Archive for June, 2009
Women, justice and memory
Posted on June 29, 2009, by mercedes, under Gender Masala, arts, human rights, media, truth commissions, violence, war rape.
What happens when the relatives of the murdered confront their murderers? What happens if they have to live with the murderers?
This is the theme of “My neighbour, my killer”, a film about Rwanda’s extraordinary attempt at reconciliation. This documentary by Anne Aghion, which premiered in New York two weeks ago at the Human Rights Watch film festival, follows a gacaca or community court during five years.
Rwanda has set up some 12, 000 gacaca where killers face the relatives of those they killed during the genocide in 1994. (Read an interview with Aghion here).
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Wedding hell: child brides
Posted on June 22, 2009, by mercedes, under children, culture, human rights, violence, women, men and more.
She was a brave little girl, who believed in her right to choose how to live her life. Aged 12, as a minor she remained nameless in the news.
She lived in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, the green, misty mountains along the Mozambican border. On weekends, people dressed in flowing white robes, the men bearded, holding carved wooden canes, gather under the masasa trees. They belong to the Johanne Marange apostolic sect. Peaceful people – with a nasty habit of marrying young girls.
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The shutter that shatters gender stereotypes
Posted on June 16, 2009, by mercedes, under media, women, men and more.
The women paddling in this stunning photo are having fun and a good workout - while breaking cultural barriers. They are competing in a traditional race against men in their village in West Bengal, India, racing against the gender-based division of labour and leisure, paddling energetically into a male space. (more…)
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In the dark alleys of the internet
Posted on June 7, 2009, by mercedes, under Gender Masala.
Do you erase your browser history after using a public computer? It’s pretty much like using a condom in casual sex, or avoiding dark alleys: extra security, lowering your risk.
Leaving your cybertracks for strangers to follow is not a good idea. Or for those closer to home. In fact, at home. Say, an abused woman calls a hotline late at night. The following day, her husband discovers the link in her browser history and beats her up. (more…)
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