Kachwanya has made a list of the Top 10 most influential women in Kenya, led by Minister of Justice Martha Karua who is also running for President in 2012.

Oceanic writes about the debate over the culturally inappropriate ads in Fiji.

Cuban blogger Retazos [ES] shares some of her wishes for 2009.

In the previous post (Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008), I wrote about the major events that took place in Southeast Asia. In this article, I will highlight other stories which became controversial as well. Another objective is to gather and categorize the linkposts on the right side of the Global Voices, pertaining to the region.

Let’s start with a controversial topic: sex. Malaysian politicians were involved in sex scandals: a politician caught on videotape having sex in a hotel; and an ex-Cabinet Minister was accused of molesting a woman.

GV author Tharum from Cambodia wrote about the issue of using sex and women to promote products in TV. A Filipino lawmaker wants the BBC to apologize for a comedy show which depicted a Filipina maid “as an object of sexual ridicule.” Also in the Philippines, doctors in a hospital were caught laughing hysterically in an operating room while removing a can of cologne spray inside a patient’s bottom.

There were marriage issues too. A published article in Singapore drew criticism for announcing the discount rate for Vietnam brides. Cambodia has stopped processing documents for the marriage of its citizens to foreigners in a move to minimize the possibility of human trafficking.

The National Fatwa Council of Malaysia has ruled that the physical aspect of yoga is ok but the spiritual elements are forbidden. Geert Wilders’s film, Fitna, has provoked rallies in Indonesia because of its “anti-Islam message.”

Concerning urban development, some bloggers think Cambodia's capital has too many casinos. Street vendors were banned from Hanoi's thoroughfares. GV author Angshah discussed the opposition of Singapore homeowners to the construction of dormitories for foreign workers.

GV author Karlo wrote about the scandal on missing book donations in a Philippine province. Singapore’s new rules and taxes for cigarettes elicited some discussion in the blogosphere. Another controversy was the proposal to legalize organ trading in the country.

Singapore faced a security nightmare when a terrorist escaped from a high-security cell. Indonesia confronted the past by executing the Bali bombers. Meanwhile, bomb blasts have been reported in Myanmar this year.

Ferry disasters were reported in the Philippines. More than 700 died after a ship capsized in central Philippines last June. Scores of Myanmar migrants suffocated to death in a lorry while being smuggled in southern Thailand last April. More than 3,000 residents lost their homes due to fire accidents in Yangon and Mandalay last February.

Fire at Mandalay's YadanarPon Market in Myanmar. Photo via Aung Chan Lin blog.

Extraordinary

GV author Daniel discussed the plight of the Penan tribe, an indigenous group in East Malaysia. He also tackled the superstitions surrounding the vast jungles of Malaysia. And he also wrote about the scary Pontianak.

Thailand’s transvestite toilets became popular in the world. Thailand also experienced its first snowfall in history. Bangkok Freeze and Singapore Freeze were successful actions.

Showbiz personalities in Indonesia are entering the political arena. Due to high oil prices, water buffaloes are popular again in the fields of Laos and Thailand.

There is a wonderful project in Vientiane which helps the street kids of Laos by training them to be cooks. Apparently, “feather-boa bicycle bandits” have invaded Vietnam's city streets.

YouTube video of the Singapore Freeze

Media vs government

Several cases of press freedom violations have been reported in the region. GV author Caroline wrote about the arrest of two journalists in Vietnam whose only crime was to expose the corruption in a government agency. Another example: The Economist’s special report on Vietnam was censored by authorities.

Other disturbing news: Copies of The Burma Daily were confiscated in Cambodia. Harassment of journalists in Cambodia has not stopped. The website of the critical and independent paper The Irrawaddy was hacked.

A Vietnamese activist blogger faces tax fraud charges. A dissident Singapore blogger was arrested. Indonesia has blocked several websites.

Citizen media

Malaysian bloggers have become politicians; Malaysian politicians have become bloggers. Bloggers have warned of holding a strike as protest against dirty politics in Malaysia. Recognizing the power of blogging, the government said it wants to befriend bloggers.

Filipino bloggers supported the 2008 Blog Action Day against poverty. Catholic bishops in the Philippines have been preaching on YouTube. A Filipino migrant group in Hong Kong has set-up a blog to pressure the government to investigate the mysterious death of a Filipina worker. The Twitter Suu participatory media project aims to send millions of messages to Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi “to let her know she has worldwide support.” A senior citizen in Malaysia has been blogging his complaints against a consumer company in Malaysia.

Blogging has been recognized in Vietnam as a powerful tool of expression. Cambodia’s young bloggers were hailed as the country’s new intellectuals. In Myanmar, a veteran journalist criticized the behavior of many bloggers. An Australian blogger became famous/controversial in the Philippines when he exposed the decadent activities of his rich friends in Manila.

Kudos to the organizers of these events: Sabah Bloggers Gathering 2008, Mindanao Bloggers Summit, Twitter Saigon, Philippine Blog Awards, Pesta Blogger, BarCamp Malaysia, BarCamp Cambodia, Wordcamp Philippines.

In behalf of all authors of the Southeast Asia Team of Global Voices, we wish everyone a Happy New Year!

On Dec. 18, my post about Serbian blogger Krugolina Borup and her “Mother Courage” initiative was published on Global Voices. A few days later, Krugolina Borup (whose real name is Branka Stamenkovic) became the fifth laureate of the Disruption Prize, which Luna TBWA Agency has been awarding to individuals or organizations from Serbia for social liability and changing of social conventions.

