Fast Food Workers Will Hold The Largest-Ever Worldwide Day of Action Next Week

Fast food workers are planning the largest one-day action so far on May 15. Workers will strike in 150 cities around the United States, and protests will be held in thirty other countries, including England, India, and South Africa.

The campaigners demand $15 per hour in wages and the ability to form a union. McDonald’s – which is facing several class-action lawsuits for wage theft – will be targeted in particular. Just this March, a $500,000 settlement was reached with the owner of seven McDonald’s franchises in New York for failure to pay 1,600 mostly minimum wage workers certain wages and legally-required stipends.

Fast food workers across the US have been striking and protesting for higher wages and more labor protections for over a year now – changes that would particularly help women and people of color. Seventy-three percent of all front-line fast food workers are women, and 43 percent are black or Latino. Fifty-two percent of fast food workers have to rely on public assistance because their wages are too low to survive on. “Meanwhile, the CEO of McDonald’s raked in about $13.8 million in fiscal 2012, an estimated 737 times what the average fast-food worker earned,” Michelle Chen reports in the Fall 2013 issue of Ms.

Several city and state legislators, most recently in Seattle and Maryland, have taken it upon themselves to raise their communities’ minimum wages, and President Obama issued an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors from $7.25 to $10.10. Just last week, however, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on legislation that would have increased the federal minimum wage.

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US Will Help Nigeria Find Kidnapped Girls

President Barack Obama announced yesterday that the US will assist Nigeria in finding the over 200 teenage girls who were abducted by terrorist group Boko Haram three weeks ago.

“We’ve already sent in a team to Nigeria – they’ve accepted our help through a combination of military, law enforcement, and other agencies who are going in, trying to identify where in fact these girls might be and provide them help,” Obama said Tuesday. The support will include technical assistance from US military and law enforcement officials skilled in intelligence, investigations, victim assistance, hostage negotiating, and other areas. Armed forces will not be involved.

“In the short term our goal is obviously to help the international community, and the Nigerian government, as a team to do everything we can to recover these young ladies,” Obama told NBC. “But we’re also going to have to deal with the broader problem of organizations like this that . . . can cause such havoc in people’s day-to-day lives.”

The kidnapped girls, 53 of whom have escaped, were at their school when Boko Haram abducted them. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, announced his intention to sell the girls “in the market” in a video. Many fear that some of the girls may have already been forced into sex slavery or trafficked across the border, and protests have grown around the world and on twitter where people have called on Nigeria to #BringBackOurGirls.

President Obama called the kidnapping “heartbreaking,” and called on the international community to take action against Boko Haram. “You’ve got one of the worst regional or local terrorist organizations in Boko Haram in Nigeria, they’ve been killing people ruthlessly for many years now and we’ve already been seeking greater cooperation with the Nigerians – this may be the event that helps to mobilize the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organization that’s perpetrated such a terrible crime.”

Boko Haram kidnapped 8 more girls from Warabe on Sunday night, and killed as many as 300 people in an attack on Gamboru Ngala. Both towns are in the northeastern region of Nigeria, near the border with Cameroon, not far from Chibok were the schoolgirls were abducted. A government official told a local newspaper that the attack on Gamboru Ngala lasted about 12 hours. Members of Boko Haram were reported to have sprayed gunfire into crowds and set shops and resident homes on fire.

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Feminist Majority Rally Brings Together Women’s and LGBTQ Groups to Protest Brunei Penal Code

The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), which pulled its annual Global Women’s Rights Awards from the Beverly Hills Hotel — owned by the Sultan of Brunei — held a rally yesterday across from the hotel to urge the Sultan to rescind a new, Taliban-like penal code that includes the stoning to death of gay men and lesbians and the public flogging of women who have abortions.

Several groups participated at the rally, including the California Women’s Law Center, Equality California, Human Rights Campaign, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Services Center, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Mavis and Jay Leno, hosts of the FMF Global Women’s Rights Awards event, FMF Board Member and national organizer Delores Huerta, actor and activist Frances Fisher, FMF Executive Vice President and Executive Editor of Ms. magazine Katherine Spillar, and FMF President Eleanor Smeal, among others, also spoke at the rally, calling for the repeal of the horrific new penal code, which began part of its implementation last week.

“Every day the movement grows to demand that this Taliban-like penal code is rescinded,” said Smeal. “Advocates for LGBT and women’s rights are mobilized against this new Brunei penal code, and we are gratified that the Beverly Hills City Council has taken up a resolution condemning the law. People are outraged.”

“This new penal code is a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We call on the United Nations to investigate whether Brunei should be allowed to keep its membership at the UN if the Sultan fails to rescind these inhumane laws,” continued Smeal.

The Brunei code is set to be implemented in three phases over three years. The first phase, which began on May 1, will include fines and prison sentences. The second phase includes corporal punishment such as amputations and flogging women who have abortions. The stoning to death of gay men and lesbians is slated for the third phase.

TAKE ACTION: Sign FMF’s petition calling on the government of Brunei to immediately rescind the new code and asking the United Nations to take action if these laws go into effect as planned!

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Vatican Questioned by UN Panel on Child Sex Abuse Scandal

The Vatican came under fire yesterday during questioning by the United Nations Committee Against Torture, which demanded answers from Archbishop Silvano Tomasi – the Vatican’s representative in Geneva – on the Holy See’s response to widespread sexual violence and abuse by priests.

The Committee called on the Archbishop to demonstrate the systems the Holy See has in place to prevent torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment, including rape and sexual abuse. The vice-chair of the UN Committee, American expert Felice Gaer, also demanded a response to allegations that Italian bishops had issued guidelines this year, approved by the Vatican, explicitly stating that they are not required to report suspected child sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities. The Committee also pressed the Archbishop on the denial of abortion care to and stigmatization of rape victims.

“Not only is the UN calling the Vatican to account, they are acknowledging the gravity of the harms at stake – which amount to torture of the most vulnerable individuals and cause deep, long-lasting harm,” said Barbara Blaine, President of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), which has filed a lawsuit against Vatican officials at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity as a result of rampant sexual abuse. “Pope Francis must humbly acknowledge the breadth of the problem in the church and take concrete steps to end the sexual violence and finally hold accountable not only perpetrators but those who cover up the violence, knowingly shift priests, and endanger more children.”

Pope Francis announced in December a commission to advise on sexual abuse. The commission is charged with creating “best practices” and “clear and effective protocols” to prevent child sexual abuse. The commission, however, has only met once – last week – and there is no timeline for the commission to make proposals to the Pope. “Pope Francis and the bishops are not taking action that would protect children,” Blaine told reporters on Friday. SNAP has called for, at a minimum, removal of priests involved in sexual abuse.

This is the first time that the UN Committee Against Torture has reviewed the Holy See’s implementation of the international Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church, ratified the treaty in June 2002. Archbishop Tomasi reiterated to the Committee the Holy See’s position that it is only required to implement the treaty in Vatican City – and cannot be held accountable for the failure of its agents and institutions to fulfill the treaty obligations. The Holy See’s position, however, appeared untenable to the Committee. According to Felice Gaer, the Holy See’s position is the first time a party to the treaty has attempted to limit its obligations to “a subdivision” of itself. Although the Holy See governs Vatican City, the Holy See is a “non-territorial” entity and its exerts control beyond the territorial limits of Vatican City.

This is the second time that the Holy See has been called before a UN Committee to answer questions concerning its handling of sexual abuse. In February, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child blasted the Holy See, noting that “the Committee is gravely concerned that the Holy See has not acknowledged the extent of the crimes committed, has not taken the necessary measures to address cases of child sexual abuse and to protect children, and has adopted policies and practices which have led to the continuation of the abuse by and the impunity of the perpetrators.”

The hearing in front of the Committee Against Torture continues today.

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Boko Haram Kidnaps Eight More Girls in Nigeria

Less than one month after kidnapping over 200 girls from Chibok, terrorist group Boko Haram reportedly kidnapped eight more girls, ages 12 to 15, from Warabe, another village in northeast Nigeria.

The girls were taken from their homes on Sunday night, loaded onto trucks by gunpoint. Warabe is close to the border of Cameroon and the Sambisa forest where many fear the Chibok girls were taken. In a video obtained earlier this week by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Boko Haram announced its intention to sell the kidnapped girls “on the market.”

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville sharply condemned the possible trafficking of the abducted girls. “We warn the perpetrators that there is an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law. These can under certain circumstances constitute crimes against humanity,” said Colville at a news briefing in Geneva.

Commenting on the kidnapping, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US “will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and hold the perpetrators to justice.” Assistance could include help with security, communications and intelligence. The Nigerian government has indicated, according to the BBC, that it welcomes international assistance in order to find the girls.

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Boko Haram Leader Admits to Mass Kidnapping in Nigeria, Declares Intent to Sell Girls

The alleged leader of militant insurgency group Boko Haram admitted in a new video obtained by Agence France-Presse to kidnapping over 200 Nigerian girls on April 14 – and also declared his intentions to sell them “on the market.”

“I abducted your girls,” Abubakar Shekau is quoted by CNN’s translators as declaring in the 57-minute video. “I will sell them in the market, by Allah. There is a market for selling humans.” Shekau is seen laughing and smiling throughout the almost hour-long video, in which he relays Boko Haram’s mission to end girls’ education in Nigeria. “Girls, you should go and get married,” he says in a later clip. Boko Haram’s name means “Western education is a sin,” and this action is part of their call to end Western education in the West African country.

Nigerian officials updated the number of girls kidnapped to 276 Friday, with 223 still in the hands of Boko Haram after 53 escaped. “Wherever these girls are,” Nigeria President Goodluck Johnson said Sunday, “we’ll get them out.”

Although Jonathan has repeatedly promised to rescue the girls, activists remain unimpressed. Nearly a month after the kidnapping, the government has not attempted a rescue and no other solution has been declared.

The call to find the missing schoolgirls has spread around the world. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced a resolution last week urging US assistance, and State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf explained on Thursday that US officials “have been engaged with the Nigerian government.” Protests are being mounted from London to Los Angeles to encourage international participation in the rescue efforts, and over the weekend the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls trended globally on Twitter.

Take Action: A rally will take place outside of the Nigerian Embassy tomorrow in Washington, DC.

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Nigerians Demand More Rescue Efforts for 200 Kidnapped Girls

Nigerians are demanding that their government do more to bring home the roughly 200 girls who were kidnapped more than two weeks ago on April 14 by the militant insurgency group Boko Haram.

Protesters took to the streets of Abuja and Lagos this week to criticize the Nigerian government’s handling of the mass kidnapping. Rallies are being held in the coming days in the US, Canada, and England in support of the Nigerian families who have lost their daughters, calling on the government to do more and for the terrorist group to release the girls, and a massive social media campaign using the hashtags #BringBackOurGirls and #BringBackOurDaughters has spurred greater international attention.

Armed members of Boko Haram kidnapped about 234 teenage school girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, located in the northeast of Nigeria. Although some girls were able to escape, the fate of roughly 200 girls still remains unclear. Some parents in Chibok believe that the girls might have been trafficked into neighboring Cameroon. A group of civilians launched a search party into the forested area near the border to look for the girls. They reported fears that the girls were forced into sex slavery.

“I thought it was the end of my life,” Deborah Sanya told reporter Alexis Okeowo from the New Yorker. Sanya is one of the lucky few who was able to escape. She reportedly fled with two friends after being taken only a few villages away from the school. “Nobody rescued them,” a government official in Chibok told Okeowo. “I want you to stress this point. Nobody rescued them. They escaped on their accord. This is painful.”

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the international community to provide military assistance to the Nigerian government to help them locate the girls. “We cannot stop terrorism overnight,” said Brown. “But we can make sure that its perpetrators are aware that murdering and abducting school children is a heinous crime that the international authorities are determined to punish.” In the United States, several Senators released a bipartisan resolution today condeming the abduction and urging the US to assist in rescue efforts.

Boko Haram has a long history of terrorism in northern Nigeria. Human Rights Watch reported last year on the groups atrocious activities, which have included murder, abduction, rape, mutilation, and the use of child soldiers. The Washington Post reports that the Nigerian government may have appointed a negotiator to interface with the group concerning the Chibok girls. According to news reports, the identified negotiator says that Boko Harm is “willing to consider” a deal to release the girls.

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Brutal Brunei Penal Code Goes into Effect Today

The Southeast Asian nation of Brunei today adopted the first phase of a brutal penal code that includes the stoning to death of gay men and lesbians, the public flogging of women who have abortions, and the jailing of women who become pregnant outside of marriage.

