Good morning!
Solidaritas is a fortnightly newsletter about women’s rights, feminism, and gender in Asia and the Pacific, covering the entirety of this huge region: from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the west to Kiribati and Cook Islands in the east.
This issue’s header image is of a beach in Jayapura, West Papua, taken in 2016, which I visited with some work friends on a weekend off.
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Love and solidarity,
- Kate
Afghanistan
Taliban authorities have arrested at least 18 staff of an international NGO, including an American woman, accusing them of carrying out Christian missionary work.
Zahra Joya of Rukhshana Media writes about being an Afghan woman in exile, and calls for our solidarity:
Afghanistan’s fall was not just the takeover of a country, but the separation of its people, including thousands of teenagers like my sister. The fall is also the story of a mother’s comfort, now missing for my sister and me. We miss her arms and the bed we could share, the food she cooked.
Australia
The government is rolling out fresh sanctions against Iranian senior police, censors and state media, targeting “those who oppress women and girls in Iran”, almost one year after the death of Mahsa Amini.
China
The sudden and unexplained closure of a number of WeChat accounts dedicated to gay, trans, asexual, and feminist issues marks the latest setback for LGBTQ+ and women’s speech rights in China.
A social media debate has erupted over a trend among some Chinese women to dress and behave in a way that’s “good for marriage”, with detractors saying it discourages independence.
Married women report that they are facing discrimination in the job hunt, including being asked how many children they have and whether they’re willing to work overtime.
A promotional video by a state-owned railway in China that asked women to refrain from putting on makeup during train journeys has sparked fierce backlash and a debate about sexism.
New research investigates the mental impact that son preference has on Chinese women and girls:
In families with strong son preference, daughters are moulded from birth to understand that they are unworthy receivers of family resources, forever indebted to their family for being born. This contributes to a deep sense of insecurity and low self-esteem and leads to a lifelong obligation to repay their “debt” by providing for the family.
India
Homeworkers in an all-female cooperative in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu – known as India’s knitwear capital – took part in a photography project where they were given cameras to document their work. All the women belong to the Anukatham union, which is fighting for recognition by the Tamil Nadu government, as well as better wages and conditions. (photo essay)
Cheaper tea from Nepal is reportedly having a huge impact on the Darjeeling tea industry of northeastern India, where women make up the majority of tea pickers.
Meet Tsering Angmo, the Ladhaki woman shaking up Indian soccer.
Indonesia
Women's cricket in Indonesia has rapidly outgrown its men's counterpart, and now the Indonesian Cricket Association is targeting the Women's World Cup.
Japan
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has appointed five women to his cabinet, the highest since 2014, as part of a ministerial reshuffle he hopes will boost his poor approval ratings. One of the notable additions to the cabinet is Yoko Kamikawa, who is Japan’s first female Minister of Foreign Affairs in nearly two decades.
How gender inequality is hindering Japan’s economic growth.
Myanmar
Concerns have been raised about the health of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently serving 27 years in jail under the military junta’s orders.
Women continue to play a strong role in the struggle against the military junta.
Nepal
A group of young girls has been working together with artist-trainers to create five Mithila paintings about their lives as girls in Nepal.
New Zealand
A woman who suffered chronic pain for 18 months after undergoing a caesarean section was found to have a surgical instrument the size of a dinner plate inside her abdomen.
The Philippines
Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa has been acquitted of tax evasion, which means that she and her media outlet Rappler are now cleared of all five tax-related charges filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Regional
An Indonesian domestic worker in Singapore has been jailed for 12 weeks for physically abusing an 85-year-old woman with dementia.
Filipina women were part of a great migration to Australia in the 1970s and 1980s, but they had to overcome the mail-order bride stereotype.
Meet Moana vocalist Olivia Foa’i and others in their push to revive threatened Pacific languages through song.
LA Review of Books reviews Hawon Jung’s Flowers of Fire and Aviva Wei Xue and Kate Rose’s Weibo Feminism.
Samoa
As Samoa's Teuila Festival ended for another year, a new Miss Samoa was crowned, Australia's own Moemoana Safa'ato'a Schwenke - one of the world’s few female Siva Afi (fire dancers). So what does it take to win?
Taiwan
Taiwan has asked retired military women to volunteer for the reserves to help strengthen its military capabilities in the face of Chinese aggression. (video)