B92's bloggers sincerely congratulated Krugolina on receiving this valued prize. One of them, MilutinM wrote:

[…] Why I am particularly glad that Branka and her initiative Mother Courage got the prize. Ten years ago, I took part in a meeting of East European scouting organizations in Warsaw. A guest of the meeting was former Polish minister of transition and municipalities. Then Poland had the biggest economy growth in Europe. The minister explained to us what the key reason for that was. “We attained success since we had explained to our citizens that the development of the country was also their problem. There will be development if every citizen makes an effort. No one can make it instead of them.” […]

[…] Branka's action is a proof that it is possible to change the society. As Ivan* in his lecture: this country has problems not just because someone makes problems but because we do nothing in order to prevent them. Krugolina didn't want to accept such situation and because of that she initiated her action. She deserves this prize. […]

* [Ivan Tasovac, director of Belgrade's Philharmonic orchestra and the first laureate of the Disruption Prize; he handed this year's prize to Krugolina.]

MilutinM also pointed out one more praise for Krugolina:

[…] Renault decided to present its car model Twinga to Kru [Krugolina] and her fellows in order for them to be able to visit maternity hospitals around Serbia. That's one more praise! […]

Many readers also congratulated Krugolina on her prize and commented on her initiative below MilutinM's post.

Kraljmajmuna:

Of course, I liked the action by KGB [Krugolina]. And, of course, I didn't agree with every one of her attitudes from the public discussion that she had with Dr. Stanojevic. But, she has moved a huge stone. […]

Msarski, B92's blogger commented:

[…] Sincere congratulations! This blog platform will become a respectable factor. We are on a good way. […]

Blau.punkt:

[…] Krugolina is an ideal example of an individual who initiates social changes. She deserves support and congratulations. […]

Thanks to Krugolina's initiative, a few positive things have so far been achieved on behalf of women who have just given birth. It's most important that the ministry of health has reacted positively. For example, the minister has promised to buy netlike panties for all maternity hospitals in Serbia immediately after he heard about the “Mother Courage” initiative and the first meeting with Branka Stamenkovic. Also, the minister ordered to directors of maternity hospitals to provide badges for medical staff that would have their names written on them, so that the women know who looks after them during their stay in maternity hospital and who is responsible for their health. An agreement on a questionnaire about the treatment of women by the medical staff of maternity hospitals has been reached and it will be conducted for the next six months. The minister also promised that the control in maternity hospitals will be better.

Faty Dieng at Dakar Bondy Blog [Fr] denounces about the working conditions of domestic workers in Senegal, some of them as young as 16, which she describes “a form of slavery and exploitation in disguise”.

For many men in Taiwan, this Christmas Eve was a day of regret and disappointment. It is not because that at this eve some of us would need to spend a significant amount money to please our lovers–thanks to the endless bombing from merchants and commercials. And neither it is because that others would be upset due to lack of lovers for the holiday–yes, for most people, Christmas in Taiwan is more like Valentine's Day–perhaps the forth or the fifth one. It is that in the era of closure on any discussion of sex issues, an ex-AV porno Japanese actress who accompanied us during much of our private time, and later successfully transformed into an entertainer in show business, was found dead in the afternoon at her house in Shibuya, Tokyo: her name is Ai Iijima.

This sad news soon was circulated on twitter. At the moment many did not know that she had been dead for several days and they sighed, thinking that she must be too lonely(to commit suicide on Christmas Eve). As more news were followed up, they started to realize that she was dead much earlier. On the day of Christmas, mainstream newspapers in Taiwan reported this event on front-pages or with the largest cover (besides the gift pandas from mainland China). Many male bloggers also expressed their sorry on hearing this news.

One of the most popular Taiwanese blog which discusses Japanese Adult Video exclusively, AV NO.1, published a breaking news and analysis at the very moment:

事實上飯島愛近年一直承受著心理和生理的雙重創傷，當初她自演藝圈引退的理由是「腎功能障礙」以及「背痛」，也傳出過因為「精神 官能症」而困擾；但在日本網友以及部分媒體的渲染之下卻變成了「性病」、「AIDS」，再加上自從走紅後她一直飽受流言攻擊，包括過去在酒店上班的同僚爆 料、同時還有她投資失敗身負 巨債等等，所以自從傳出死亡的消息之後，一般日本媒體多半猜測她是自殺身亡(目前還沒有確定，日本警方還在找尋自殺或他殺的證據)

Movie and politics blogger Sean Woo reflected his encounter with Ai Iijima:

我的女優初體驗，就是飯島愛給的。那是錄影帶與倒帶機還存在的時代，錄影帶會發黴，還需要清黴菌的藥水。高二的某天，我拿到飯島 愛的片，那時的我交過女友、只看過寫真，那時最紅的叫做李麗珍，在此以外，我對性愛僅有概念、缺乏體驗，甚至沒有最簡單的視覺經驗，三級片並不算數，有個 自認為這方面很強——個人推測是嘴砲——的同學把飯島愛的片交給我，囑咐我一定要看，似乎看了人生就會轉彎似的，我當然是恭敬不如從命。 ……

高中畢業後，就不聽到飯島愛的名字了，畢竟，女優界人才輩出、不像台灣偶像界幾年都不求長進，後進太多、前輩光彩立刻被壓過，要 不是飯島愛後來轉型成功，只怕她也會被淹沒在人肉的洪流中。不過，就像宮澤裡惠代表著全裸寫真的濫觴，飯島愛也是另一種始祖，五、六年級生不可能不知道的 名字，更是許多國、高中男生曾經幻想、膜拜、憧憬的理想（洩慾）對象，相信我，這其中必然包含了某種愛，雖然這個愛包含的是鹹濕與猥褻。

而有誰的青春完全不包含這種東西呢？

永別了，飯島愛，我永遠會記得妳的愛。

The representative of the Otaku community in Taiwan, Lucifer, used a lot of photos to memorizemuse over this Japanese actress who was so important to many men in Taiwan. In his post, he quoted a paragraph in classical Chinese written by netjedi from PTT Bulletin Board Service(BBS):

wangchingyu(萬金油) has a question for Ai Iijima:

如果飯島愛知道這麼多人愛她，她還會想死嗎? (如果她是自殺的話)又或者是，其實她看穿了，所有的愛和目光都是虛妄的，死前的最後一眼，她看到的是什麼，想到的又是什麼? 如果死因是自殺的話。

And even though Carol is a straight woman, she too writes a piece to grieve over the artist who brought her much and much happiness:

有人說上帝要了飯島愛當聖誕禮物，所以她離開人世，我好奇的是愛姐到底是去娛樂上帝還是去與閻王廝守，whatever，日本藝 能界沒有愛姐的毒言毒語，真是一大憾事。

愛姐，謝謝你曾經帶給我好幾年的快樂，嗯，大家別想歪了，是因為男女糾察隊，不是因為硬碟裡的影片。如果妳已經在兩千英呎以上的天堂，希望妳下輩子能過得比現在自由舒暢。

In addition to huge reaction from Taiwanese blogosphere , China blog “Tsao Bian Won Shih”(槽邊往事) and HK blog “Those were the days” also talked about this at the angle of “end of puberty“(zhs) and “collective memory of HK male“(zht).

From being despised to memorized, Ai Iijima is indeed a miracle of Japanese Adult Video. After successfully transformed into a writer and entertainer of popularity, she is also the model for many. Yet no memory could be enough for a precious life–goodbye, Ai Iijima.

Bloggers in 2008 showed all the ways in which global health is interconnected with other issues, by covering health stories that touched on everything from poverty and women's rights to the environment and economics. They shared stories such as the prohibition of cannabis in Japan, how ads for children's food products that were banned in the UK are still being aired in many South Asian countries, and whether the Singaporean government should legalize organ trade. Here's a further glimpse at what bloggers discussed in 2008:

Global Food Crisis
Prices of the world’s most popular food staples – wheat, corn, sugar, and rice – soared in many countries this year, for reasons ranging from changing diets and bad weather to rising oil prices and the decline of the U.S. dollar, the currency most of these staples are traded in. The crisis was felt in many countries, with consequences such as demonstrations, riots, and many health concerns. Bloggers discussed how to cope with the soaring cost of rice in Southeast Asia, videos showed how people in Haiti were eating mud cakes to survive, and others explored how the food crisis impacted Tajikistan.

Reproductive Health and Abortion Debate
Reproductive rights, including the right to an abortion, continues to be a hot topic among bloggers around the world, whether it's debating legalizing abortion or loosening existing laws. In the Philippines a proposed bill mandating couples to be informed about birth control methods, maternal health care, and other reproductive health concerns, sparked the debate on reproductive health issues. In Brazil abortion is considered a crime, unless the pregnancy is the result of sexual abuse or puts the mother's life at risk, but 70,000 women die of complications from clandestine abortion attempts each year. Abortion also continues to be a controversial issue in Ecuador, India, and Kenya, where the procedure is currently illegal unless the pregnant woman's life is in danger.

AIDS 2008 Conference
The XVII International AIDS Conference took place in Mexico City from August 3rd to 8th this year. The event occurs every two years in a different city and this was the first time it was held in Latin America. However, two internationally recognized Iranian HIV/AIDS specialists were prevented from attending the event, as they were accused of planning to overthrow the Iranian state and held in prison. Bloggers, including those at Global Voices, closely followed the conference, discussing topics such as youth's involvement in the event and how HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts marginalized communities such as men who have sex with men and sex workers. Another area of focus were the travel restrictions imposed on HIV-positive people. The restrictions were condemned as being discriminatory and shameful.

China Toxic Formula Scandal
There were a series of tainted-food scandals linked to China this year, raising many questions about China's food safety policies. One health scandal in particular had bloggers talking up a storm. It erupted in September when Sanlu, China's top-selling infant formula manufacturer, publicly recalled its products. The baby formula was deliberately contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical that can cause kidney problems. It resulted in thousands of children becoming sick and a number of infant deaths. The incident caused enormous public outrage in China and around the world, particularly after claims about the media's manipulation of the scandal. Bloggers in Southeast Asia and Africa expressed concerns about the safety of Chinese products, while others discussed the alternative to formula — breastfeeding.

World AIDS Day
December 1st marked the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Though the impact of HIV and AIDS is felt by millions of people globally every day, the day provided an opportunity for people to raise awareness of and share their experiences about this devastating disease. While the global percentage of adults living with HIV has leveled off since 2000, 33 million people are still living with HIV, and 2 million people died of the disease last year. To commemorate World AIDS Day, Global Voices created a map of HIV-positive bloggers and caretakers who have bravely shared their stories. Bloggers from Armenia to Jamaica to Madagascar observed and reflected on World AIDS Day.

Global Health Videos
This year videos also became a more common way to raise awareness about health issues. Renowned war photographer and photojournalist James Nachtwey used his TED Prize to create a video of his photos that show the global impact of XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis). In Cambodia sex workers took to the Internet to bring attention to how the 100 percent condom use law, which states that condoms must be used during sexual exchanges with clients, is being turned against them. Several videos were also created to propose solutions for supplying clean water and making it easier for people to have a healthful liquid to drink.

Outbreaks and Hope
Bloggers also wrote about outbreaks that occurred this year, such as a yellow fever scare in Paraguay and the more recent cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. Fortunately, not all news was bad news in 2008 though. The year ended on a hopeful note with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's victory in November. Many people globally are hopeful that his victory will mean a boost for global health issues. Time will tell. In the meantime, bloggers such as My African Diaspora caution that we should remain hopeful about next year, but also be patient:

“Temper expectations. Change won’t occur overnight. We’ve got so many pressing priorities: the economy, healthcare, the war, foreign policy and a slew of others. He won’t be able to wave a magic wand and make it all better. To expect him to would only demonstrate our own ignorance of the political process. Instead, reserve judgment and criticism and engage in the governance of your country. It is our right and our responsibility.”

