Egyptian -and Muslim- Girls between a Rock and a Hard Place
Egyptian women are trapped between who they are and who they are expected to be; they are required to live up to the expectations of their parents, families, colleagues, and later on, their husbands and children.
International Women's Day: “All women are queens”
Francophone bloggers around the world used music, poetry and art to honor the beauty, achievements, and continuing struggles of women.
In Réunion, Noemie at TiBazar [Fr] posts photos of a local gathering celebrating the women of St. Paul.
Egypt: Mostafa Hussein shreds the Honor Legacy
Honor, honor crimes, female genital mutilation (FGM), and virginity are deeply rooted concepts in the Egyptian culture. Call them heritage, legacy, or traditions, one blogger brilliantly feeds them into the shredder.
International Women's Day in Tunisian Blogs
Tunisia celebrates its National Day for Women on August 13. Calls are now being echoed in the blogosphere to join international women in their celebration and mark the day with the rest of the world on March 8.
Video: Celebrating Women on their International Day
In Peru, women members of the Colective Canto a la Vida marched in Lima, demanding the respect of women's rights as well as sexual and reproductive rights: the right to therapeutic abortions, against forced sterilizations and for access to the Morning After Pill.
And last but not least, Bielorussian singer Dmitry Koldum, an Eurovision contestant for 2007, uploaded a video of himself singing a song for “all the girls in the world”, on their day: