On Thursday, Egyptian women protested in Cairo to demand more representation in the constitutional assembly. According to Daily News Egypt, “eight women elected and two appointed women make up less than 2 percent of the 508 seats in the People’s Assembly.” The female activists’ demonstration called for far higher numbers, anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent.
Meanwhile, though Afghanistan used International Women’s Day to reveal that it is opening up a female-only Internet cafe in central Kabul, critics and activists are still wary of the future of women’s rights in the country. The Afghanistan government is receiving backlash after it recently welcomed advice from Muslim clerics that women and men should remain segregated in public, and “allow husbands to beat wives under certain circumstances” — a strong reminder of former Taliban control over the region.
So what does this mean for International Women’s Day 2012?
It means that although women in Egypt and other Arab countries might be gaining more attention globally, they are still fighting for their recognition and their basic rights in their home countries. Egyptians turned to social media to help organize protests during the Arab Spring — and in fact, it was a woman, Asmaa Mahfouz, who helped organize protesters to Egypt’s Tahrir Square on Jan. 25, 2011 with her viral YouTube video. When coverage of attacks on female protestors started breaking from the region in late 2011, women again were at the forefront of the protests.
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Activists also voiced their concerns online and in protests in other Arab countries in honor of International Women’s Day. Check out the gallery below to see the range of views emerging from the region.
Egypt attracted much attention online and in Cairo as women protested ahead of presidential elections in the country.
Reem Abdellatif, an Egyptian American journalist based in Cairo, was one of the scores of women vocalizing online.
Twitter users also noted that "virginity tests" took place during last year's International Women's Day protest in Cairo, and that protestor Samira Ibrahim is largely responsible for drawing awareness to the issue.
In Tunisia, women dressed up and held signs as they protested in the capital city of Tunis.
A Twitter user who goes by the handle @amarpaint79 and is identified as only "Dignity of Bahrain" in English used the day to draw attention to human rights issues in Bahrain. A YouTube video posted by @amarpaint79 goes in-depth about the experiences of Bahraini women, but it's restricted due to its graphic content.
Users also tweeted about the women who are currently out of the public eye because they've been put in prison for their advocacy work.
User @Egyptocracy reminded followers that despite the enthusiasm, the protests were ultimately a sign of discontent.
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, mozcann
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International Women’s Day 2012 Tweets Flood the Twitterverse
The Twitterverse has spoken, and it’s really excited aboutInternational Women’s Day.
Search for “International Women’s Day” on Twitter and the tweets don’t stop pouring in — “Happy International Women’s Day” is the third most-trending topic on Twitter. There are tons of the expected, “Happy International Women’s Day!” tweets and many insightful ones calling for change or reflecting on womens’ accomplishments. There are a few insensitive ones saying women should get back in the kitchen or asking why there is no “International Men’s Day,” but such diversity of opinions is expected from any mass social network.
InternationalWomensDay.com says this year’s theme is, “Connecting girls, inspiring futures.” And the entire month of March is Women’s History Month.
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on Feb. 28, 1909. Organized by the Socialist Party of America, the day paid tribute to New York garment factory workers who had protested unfair conditions. International Women’s Day grew into a national holiday and was a vehicle to protest World War I in some parts of Europe.
Many organizations use today to stage peaceful protests or raise awareness of issues facing women and their communities. Whether you use the day to reflect on the past or focus on the future, here are some of the most clever, thoughtful or funny tweets about International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.
First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated International Women's Day at the International Women of Courage Award reception with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and 10 winners of the award.
A protector of human rights worldwide, Amnesty International used International Women's Day to tweet out some sobering facts about women worldwide: "#Women are 80% of all refugees and displaced persons." and "African-American #women are 3-4 more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women."
Twitter comedian Rob Delaney wishes hopeful Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum a happy International Women's Day, in spite of the conservative's views on women's reproductive rights.
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