From natural disasters to lightning bolts of the athletic kind, 2008 was a busy one for the Caribbean blogosphere. Here are some of the highlights…

Politics
On the heels of a year that seemed to be defined by politics, 2008 also began on a political high note, thanks to Barack Obama's amazing win in the Iowa caucus. From that point on, the majority of regional bloggers caught Obamamania and supported “their” candidate all the way to the White House. While the Caribbean was captivated by Obama's promise of change, Barbadians were orchestrating a political change of their own - some believe that outspoken political blogs may have helped turn the tide of the election by discussing key issues such as alleged corruption and the need for integrity legislation.

Further north along the archipelago, Jamaica's top politician was riling up bloggers, thanks to his “No gays in my government” comment during a BBC interview - but certainly one of the most significant political scenarios coming out of the region this year was the retirement of Cuban leader Fidel Castro after nearly 50 years at the helm of the socialist republic. Despite the change in leadership, however, most bloggers felt that it was business as usual. According to Uncommon Sense:

An unfortunate consequence of that hand-over, reinforced by Fidel's “retirement,” is that the dictatorship survives. A face, presumably Raúl's — I haven't seen the script — will be placed at the top of the flow chart, come Sunday. But the dictatorship survives.

Fidel's “retirement” is not a moment to celebrate. Unfortunately, his legacy will survive his life's work, and his life. It is a historical moment to note but nothing more.

Freedom of Speech
The issue of freedom of speech seemed to plague the region this year; both mainstream media and the blogosphere fought against attempts to silence them. Although there still appears to be some distrust between MSM and the newly active blogosphere in some Caribbean territories, it was interesting to see the two sides come together and make their voices heard. In Guyana, for instance, one blogger - MediaCritic at the Living Guyana blog - made it his business to cover the banning of a journalist by the country's President. His commitment to the cause was so fierce that it prompted GV Caribbean author Nicholas Laughlin to comment:

Living Guyana's sustained coverage of the Moseley ban story — largely ignored by other Guyanese blogs — has rivalled the coverage of Guyana's mainstream media.

Over in Barbados, bloggers were wondering if their means of online expression was in danger, while in Cuba, it appeared that certain blogs may have been blocked. Trinidad and Tobago had to contend with its Prime Minister actually paying a visit to a radio station to complain about two announcers who had made disparaging comments about him, a move that made bloggers even more vocal than usual. Barbadian bloggers also joined ranks with their mainstream media counterparts following the arrest of two journalists - a move that Barbados Free Press says was prompted by the fact that the reporters were covering the case of “a police officer…charged with dealing drugs.”

Human Rights
Closely linked with freedom of speech is the question of human rights. Some of the most memorable stories in the Caribbean blogosphere this year dealt with human rights abuses - from the arrest of Las Damas de Blanco in Havana as they staged a peaceful demonstration for the release of their husbands, to the reinstatement of the death penalty in Jamaica. Cuban bloggers were by far the most conscious of human rights issues, blogging at length about the significance of International Human Rights Day and their island's history of stifling human rights.

Puerto Rico was worried about “the government's latest deed, the application of the Real ID Act to the island's drivers”, which they thought was way too intrusive and bordered on a breach of privacy. Barbadian bloggers cried “foul” after the suspicious and untimely death of I'Akobi Tacuma Maloney, while the issue of the Rights of the Child was linked with concern about Jamaica's escalating crime rate in this post about violence against minors.

Crime & Health
The big crime story in the region this year was undoubtedly “the killing by joint army and police services of Guyana's most wanted man, Rondell ‘Fineman' Rawlins, and his ‘Lieutenant' Jermaine ‘Skinny' Charles”. Bloggers breathed a communal sign of relief that the two men met as bloody a fate as they inflicted on so many innocent people, even as an editorial in the Stabroek News warned that the killing of Rawlins doesn't mean the end of violence - but Jamaica certainly tried to curb its own rising crime rate via a March for Peace, inspired by the increasing number of violent crimes against women and children. The region's own experience with violence - not to mention the fact that several West Indian territories have substantial populations of Indian origin - made it that much easier for Caribbean to empathize with India after the horrific Mumbai terror attacks. And in another kind of war - the war on HIV/AIDS - the Caribbean joined the rest of the world in recognizing World AIDS Day and joining the discussion on everything from education to HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

Disasters
This was the Year of the Hurricane. Monster storms wreaked havoc across the Caribbean archipelago, from Grenada to the Cayman Islands. Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Omar and Paloma are not names the Caribbean is likely to forget.

Cuba and Haiti were hit particularly hard by the multiple storms, which caused loss of homes and of life - and on the heels of these tragedies, Haiti faced yet another in the form of a disastrous school collapse. In the words of Haiti Innovation:

Some emergencies can be predicted. Every hurricane season, we can anticipate that Haiti will likely be hit with tropical storms. Others such as the collapse of a school in Petionville yesterday are unexpected tragedies.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana were battling floods on a regular basis during the region's rainier-than-usual wet season.

The Economy
Perhaps the first sign of the effects of the looming global financial crisis was rising food prices and scarcity of produce. Caribbean bloggers were concerned - and finally the penny dropped with regional politicians - Trinidad and Tobgo's Prime Minister called for “belt-tightening” a few months later.

Cuban bloggers were quite vocal about the US/Cuba embargo, debating whether or not any change to the status quo would actually be felt in the Cuban economy. Guyanese bloggers, on the other hand, suggested that if their government did not sign the new European Union EPA, the local economy would be the loser.

Meanwhile, the French-speaking Caribbean was rife with protests over the skyrocketing price of gas and its effect on the pockets of the man in the street.

Sport
If there was a bright spot in the Caribbean blogosphere this year, it came in the form of regional athletes' performance in the Beijing Olympics. Jamaican Track and Field athletes dominated; the Caribbean celebrated. Usain Bolt was not only a hero - he was a phenomenon.

A few months later came another sporting moment to be proud of - the Caribbean team defeated England in the Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament, winning the match by an astounding ten wickets, becoming overnight millionaires in the process and - even for a moment - restoring some pride to beleaguered West Indies cricket fans.

Fond Farewells
Several Caribbean icons passed away this year and bloggers respectfully paid them homage…

Jamaican musicians Alton Ellis and Byron Lee and Guyanese newspaper editor David de Caires, who Nicholas Laughlin describes as “the founder and editor-in-chief of the independent Guyanese newspaper the Stabroek News, and one of the Caribbean's strongest advocates for press freedom.”

The Caribbean celebrated astounding highs and coped with debilitating lows this year - but the most convincing sign that we can deal with whatever comes our way is the fact that we continue to talk about issues and through discussion, better understand our own experiences and challenges in the context of an ever-shrinking world.

Saudi blogger Ruhsa explores the stigma faced by Saudi women working in medicine, including the idea that women in the field are considered “easy”.

Abortion is a very complex issue in Brazil [1, 2], just as almost everywhere else in Latin America. It is considered a crime in the country, not punished only in proven cases of pregnancy caused by sexual abuse or that put the mother's live at risk. There is an effort by parliamentary representatives to change the law so that abortion can be accepted in a broader spectrum of cases [Pt], but it doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon due to the political power of the pro-life groups in Brazil.

Despite the law, it is believed that over 1,000,000 clandestine abortions take place in Brazil, and over 70,000 women die [Pt] of complications from clandestine abortion attempts, each year. In some states, like Bahia, female mortality rates are 5 times higher than the limit accepted by the World Health Organization, most are deaths caused by complications resulting from illegal abortions [Pt].

Crucified Woman, by Eric Drooker. Used under permission. All Rights Reserved.

Bury the dead. Prosecute the survivors.

Last November, more than 1,500 women faced charges [Pt] and in the Brazilian city of Campo Grande, 30 of them were indicted for the crime of abortion on the same day. Ironically, there is a rumor that some of these women will be sentenced to doing community work at childcare institutions. It is either this or going to jail. Elyana, from Rosa e Radical [Pt], vented her outrage in her blog [Pt]:

“Fizeram as contas? Em cerca de 4 horas e meia o juiz condenou 4 mulheres e acusou mais 1.070.
Nunca antes nessa minha vida vi a justiça trabalhar tão rápido.
As acusadas entraram com habeas-corpus, mas todos eles foram negados.”

In another post, Elyana quotes an interview [Pt] with Health Minister José G. Temporão for a popular science magazine about the issue. Temporão says that abortion is a public health issue and points out that opposition to its legalization is connected to gender issues. Below, are some of the words quoted by Elyana:

“[…] como as classes de menor renda não têm acesso à informação e aos métodos anticoncepcionais, são as mulheres pobres que realizam aborto em condições inseguras. Para as mulheres ricas, o aborto é uma questão que não se coloca. Elas fazem. Em condições seguras. Pagam R$ 2 000, R$ 5 000. As mulheres pobres não. Existe também uma questão de gênero. Eu pergunto: se os homens engravidassem, será que essa questão já teria sido resolvida? Como é que alguns setores têm coragem de dizer que essa é uma questão que não pode ser discutida? Não vamos discutir que as pessoas estão morrendo? A realidade está batendo na nossa cara.”

Mothers of the World, by Eric Drooker. Used under permission. All Rights Reserved.

An Inquiry into Illegal Women… I mean… into Abortion

The Minister's point of view, however, doesn't seem to be shared by many people in the Brazilian Government and blogosphere. On December 8th, Arlindo Chinaglia, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, approved the creation of a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry [Pt] on Illegal Abortion in Brazil.

The Commission of Inquiry was petitioned by a large group of pro-life deputies lead by Luiz Bassuma, who collected more than 220 signatures of fellow congressmen to support its creation. Bassuma is a member of the Worker's Party (PT), the same party of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and was elected Federal Deputy by people of the state of Bahia. The Worker's Party, which decided in its last convention to take a pro-choice stand on abortion, is now threatening to expel Bassuma due to his condoning the Parliamentary Commission on Illegal Abortion.

Many self proclaimed pro-life bloggers welcomed Chinaglia's initiative.

Jorge Ferraz , from the Christian blog Deus Lo Vult [Pt], congratulates Arlindo Chinaglia for the installation of the Commission of Inquiry into Illegal Abortion in his newest post:

“Já não era sem tempo; desde fevereiro que se fala nisso. Rezemos para que o crime seja combatido, e o assassinato de crianças inocentes não seja tratado pela sociedade com indiferença e impunidade.”

Hermes Rodrigues Nery, Executive Officer at the National Movement for Brazil Without Abortion, blogs at O Possível e o Extraordinário [Pt] about the “perverse international interests in abortion in Latin America” [Pt]:

“Há décadas querem impor e generalizar a prática do aborto nos países da América Latina, torná-lo inclusive um direito humano, o direito da mulher torturar e matar um ser humano inocente e indefeso dentro de seu próprio ventre […] A questão do aborto está inserida no contexto do controle demográfico. Os especialistas que fundaram o Conselho Populacional da ONU (em 1952), entre eles, Warren Thompson, já indicavam o aborto como estratégia pragmática para conter e até diminuir as populações pobres do mundo. […] Como vemos, a “conjura contra a vida” é um processo de um poderoso sistema (cultural, político e econômico) que age sem que muitos não se dêem conta de estarem sendo vítimas de alienação e manipulação. Agora, temos a oportunidade – com a CPI do Aborto – recém-criada no Congresso Nacional – de apresentar documentos, relatórios e depoimentos para expor e erradicar essa “chaga social”, com isso, trabalhando na defesa do direito à vida dos milhões de excluídos, barbaramente torturados e assassinados, para atender a lógica perversa dos poderosos, que agem contrariando o princípio universal de que a plenitude da vida é um direito de todos e um bem para todos.”

Many bloggers disagree, and think that the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Abortion will only expose and intimidate women, and prey even more on woman's rights.

