Blogs & Ecology

After California voters passed the proposition to ban gay marriage in the state, gay and transgender rights is back on the headlines in America. While the debate rages on there, Nepal - a faraway country, much smaller and often ignored on the world stage is now being looked upon as an example on how to handle the gay and transgender rights issue.

On November 17th Nepal’s Supreme Court issued a historic ruling which grants protection to gays, lesbians and transgender community in the country. It also open doors for gay marriage rights and end all discriminatory laws.

Light Within portrays Dr. Senta Siller, who mobilized the women in a remote Pakistani village and led them from the front to make hand crafted dolls in traditional Pakistani attires for collectors' delight and for the gift market.

“An argument in olden Arab times was like a dance. People wooed each other, rejected or accepted, negotiated, insulted and convinced each other using subtle messages & connotations, all applied courteously,” notes 50% Syrian.

Saudi Jeans is annoyed his country's 150-member Shura (consultative) Council rejected a law to simplify the regulations of Saudi marriages to foreigners. “I do not understand the harsh restrictions enforced on citizens who want to marry foreigners. Why should the government bother with who one chooses to marry?” he asks.

Yuko Shimonakamura at Yuko no Jinsei to Tigers [勇皇の人生とタイガース] comments with enthusiasm [jp] on the birth of a new baseball heroine, Eri Yoshida, the 16 y.o. high school student who will likely debut as a pitcher in the Kansai Independent League (関西独立リーグ) starting next spring and will play together with her male colleagues. Like many other bloggers [jp], Shimonakamura-san is forward to admiring the feats of the “new Yuki Mizuhara”, whose specialties include the “knuckleball” and the “underhand pitch”.

Margot the Marrakesh Mystic correlates the rise of hemlines in Morocco to the changes in the economy.

Egypt has launched a fierce campaign against sexual harassment in the aftermath of the recent events here, here, here, here, and here. But people working in the media industry do not seem to get the idea.

Citizens are wondering about the motive behind the murder of a teenaged Russian girl in Barbados. Keltruth Corp and Barbados Free Press are also asking questions.

Diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution speculates as to why “the highest ranking woman in the Castro regime…has been unexpectedly fired…from her high-profile post as Minister for Foreign Investment.”

Social Science in the Caucasus takes exception to the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index and, comparing data on economic participation, explains why.

Bangladesh Blogger reports: “Female students of BCIC College, Dhaka have accused their male teachers of sexual harassment, which has led to the arrest of several students and teachers.”

Several Filipino lawmakers want to enact a law that will provide for population and reproductive health programs at national and local levels. The Philippines, whose population is almost 90 million, is one of the most populous nations in the world. Many scholars believe that the country’s high population exacerbates its social and economic problems.

The Reproductive Health (RH) bill mandates health and local agencies to inform Filipino couples about birth control methods, maternal health care and other reproductive health concerns. Sex education will be introduced in schools as well.

A Fe Me Page Dis Iyah wants to know if the criminals are running things in Jamaica.

I received an invitation to join a group named “Dr. Shaimaa Fouad … May you rest in Peace.” I did not know her and I wondered why anyone would invite me to such a group. Little did I know! Dr. Shaimaa Fouad died defending herself.

Desert Cat wrote (AR):

What will the Middle East look like 25 years from now? That was the assignment the World Policy Journal gave Mona El Tahawy for their 25th anniversary edition. Mona decided to have some fun and imagination. This is what she came up with, mixing real people in imaginary scenarios in 2033. Who knows? They might come true!

Here are excerpts from AlTahawy's blog: