Letter from IstanbulLetter from Istanbul
By Betty Caplan
Who creates female stereotypes?
The article on April 17 edition of the Star (ET pullout) titled 'Bid for Power: Why Women Leaders Should Work on their Media Image' begins with the premise that women are ridiculous in whatever they attempt. The anonymous writer (clearly male) takes to task Rukia Subow, chairperson of Maendeleo ya Wanawake, for her thoughtless remark that men who were not responsible deserved a beating. Shock! Horror! All those poor helpless men being routin...
The Family Under Siege
One can easily become dewy-eyed here in Istanbul imagining that families have stayed close because of bonds of affection. The truth is often different: young people stay at home until they get married because they can’t afford to move out.Read this:“There are 17.5 million households in Turkey. The average size of a household is 4.2 people. It is significant that in France, which has about the same population, there are 25 million h...
Coming Face To Face With Madness: A Warning About Social Media
“If I want to see my second cousin’s new baby, I will call her to arrange a visit,” wrote some celebrity or other recently, in answer to a question about why she wasn’t on Facebook. Much fuss has been made about the so-called “social” media which are increasingly the cause of very anti-social behaviour. If used properly, they can indeed enhance our private and professional lives, but we need to protect ourse...
Wainaina Has No Right To Speak For All Africans
The Great English Language Scam
The teaching of the English language has become an international business bolstered by recent requirements by the British, EU, and Australian governments that aspiring immigrants should have minimal levels of attainment in one of the commonly recognised tests. Glenn Fulchur writes in the Guardian October 14: “The most striking use of language tests by politicians today is as a surrogate for immigration policies, which, in turn, has end...
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