The laws will be introduced in three phases over the course of three years. Phase one, starting today, will punish certain offenses with hefty fines or prison time. Phase two will add such punishments as amputations and floggings for other crimes, and the third phase will include crimes punishable by stoning to death.

According to Al Jazeera, some Brunei citizens expressed criticism of the new code on social media earlier this year, but mostly quieted down under pressure from the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said it has deep concern about the proposed new laws and the ramifications it would hold for human rights in Brunei. The United Nations Human Rights Council is set to conduct a Universal Periodic Review of Brunei on Friday.

Yesterday Feminist Majority Foundation announced that it pulled an event from the Beverly Hills Hotel after discovering it is owned by the Sultan and launched a petition to stop the code from going into effect. “We cannot hold a human rights and women’s rights event at a hotel whose owner would institute a penal code that fundamentally violates women’s rights and human rights,” said Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal in a statement.

Brunei is an industrialized, petroleum and natural gas country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The Brunei Investment Agency owns the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Bel-Air Hotel, and other Dorchester Collection Properties. The Agency is managed by the Brunei Ministry of Finance which is controlled by the Sultan.

TAKE ACTION: Sign our petition calling on the government of Brunei to immediately rescind the new code and asking the United Nations to take action if these laws go into effect, and join the conversation on Twitter by tweeting with the hashtag #StopTheSultan. If you are in the Los Angeles area, join FMF, gay and lesbian and women’s rights groups to protest this gross violation of human rights at a noon rally on May 5, across the street from the hotel in a park on Sunset Boulevard.

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FMF Pulls Event from Beverly Hills Hotel to Protest Sultan of Brunei Imposing Taliban-Like Rule

LOS ANGELES – The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) announced it is pulling its annual Global Women’s Rights Awards, co-chaired by Jay and Mavis Leno, from the Beverly Hills Hotel because the hotel’s owner, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is imposing a Taliban-like Brunei penal code, set to go into effect in three stages beginning on May 1, that includes the stoning to death of gay men and lesbians and the public flogging of women who have abortions.

Instead of holding its annual event at the hotel on May 5, FMF has joined with gay and lesbian groups in protesting this gross violation of human rights and will hold a rally at noon on May 5 across from the hotel, in the park on Sunset Boulevard, urging the Sultan to rescind the new penal code which has been condemned by human rights groups and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. FMF will hold the Global Awards event on the evening of May 5 at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, Los Angeles.

“We cannot hold a human rights and women’s rights event at a hotel whose owner would institute a penal code that fundamentally violates women’s rights and human rights,” said Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal.

“‘Kill-a-gay’ laws, or laws that allow the flogging of women for abortion, violate international law and have no place in civilized society,” said Feminist Majority Foundation Board Member Mavis Leno. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed deep concern about the new penal code and stated that such draconian punishments would contravene international law and international human rights.

FMF today launched a massive petition drive and social media campaign calling on the government of Brunei to immediately rescind the new code and asking the United Nations to take action if these laws go into effect as planned.

“The United Nations must condemn the government of Brunei’s plans and explore additional options, including sanctions, if Brunei fails to rescind this decree,” added Kathy Spillar, executive Vice President of the FMF and the event director.

The new penal code is set to be implemented in three phases over three years. The first phase, beginning tomorrow, will include fines and prison sentences. The second phase includes corporal punishment such as amputations and flogging women who have abortions. The stoning to death of gay men and lesbians is slated for the third phase.

Brunei is an industrialized, petroleum and natural gas country in Southeast Asia. It has been a member of the United Nations since 1984. The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to conduct its Universal Periodic Review of the country this Friday. The Brunei Investment Agency owns the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Bel-Air Hotel, and other Dorchester Collection Properties. The Agency is managed by the Brunei Ministry of Finance which is controlled by the Sultan.

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Feminist Majority Foundation Applauds Release of First Report from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault

Feminist Majority Foundation today celebrates the release of the first report from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.

“The release of this report is an important step in fighting the scourge of sexual assault on college campuses,” said Eleanor Smeal, President of Feminist Majority Foundation. “We are thrilled that the White House is developing concrete actions and guidelines to support survivors and assist universities in preventing sexual assault. No student should have to face sexual violence while at school. Neither should they be abandoned by school officials they trust to protect them.”