Alessandra from Blog Terribili [Pt] thinks Bassuma has something against women, and that the Commission of Inquiry is a religious move within the traditionally secular Brazilian State:

““CPI do Aborto” parece brincadeira de mau gosto. Vem do Bassuma, aquele deputado que é contra as mulheres, que parece que elege as mulheres como inimigas número um. Ele quer vê-las na cadeia, como criminosas, por terem cometido o terrível equívoco de tomar para si as rédeas de seu corpo e de sua vida. Ele se esquece de que o Estado é laico, que as pessoas têm direito de ter ou de não ter crenças e de que ele não pode impor sua fé religiosa sobre todos e todas.”

Jandira Queiroz, a blogger and woman's rights activist who writes on the blog Sapataria-DF [Pt], thinks that the CPI on Illegal Abortion is a way to persecute women and prey on their rights [Pt]:

“Como sabem, no ano de comemoração dos 60 anos da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos e às vésperas da realização da 11ª Conferência de Direitos Humanos, vivemos a intensificação da perseguição e criminalização das mulheres […] Mais do que nunca, precisamos denunciar a violação explícita aos direitos humanos das mulheres […] Os direitos das mulheres são direitos humanos!”

“This Hypocrisy Causes Hemorrhage. Legalize Abortion. Give us rights over our bodies. Global Women's March”. Picture of a banner at the WSF in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by Gabby de Cicco, used under a Creative Commons license.

Pedro Cross, on his Multi-Eu [Pt] blog, tells us a little bit more about the opposition of many Brazilian congresswomen to the Commission of Inquiry:

“A exposição da vida privada das mulheres é o principal argumento que a bancada feminina na Câmara dos Deputados apresenta para se posicionar contrária a instalação da CPI do Aborto. […] A deputadas se queixam de não terem sido ouvidas em um assunto que é de interesse da bancada e vão questionar o Presidente da Casa sobre o fato da CPI do Aborto ter sido instalada antes da CPI do Trabalho Infantil, que estava na frente na lista das comissões a serem instaladas.”

A very complex issue

Some bloggers are very worried about the pro-choice movement in Brazil, which they see as an anti-life and homicidal crusade against the rights of the unborn children. Not only do they support the CPI on Illegal Abortion, but one of them also points out that our people “might die out just like the Russian population” if the Brazilian Government doesn't fight illegal abortion in Brazil, or, worse still, if the Government legalize it. Marcelo, from the blog Quadro Conservador [”Conservative Picture”, in Portuguese] says:

“A Rússia é o paraíso dos abortistas. Como todo país comunista, o aborto é totalmente liberado e publicamente custeado. Como o ateísmo também foi incentivado durante o século em que era comunista, barreiras morais também não existem por lá. O resultado é este: um país desesperado diante do declínio de sua população. Os russos entrarão em extinção? Como havia dito, uma política cuja conseqüência é o declínio da população humana é má por natureza.”

Whether the Russian population are actually facing extinction, or if the Russian laws on abortion are the cause of such a decrease in numbers, is a matter of debate.

Helder Moraes, from Doa A Quem Doer [Pt], states that abortion is a crime usually committed by people “who lack moral, responsability and control over their sexual desires”, but supports abortion in cases of sexual violence:

”Sou CONTRA o aborto. Só sou a favor de aborto em caso de gravidez de RISCO e em caso de ESTUPRO, pois a mulher não pode ser obrigada a gerar um filho que ela NÃO DESEJOU, ainda mais vindo de um ato HEDIONDO desse. Do contrário, excluindo essas duas possibilidades, o aborto deve ser PROIBIDO SIM !!! Em vez de abortar, tem que se fazer a campanha:  “FECHEM AS PERNAS MULHERES”. O que falta é muita vergonha na cara. Falta MORAl, falta RESPONSABILIDADE, falta EDUCAÇÃO, falta tudo !!! Por isso, fazem filho de penca, a torto e a direito e depois ficam aí… lamentando e procurando clínicas clandestinas de aborto !!!”

Later in the post, Helder tells us what solution he believes would solve the problem:

“Sou a favor da esterilização OBRGATÓRIA de pessoas POBRES que tenham de 3 a mais filhos, e a favor de aborto somente em casos de gravidez de risco e de estupro.”

Many other bloggers and Orkut users agree with Helder's ideas, either by openly blogging and posting similar comments around the blogosphere, or by simply agreeing with and congratulating those who do so.

On the other hand, women's rights groups, such as Front for the Right of Abortion [Pt], state that abortion is a feminine right in the context of choices about their own bodies and lives. Márcia Silva, from the Marcia e suas leituras [Pt] blog, posts the Front's manifesto, partially quoted below:

“A criminalização das mulheres e de todas as lutas libertárias é mais uma expressão do contexto reacionário, criado e sustentado pelo patriarcado capitalista globalizado em associação com setores religiosos fundamentalistas. Querem retirar direitos conquistados e manter o controle sobre as pessoas, especialmente sobre os corpos e a sexualidade das mulheres. […] A maternidade deve ser uma decisão livre e desejada e não uma obrigação das mulheres. Deve ser compreendida como função social e, portanto, o Estado deve prover todas as condições para que as mulheres decidam soberanamente se querem ou não ser mães, e quando querem. Para aquelas que desejam ser mães devem ser asseguradas condições econômicas e sociais, através de políticas públicas universais que garantam assistência à gestação, parto e puerpério, assim como os cuidados necessários ao desenvolvimento pleno de uma criança: creche, escola, lazer, saúde. […] Nenhuma mulher deve ser presa, maltratada ou humilhada por ter feito aborto!
Dignidade, autonomia, cidadania para as mulheres!
Pelo fim da criminalização das mulheres e pela legalização do aborto!

“Abortion should not be a crime”. Image by the Front for the Right of Abortion.

As we have seen above, abortion is a very complex issue in Brazil, mixing religious and secular morals, human rights, political infighting and gender issues. There is not much agreement even among those who fight for the right of choice or for the rights of the unborn. It's hard not to take sides in the ongoing, daily growing, discussion in Brazil. Outspoken pro-life and pro-choice bloggers and activists exchange bitter words, and some self-proclaimed pro-life activists go as far as to say on pro-life Orkut communities that every abortionist should die in a terrible way. Contradictory statements apart, we'll keep listening to the voices that speak about Human — women's or unborn fetuses's — Rights in Brazil, and hope for the best.

