Issue 2: November 2015
Features
Dangerous Work: Female Journalists in Mexico
“We are living in a state of total impunity: there are no investigations, no one in jail, no reparations made”, says Mexican journalist Laura Castellanos.
Children Having Children in Guatemala
What follows are three stories of girls —children themselves— who have been sexually exploited by coercion or outright violence in Guatemala and become young mothers while barely in their teens.
South Africa Slow to Respond to Cases of “Corrective Rape”
The acceptance of open displays of homosexuality in Thokoza, South Africa, is a big change for a township that has seen many acts of violence against members of the LGBTI community.
Femicide in Argentina
On August 21, 2015, a news story broke in Argentina that shocked the country and received wall-to-wall television coverage. Fernando Farré, a successful executive, had stabbed his wife and mother of his three children to death.
The Bride Price Tradition in Papua New Guinea
Incidents of domestic violence are common in Papua New Guinea, a Pacific Island state of about 7 million people. But some cases are so horrific that they have made headlines in the country’s media.
Mozambique Struggles to Contain HIV Epidemic Among Young Women
Mozambique’s numbers reflect the frightening reality: Young women have become the main drivers of the region’s HIV pandemic.
Statistics on Women Stay Silent in Cuba
Alina Saborit, a dressmaker and entrepreneur, tells her story. It’s a story that began 49 years ago in the Eastern edge of Cuba.
Against All Odds: In Search of a Home Away From Home
According to the UNHCR, a majority of refugees come from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea. Germany, the biggest economy in the region, has so far received over 500,000 asylum applications.
The Challenges Facing Young Women Refugees
Escaping war as a refugee is no one’s dream. Many teenage girls escaping Syria to neighbouring Lebanon must also specifically contend with child marriage, sexual violence and a host of new burdens and responsibilities.
Reviews
Book Review: The Underground Girls of Kabul
The Underground Girls of Kabul is a walk through the lives of many Afghan families who have a daughter posing as the family’s son.
Changing the World, one Film at a Time
By Joanne Pilgrim A worldwide youth video festival and contest is helping to provide a voice to girls and young women whose films act not only as creative expressions of their own realities and the oftentimes critical issues that they face,...
Book Review: M Train
My first revelatory encounter with Patti Smith was listening on the radio in the fall of 1975 around the time of the release of her debut album Horses.
Film Review: Dukhtar (Daughter)
Afia Nathaniel’s directorial debut film, Dukhtar—a word that means daughter in Urdu—is fundamentally about women. It is a story about courage and strength, and about the bond between mothers and daughters.
Commentary
Gendered Nationalism in Central Asia
In Turkmenistan, least globally integrated state of Central Asia, the survival of national identity generates through women.
After Baghdad, Beirut, and Paris, the Refugee Crisis Urges a Feminist Critique
It is necessary to query the way the DAIISH challenge is addressed by Western societies.
Spotlight
Women Protection Unit Challenging Patriarchal Mentality in Sinjar
An all-female unit has been active in arming and training Yazidi women before sending them to the frontline.
Photographer Julia Gunther | Black Mambas Project
“The women I photograph have fought, survived, overcome or simply ignored the obstacles that life has thrown at them.”
From the Favelas to the Soccer Stadium
Like many teenager girls, they love lipstick and navigate the teenage years with a daily dose of drama. However, thanks to an international program called Favela Street, these girls are able to become fit, tough and talented soccer players.
Changing the World one Film at a Time
A worldwide youth video festival and contest is helping to provide a voice to girls and young women whose films act not only as creative expressions of their own realities and the oftentimes critical issues that they face.