The report, titled “Not Alone: The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault,” details steps the Task Force will take to prevent sexual assault and support survivors on college campuses, using recommendations it gathered from a wide variety of people during a 90-day review period. Among other steps, the Task Force will pilot and evaluate sexual assault prevention strategies on campuses, provide specialized training for school officials, and make federal enforcement efforts more transparent and clear with the launch of a new website: www.NotAlone.gov.

In January, President Obama created the Task Force and released an initial report that found 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted in college, but only 12 percent of student victims report the assault. In addition, dozens of schools have recently been placed under federal investigation for mishandling sexual assault cases on campus.

The Feminist Majority Foundation, through its network of hundreds of college campuses nationwide, has launched its Campaign to End Campus Sexual Violence to pressure universities and colleges to do more to reduce sexual assault on campus. The Feminist Majority Foundation is participating in several coalitions on many campuses and providing training for student activists to combat this issue.

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Fetal Homicide Bill Passes Florida Legislature, Moves to Governor’s Desk

The Florida Senate voted 25-14 last week to pass a bill making it a separate crime to kill or harm a fetus while committing a crime against a pregnant woman.

Under current Florida law, a person can already be charged with manslaughter or murder if he or she kills a viable fetus. But this new bill, HB 59, expands the penalties to include causing injury or death to a fetus at any stage of development, starting with conception.

At least 38 states have enacted some type of fetal homicide law, and 23 of those laws apply to the earliest stages of development. Supporters of these laws usually promote them as a way to curb violence against pregnant women. The Florida bill was reportedly a response to a woman who lost her pregnancy after a boyfriend tricked her into taking an abortion pill; the now ex-boyfriend was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug-tampering. But, fetal homicide laws, by creating independent rights for fetuses separate from pregnant women, have proved to be a dangerous proposition.

States have used fetal homicide laws, like the one is Florida, to criminalize pregnant women or poor pregnancy outcomes. National Advocates for Pregnant Women has asserted that since 2005, there have been more than 200 arrests of women based on arguments that purport to treat fetuses separate from pregnant women. Consider Bei Bei Shuai, who in 2012 was charged with fetal murder after Shuai, who was 33 weeks pregnant, attempted suicide. More recently, Alicia Beltran was arrested after after she sought early prenatal care and told health care workers about her prior use of painkillers and her attempts to stop using on her own. Instead of receiving support, a court ordered Beltran to be detained at an inpatient drug treatment program two hours from her home. Despite her loss of liberty, Beltran did not have an attorney at her initial court appearance; but her fetus did.

Florida Governor Rick Scott is expected to sign HB 59.

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On 1st Anniversary of Rana Plaza Collapse, Need for More Change

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh that caused the deaths and injuries of thousands of people.

The poorly built nine-story building that collapsed last April near the capital of Dhaka housed five garment factories and a shopping center. Although a crack in the building had been detected the morning of the collapse and the factory owners were warned, they kept the building open for business anyway. In total, around 1,130 people died and several thousand more were severely injured, many of whom were young women. Women make up 80 percent of the garment workforce in Bangladesh.

One year later, there has been some progress. The factory owners face murder charges for negligence and the 2,400 survivors and victim’s families began receiving around $700 for compensation this week. Fire and structural safety regulations have been standardized, and several Western retailers who have their garments manufactured in Bangladesh have pledged to promote and adhere to stricter safety standards.

However, more must be done to improve conditions for the workers. Workers protesting for higher wages, safer conditions, and better treatment, are often met with violence, and the government has had difficulty adhering to new safety regulations. More Western retailers must also step up and commit to better working conditions and regulations.

“In our view, the collective industry response to the Rana Plaza collapse has taken too long and various necessary steps have yet to be taken,” said Bob Chant, senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Loblaw, the owner of a popular Canadian retail line that has donated to a fund for victims.

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Cuba Faces Condom Shortage

A current condom shortage in Cuba is stirring fears of higher STD rates and unplanned pregnancies.

Pharmacies in Cuba’s central province of Villa Clara began running out of condoms in March, and the suburbs of Havana are now affected as well. The city of Santa Clara, which has one of the highest HIV rates in Cuba, has been hit the hardest.