The outcasts of the Egyptian society - the spinsters - are raising their voices in an attempt to change how society views them.

Khokha - the anonymous author of The daily diaries of a sinister spinister - says:

 
Abeer Soliman, an Egyptian writer and the author of The Journal of a Spinster, wrote:

Hence, we are not suitable for our men; we are all very opinionated women with a history of strife and achievements. Having said that, it only makes sense that after the attraction, the fascination, the day dreaming, and the sandcastles, those men decide that we are totally unfit for being wives and mothers leaving us to face our destiny as spinsters.

Ethat ElKatatney of Muslimah Media Watch wrote an elaborate post on the issue confessing that she is a 21-year-old spinster.

Yes, a spinster at 21. In my country, although many many Egyptian women are delaying getting married until they’re in their mid-to-late twenties, society still looks at them with a critical, disapproving gaze.

“Men and women were made for one another. You are a sinister spinster.”

“Better a man’s shadow than that of a wall.”

Both are Arabic proverbs reiterated by mothers, aunties, grandmothers and even friends, the former meaning that women who don’t marry are labeled “spinsters,” and the latter meaning that any man is better than being single.

I hate the word spinster, as I’m sure any woman does. It’s definitely no female equivalent of bachelor. Wikipedia tells us spinsters have a reputation for:

Sexual and emotional frigidity, lesbianism, ugliness, frumpiness, depression, astringent moral virtue, and overly-pious religious devotion.

Nice. And in Egypt, where according to the latest statistics there are approximately 9-10 million spinsters over the age of 30, unmarried women are (alternatively) rejected, stigmatized, mocked, gossiped about, pitied and constantly reminded of what they’re missing out on.

Which is why 27-year-old Yomna Mokhtar’s facebook group Spinsters*/ Old Maids for Change is such a breath of fresh air. Mokhtar is a journalist at Al Yom al-Sabe’, a weekly Arabic newspaper, and she set up the group in May ‘08. True, I don’t know how successful a Facebook group of 600 (and counting) trying to change the Egyptian mentality of “spinsters” is going to be, but at least it’s an effort. The group has a media spokesperson, a social advisor, a religious advisor, and a psychologist. Impressive.

Discussion topics on the group include When spinsterhood is a choice, We won’t wear hijab or pray taraweeh [supplementary] prayers for the groom, Latest list of the groom’s demands, etc.

Ethar, a journalist herself, tracked down the media responses to Yomna Mokhtar's group

The first articles about the group were written in October within days of each other at Al-Lawha Online and at Al-Arabiya (the latter with hundreds of fascinating comments that offer great insight into Egyptian psyche and an interesting choice of picture. Though I disliked Mokhtar saying she is against semi-arranged marriages, which she says turn women into “cheap commodities.”)

A couple of days later, an Egyptian forum posted a Q & A with Mokhtar. She told them:

My goal is to change the image of the spinster in our society, encouraging the woman not to isolate herself from it, and ingraining [in her] the idea that making the world a better place is not only through marriage and producing babies, but in improving your community through the abilities God gave you.

Unfortunately, the Q & A wasn’t exactly the best I’ve ever read. The reporter (who happens to be a man) asked her: “Why do you have such a negative idea about spinsters?” (duh, it’s not her, it’s Egypt), “Why did you use the words ‘for change,’ which are used by political movements?” (conspiracy theory much?), “Does your movement rebel against the the idea of marriage?” and most infuriating of all:

Why don’t you try changing the image of the spinster by trying to fix the behavior of some women who have helped give spinsters a bad name?

Thankfully, she pwnd him:

Your question encapsulates exactly the view of society towards women whose marriage date was delayed, who look at her as the girl with a bad reputation, and this is the viewpoint we are fighting against. Especially since a lot of [unmarried] women […] hold the highest educational degrees and the highest positions. But no, society begrudges them their success and considers it a way of compensating for delaying marriage.

A couple of days later, The Daily News Egypt picked up on the story from the Arabic media. In the article, Mokhtar said she used the label ‘Spinsters’ in the group title though she’s against it, because “it is the term people use.”

I also believe that using a different label for unmarried women would just be ignoring the reality of the term. By using it, they’re trying, in some small way to “take it back.”

Two weeks after that article came out, the story made the Los Angeles Times, where the author interviewed Mokhtar and brought up two great points. One, that men are also joining the Facebook group, and two, that this is not the first time an Egyptian woman discussing the issues surrounding marriage does so online, with the first woman being the author behind the satirical blog wanna-be-a-bride.

[And I”m being kind of catty here, but this article's translation of the group's mission statement needs some serious work].

Then two days ago, The Agence France-Presse wrote about the group, finally snowballing it onto the global sphere. (English version and French version).

The article was pretty inclusive, and I particularly liked the fact it mentioned that marriage is an obligation for all Egyptians—Christians and Muslims alike. The author also interviewed a well-known sociologist, which gives Mokhtar’s opinions added weight, and stops anyone from brushing off her comments as the rantings of a bitter spinster. The author also pointed out that the group isn’t asking for the right to be single or crossing any of society’s “red lines.”

(Though I’m sure the fact that Mokhtar is veiled was very important to mention—you know, to prove that she’s not one of those morally decadent spinsters. As was adding that mass Islamic weddings are held with the aim of preventing “deviant” behavior (a.k.a., homosexuality and premarital sex), and not simply with the aim of helping those without funds get married).

Another French interview with Mokhtar was also published on the same day at Lepetitjournal with the title Spinster Girls: Objects of Mockery. My French is a little rusty, but as a journalist I loved the lead:

O la la! The poor girl! She’s still not married? But why? When will she start a family? She risks living the rest of her life alone, the poor girl!

