Stories about Women & Gender from November, 2008
Mozambique: Different views of condom use in Africa
In a country which struggles to combat AIDS, twenty million condoms are distributed every year. Considering that at least 4 million Mozambican men are sexually active from a population of 17.4 million inhabitants, this makes a personal allowance of five condoms for the whole year. Surprisingly, kids are the most faithful users of them.
Are Women making Egypt Poorer?
Women: Should they stay at home and raise kids or should they work and have a contribution? A controversial question that Fantasia's World tried to answer in her post: Are you making your country poorer?
Dominica: Sexual Offences Act
Dominica's Speaker of the House thinks that non-consensual sex – even within marriage – should be deemed criminal and Chris at Dominica Weekly agrees: “A lot of men in Dominica believe that once a woman says ‘I Do’ – that she has given up all her rights as a human...
Egypt: 550 Boys Arrested on Suspicion of Harassing Girls
“Egyptian police announced last Wednesday that they had arrested 550 boys in Cairo on suspicion of sexually harassing schoolgirls. The police reportedly focused their raids on Internet cafes near schools,” writes Elijah Zarwan, from Egypt.
Iraq: Rape Victims Ignored
Iraqi blogger Wameeth links to an article on Mideast Youth on how rape victims in the Iraq war continue to remain without treatment and counseling.
Kurdish Writer Sentenced for Writing about Sex
“The Kurdish province convicts and sentences a Kurdish writer for writing about sex. Don't you like it when pro-war US liberals pretend that the Talbani-Barzani tribal confederation is an enlightened republic?” reports The Angry Arab News Service.
Saudi Arabia: Inspirational encounters
Sabria Jawhar tells us about her experience meeting the Saudi Ambassador's wife, and a group of Saudi women studying in the UK on scholarships: ‘I have come to learn that Saudi women are real fighters and they deserve society’s care, respect and trust.’
Saudi Arabia: Rocking the boat
Muslimah Media Watch introduces us to an all-girl rock band – in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan: A Dancer’s Perspective on Pakistan
CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan posts an interview of Sheema Kermani, a classical dancer, teacher, drama artist and women’s rights activist. Sheema describes how art and music have traditionally been viewed in Pakistan and what obstacles women face in Pakistan.
Trinidad & Tobago: Gender Gap
“The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2008 not only listed Trinidad & Tobago as the regional leader in both the Caribbean and Latin America in closing the gender gap, but placed #19 of countries around the world making that kind of progress”: Discover TnT Blog‘s Caroline Neisha comments:...
Egypt: Uproar as Lawyer Suggests Raping Israeli Women
Voice of Egypt is ashamed of Egyptian Lawyer Nagla Al Imam, the same lawyer who made Egyptians angry, for encouraging Arab men to sexually harass Israeli women during her interview on Al Arabia TV (Ar). Marwa Rakha translates from Arabic.
Saudi Arabia: Showing true support
Nzhinga has been trying to persuade her young son that he should study and not rely on becoming a famous soccer star; after all, he might get injured and not be able to play. But her son has a solution. Jihad: “I know what I'll do! My wife will have...
Saudi Arabia: Dreaming of change
Hala, a Saudi blogger currently in the US, was invited to give a talk about the kingdom: “I wanted to say that we are moving in the right direction, faith practices are not forced on people, women are treated equally to men, we have money and we use it correctly...
Vietnam/Singapore: Bridal service controversy
A Singapore newspaper published an article announcing the discount rate for Vietnam brides. This drew criticism from many Vietnamese individuals and groups: “It's horrible to see them [Vietnamese would-be brides] ‘discounted’ like they are a sack of rice or a pair of shoes.”
Egypt: Jailed for Complaining about Sexual Harassment
Egyptian Zeinobia writes about how a 31-year-old woman and her sick elderly mother spent the night in jail, after reporting to the authorities that a police officer had sexually harassed her.
Egypt: American University in Cairo's New Campus Sparks Debate
Designed to accommodate 5,500 full-time students and 1,500 faculty and staff, the American University in Cairo's new $400 million, 260-acre campus is technologically advanced and environmentally friendly. Students say that it was a premature move as they suffer sexual harassment and expensive food, among many other issues. Marwa Rakha reports.
Morocco: Doctors Protest Against Remote Assignments
SunnyRaindrops reports that female doctors in Morocco are protesting against being assigned to remote locations.
Madagascar: Brides-for-Sale just one harsh reality of poverty
Lova Rakotomalala translates the Malagasy blogosphere as it talks about the extremes people can be driven to by poverty.
Barbados: The Abortion Issue
Barbados Free Press comments on two regional mainstream media articles about abortion.
Egypt: No Sexual Harassment Here, says the First Lady
Sexual harassment is a real threat in Egypt. A study shows that two-thirds of men harass women, and bloggers have repeatedly written about it -- but Egypt's first lady Suzanne Mubarak says it is not a phenomenon and just a few isolated incidents. Bloggers speak out again.
Jamaica: March for Peace
A recent upsurge in crime over the last few weeks has Jamaicans gravely concerned. Last week's discovery of the body of an eleven (11) year old boy was the latest in a string of attacks against the nation's children. Jamaican blogger (and mother) iriegal of A Fe Me Page Dis...