“In the great majority of pharmacies in the municipality of Playa, there’s a shortage,” wrote Polina Martinez Shvietsova in the initial report on the shortage in the Havana area. “In the municipality of Plaza, in the pharmacy at 23rd and 24th Streets, the salespeople said, ‘We have none, and we don’t know when they will arrive.'”

The state-run wholesaler Ensume, which obtains and supplies government-subsidized condoms in Cuba, says it has a million condoms in its warehouses. But under a state regulatory ruling regarding an imported shipment of condoms with incorrect expiration dates, Ensume must relabel all of them. As a result of the slow repackaging process, Ensume can only provide around 1,500 condoms per day – far below the need for all the country. (In only the province of Villa Clara, there is a need for 5,000 condoms daily.)

The repackaging raises questions about the safety of the condoms once they go on sale. With the new expiration dates, it will be unclear how old the condoms actually are, and latex degrades over time – potentially putting users at risk of using expired condoms which could tear or break. In addition, the price of one condom has now risen from just a few cents to $1.30 – a typical Cuban worker’s daily wages.

The government-run sex education center, Cenesex, has ordered that any available supplies be given to people who are known to be HIV-positive and allocated to the areas with high HIV rates. Cuba currently has a strong HIV-prevention program, with only around 0.1 percent of the population testing HIV-positive. Cuba’s HIV/AIDS prevention program relies heavily on educational programs, of which safe sex is a central topic – potentially putting its success at risk with a lowering supply of condoms.

Kenya also faced a severe condom stockout last November. Condom shortages may be the result of inadequate funding or health programs that are fully or partially restricted by an abstinence-only focus – such as the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). When countries find themselves short-stocked on contraceptives, women suffer. An estimated 222 million women around the world wish to either delay or prevent pregnancy but lack access to contraceptives, putting them at risk for injury, illness or death due to pregnancy, childbirth, or unsafe abortions. Further, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age.

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Join Us At the Global Women’s Rights Awards!

We’d love for you to join us at the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Ninth Annual Global Women’s Rights Awards gala dinner and reception on the evening of Monday, May 5, 2014 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. But time is running out!

We only have two weeks until the event. Get your tickets now!

Global Women's Rights Awards

The Awards honor a select few individuals who have contributed significantly – often against great odds and at great personal risk – to advance the rights of women and girls and to increase awareness of the injustices women face on account of their gender.

The 2014 Award Recipients include:

  • Philomena Lee and Jane Libberton, founders of The Philomena Project. Their story was recently told in the powerful Oscar-nominated film Philomena.
  • Rosario Dawson, actor, activist, and founder and chairwoman of Voto Latino, an organization empowering young Latinas and Latinos to claim a better future through voting.
  • Barbara Blaine and David Clohessy, founders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a group doing extraordinary work to hold the Catholic hierarchy responsible for covering up priests’ rape and sexual abuse of children.

GWRA Honorees

You can purchase tickets and become an event sponsor by visiting our website.  You can also download a copy of the invitation. Don’t wait! Seats are limited. Reserve your space now – and tweet about the event using #GWRA2014!

US Ranks 16th in 2014 Social Progress Index

The Social Progress Imperative recently released its 2014 Social Progress Index, ranking the United States in 16th place among 132 countries.

Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, a Republican who led the report team, told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that he was surprised by the ranking. “I think this was not the picture of America that I think many of us Americans have,” said Porter.

The United States ranked particularly low in health and wellness, coming in at 70th place, and ecosystem sustainability, 69th place. In the category of access to basic knowledge, the US ranked 39th, although it ranked 1st in access to advanced education, perhaps showing a relative lack of access to primary and secondary education among vulnerable populations.

In terms of access to information and communication, the US ranked surprisingly low at 23rd place, coming in 83rd on mobile telephone subscriptions, 21st on freedom of the press, and 17th on internet use. “At some level in America, we have incredible access to information and communication,” said Porter, “but if you look at objective measures of whether that’s penetrated very broadly throughout our population and to, really, all of our citizens, that’s where we start to come up short.”

The index evaluated 132 countries on 54 social and environmental indicators, taking into account basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity. It defines social progress as “the capacity of a society to meet the basic human needs of its citizens, establish the building blocks that allow citizens and communities to enhance and sustain the quality of their lives, and create the conditions for all individuals to reach their full potential” [PDF].