And the comment: “Not getting married is an unforgivable mistake; refusing to marry a punishable crime!”

It was also a Q & A interview, and Mokhtar explained that Facebook is not enough for what the group wants to accomplish. In the future, they will be holding seminars to raise awareness and meetings where spinsters can talk about their experiences to their family in the presence of a psychologist.

ElKatatney messaged Mokhtar on Facebook and asked her what she though of the media coverage thus far. She said:

I liked the western coverage more than the Arabic coverage, which I only dealt with superficially. [There's been] other coverage in other print newspapers like Al-Masa’ and Rose al-Youssef. One reporter asked me if the role of the movement was to improve the behavior of unmarried women who don’t get married because of their bad behavior. I think the problem is not about the media outlet as much as it is the journalist. A good journalist, whether western or eastern, produces a good article.

The 21 year old spinster concluded her post saying:

I am feeling so inspired now. My new title = empowered spinster. Hmm, not really working for me. Bachelorette?

*The Arabic word used, ‘Anis, has several meanings in Arabic but is socially understood to mean spinster/ old maid.

Eva Habil, a 53 year-old Christian lawyer, became Egypt’s first female mayor on December 14, representing Komboha, a rural town in conservative Upper Egypt with a Coptic majority community.

Yusra of Muslimah Media Watch wrote:

Habil, whose father was mayor of Komboha, beat out five male candidates, including her younger brother. Why mention she’s Christian? Well, because in this same story, a niqabi who came out to congratulate Habil was asked if she’d ever pursue politics. She didn’t even have time to answer before her husband said he wouldn’t let her.

While it is true that Egyptian women, regardless of their religion, struggle to break into politics, Muslim women have an added burden: that of jahiliyah. If Komboha were a small, traditional Muslim town in Egypt, the fellaheen would never allow a woman to accept a leadership role in politics. It would be socially unjustifiable and she’d be pressured to step down. This is a difference in religious culture. Habil not only could accept the position, but she could talk to the locals wearing jeans and a snug sweater. Imagine the outrage that would follow if a woman in a traditional Muslim town, such as Siwa, 50 km from Libya’s border, left the house without covering up from head to toe. However, does this mean that Muslim women in Egyptian villages view Habil’s election differently than Christian women in Egyptian villages? I doubt it, and the niqabi woman mentioned in the article is proof that Habil’s victory is a victory for women, both Christian and Muslim.

Habil’s leadership position is a boost of empowerment for women in Komboha and in a country where only nine female lawmakers serve in the 454-seat parliament, but it does very little to question deeply entrenched attitudes about women throughout the country. Still, it does remind us that regardless of their difference in religion, Egyptian women share the same struggle when it comes to paving political careers.

True to her Egyptian nationalism, Habil says religion should not serve to divide communities. “We must, first and foremost, proclaim ourselves Egyptians.”

Habil is my mom’s age. She went to Ain Shams University in Cairo, at the same time my mom attended teaching college in Tripoli, Libya, They both grew up wearing mini skirts and travelling alone. By the 1980s, they both saw their societies become more and more conservative. Blame it on the1979 Iranian Revolution or the empowered Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or the policies of Muammar al Qaddafi, but in the 1980s, Islamic conservatism swept the Middle East and the mini skirt was replaced by the headscarf and galabiyah. To compete, Egypt’s Christians openly displayed their faith as well. Habil says the women in her town wore huge crosses to set themselves apart. Habil and the other 10 percent of Copts in her generation lived through the same political, social and cultural changes. They are united in that change, even if it does not manifest itself in exactly the same way.

On the same event, from a political stance, Zeinobia wrote:

Overall from outside it is a huge victory to the feminist movement in Egypt but if you look inside you think that in the end it is not a real change.

Eva Habil is from the young stars who impressed President Mubarak in the NDP this year with their new thinking. Yes she is a NDPian and heads the women's committee in her governorate and you know what I mean when I say that she is a NDPian. Already I do not consider her young for she is 53 years old !! Well they consider Gamal Mubarak a young man up till now !!

Eva Habil is the daughter of the last mayor who already inherited from his father so it runs in the family.

She was appointed by the Ministry of Interior. Yes there were 5 other men running for the same position but she was chosen and I think it  was because of her position in the NDP at the first place.

I see it with all my respect as another form of political inheritance.

I would have considered Eva Habil as a real rule-breaker in Upper Egypt if she were not a member in the NDP, from a regular family that is not related to the Mayor from near or far. I would have considered her as an icon in the history of Egypt if she were elected just like in all the civilized the countries not appointed and not appointed by the Ministry of Interior.

Here is the AFP report about her and I do not like the fact they inserted the religion into the topic, of course the reporter missed her NDP connection.

Tse at Kuzu Bhutan Weblog writes about the battered wives in the Bhutanese societies.

In response to Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez's question, Mariela Castro calls her the equivalent of a “cocky hen”, prompting Sanchez to ask: “Does she believe that I do the work of a man because I demand rights and claim respect for political preferences? If to be a very delicate hen I must accept that a group of septuagenarians—all men—decide every aspect of my life, then I…will cock-a-doodle-doo like the rooster with the most hormones in the barnyard.”

Eternal Remont and English Russia note that the newest Miss World - Ksenia Sukhinova from Russia - is holding the wrong flag during an event at Moscow's Red Square; Belgraded notes that the flag is actually Serbian.

Michael Solis from Ohmynews! reported (with a video) about the Korean comfort women protest on 10 of December, 60th anniversary of the United Nations' proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the government sent riot police to suppress the peaceful protest.

ESWN translated a local article form China economic net on 2008 Top Ten Sex-Related Incidents In China.

Some of the Russian/Soviet history December highlights at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis: Birobidzhan demographics; Cherubina de Gabriak and the duel between Maximilian Voloshin and Nikolay Gumilyov; Vladimir Gilyarovsky; the Soviet war in Afghanistan; and a cookbook by Elena Molokhovets.

American Bedu starts a list of what Saudi women can and can not do.