Using this framework, the three top-performing countries on social progress are New Zealand, Switzerland, and Iceland. The rest of the top ten include several Northern European nations, Canada and Australia. The United States falls into the second tier of countries, in company with Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France. Yemen and Chad fell in the fifth and lowest-performing tier.

The index demonstrates that economic development alone is not sufficient to explain social progress outcomes. While the index shows a positive correlation with economic performance, there are other factors in play.

“A society which fails to address basic human needs, equip citizens to improve their quality of life, erodes the environment, and limits opportunity for its citizens is not succeeding. Economic growth without social progress results in lack of inclusion, discontent, and social unrest,” the report states.

Its authors aims to create a more holistic framework for measuring national performance that can be used by leaders, and they envision a “world in which social progress sits alongside economic prosperity as the twin scorecards of success.”

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I Loved My Feminist Majority Foundation Internship – Here’s Why

If today, sitting at your computer, you decided to Google the phrase “why I love my internship,” you would get around one hundred and twenty-four million results.

If you were to read some of the most popular articles, you’d find reasoning along the lines of “I love my internship because it gave me real-world experience,” or “it helped me decide what career I want to go into,” or “it looked really good on my resume.” You’d hear such buzz phrases as “taken seriously,” “real work,” and “exciting schedule.”

It’s true when I say that my internship with the Feminist Majority Foundation provided all these things and more. But I’m happy to say that my internship really wasn’t your typical experience.

The first reason has to do with the movement itself. Within women’s rights there are many niches of organizations and smaller movements working towards other things. The term ‘women’s rights’ is simply an umbrella, and under it are so many other issues (reproductive rights, gender based violence, human trafficking, etcetera) that are being worked on. And yet all the organizations and all the people involved in all the issues that qualify as ‘women’s rights issues’ tend to stick together. We hold events together. We have meetings with each other. We attend rallies together. It’s a great way to find solidarity and thus people to create lasting connections with (can you say Sunday brunch?), not to mention the unparalleled organizational advantage it lends us as a movement.

So I say that not only did my internship give me a network, but a family. I’ve met countless women at meetings that have not only reached out to me as coworkers, but mentors. I’ve had coffee with them, I’ve had lunch with them, and I’ve developed valuable friendships with them. Even the feminist politicians and public figures I’ve met have been as warm and welcoming as the staff members, encouraging me to visit when I’m nearby and keep in touch.

That’s not just business.

My internship supervisors have also been more understanding and personable than I could ever ask for. When I was undergoing housing difficulties during my first few months, FMF senior staff sat down with my supervisor and spent hours making phone calls to find me a new place.

That’s not just business.

When I went home to visit and address a family situation, my supervisor sent me e-mails about what I’d missed (“and I wish you could have been there!”) and encouraged me to reach out if I needed any help at all.

That’s not just business.

In the women’s right’s movement, ‘solidarity’ is a word we value, and it’s a word that’s been proven true in my time here. Coming to DC was a big, scary step for me, and I wasn’t sure how it would go. I was able to take a semester off without conflict because I began college early, but that came with the fact that I’m eighteen years old in a city full of older interns, and I didn’t know how that would play out either. I don’t have big city experience, and I was nervous – to say the least. But in this internship and in finding my feminist family, I’ve been able to find myself. Outside of a school setting, I think people grow into themselves, but here, I truly believe I’ve been able to grow into my best self possible.

I cannot express fully in words how happy I am to have chosen Feminist Majority Foundation, and how happy I am that they chose me.

Supreme Court of India Recognizes Transgender Rights

India’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that official documents must allow transgender people to identify as a third gender and directed the federal and state governments to include transgender people, known as hijras, in welfare programs such as education, health care, and job programs.

“All documents will now have a third category marked ‘transgender,'” said Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a transgender activist who petitioned the court. “This verdict has come as a great relief for all of us. Today I am proud to be an Indian.”

The court also ordered the government to construct separate public bathrooms and special hospital wards to focus on transgender people’s medical needs, implement public awareness campaigns to reduce the social stigma faced by the estimated 3 million transgender Indians, and give transgender people the right to adopt children, among other changes.

The “recognition of transgender people as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue,” said Supreme Court Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan. “Transgenders are citizens of this country and are entitled to education and all other rights.”

While this is a victory for transgender rights, the Supreme Court of India took a step backward last December by reinstating a colonial-era law banning gay sex.

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Female Afghan Parliamentarian Injured in Shooting Attack

Maryam Koofi, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament, was wounded in a shooting yesterday. The assailant shot her twice in her leg as she was leaving her office last night.

Maryam’s sister, Fawzia Koofi, claims it was an act of political intimidation by those who oppose the rights women have gained over the past few years, but the government claims the assailant was a police officer in a dispute with Maryam. “I don’t know who was behind this attack–but I know that it was political,” said Fawzia, who is also a member of Parliament and a women’s rights activist. She survived a similar shooting attack in 2010.

The departure of most foreign troops in coming months has women’s rights and human rights activists concerned about the possible resurgence of the Taliban and its potential impact on women. Over the last decade, with the help and support of the U.S. and the international community, Afghan women and girls have made steady progress in every sector of society. Previously stripped of all human rights and forced into a state of virtual house arrest under the Taliban, women are now 27 percent of Afghan Parliament, about 35 percent of all primary and secondary school students, and nearly 19 percent of students attending university. Over 200 women candidates ran for provincial council seats and two women ran for vice president in the recent elections, which were completed successfully with high turnout and low levels of violence.

Maryam Koofi is currently recovering in a Kabul hospital.

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Philippines Supreme Court Upholds Law Promoting Reproductive Health Access

The Philippines Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the country’s Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, also known as the RH Law, is constitutional. The law directs government health centers to provide free access to nearly all contraceptives, including to the poor, and requires reproductive health education at government-run school for children and young adults age 10-19. The law also provides for post-abortion care.

The Court’s ruling, however, was not a complete victory for women’s health. The Court struck down a number of the RH Law’s provisions, meaning that now health care providers may deny reproductive health services to patients in non-emergency situations based on the providers’ personal or religious beliefs, spousal consent is required for married women seeking reproductive health care in non life-threatening situations, and minors will require parental consent.

President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the RH Law in December 2012, but Catholic groups immediately challenged it in court prompting the Supreme Court to halt its implementation while it decided the case.

“Today, conscience rights have prevailed, despite aggressive lobbying over the last decade and a half by the Catholic bishops and their powerful antichoice allies, said Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice. “Although not perfect, the RH Law begins to address some of the country’s largest health problems – including the high maternal mortality rate – that disproportionately affect low-income women.”

Opponents have 15 days to appeal the ruling.

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Millions of Afghans Vote in Historic Elections

High turnout, low levels of violence, and strong participation by women, all combined Saturday to make the closely watched Afghan presidential and provincial council elections a success.

Over 7 million Afghan men and women voted in these historic elections – representing a staggering 60% voter participation rate, close to the 62% participation rate in the US presidential election in 2008 and more than the 58% participation rate in the US in 2012. The Afghan Independent Commission (IEC) estimates that at least one-third of Afghan voters on Saturday were women.

Voters braved rain, snow, and long lines – as well as potential and real incidents of violence – in order to cast their ballots. Although the level of violence during this election was much lower than in 2009, news reports indicated several attacks on polling stations, police, and voters, and some voting centers had to close because of security concerns. In addition, the days leading up to the election saw other attacks, including the shooting of Associated Press journalists Anja Niedringhaus and Kathy Gannon. Niedringhaus was killed in the attack.

Despite the threat, however, the Taliban could not disrupt the election. In fact, turnout was so high – only about 4.5 million voted in the last election – that the IEC had to extend hours at voting centers to accommodate the crowds. “Of course the massive turnout of women voters is a big slap to all those who want to block us to contribute,” said Samira Huria, a member of the Afghan Women’s Network and one of the many women who voted in the election.

“The women of Afghanistan risked their lives to vote. They are real heroes,” said Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal. “The road, however, is still long, and we must continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Afghan women in their struggle for full equality and democracy.”

Women have played a central role in the elections. Over 200 women candidates ran for provincial council seats, the largest number of women ever to run, and two women are running for vice president – one on a major candidate’s ticket. In addition, each of the presidential candidates have had to address women’s rights in their campaigns, a testament to the importance of women to the election and to the redevelopment of Afghanistan.

Election results are not expected until late-April. If no presidential candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the country will conduct a run-off election in May.

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