Make no mistake: though headlines focus narrowly on only the abortion care provided at these clinics, the regulation of health centers means we’re losing much more than one procedure.
Leading Reproductive Rights Organizations Join Together for “31 Days of Unity”
Center for Reproductive Rights joins with reproductive rights, health, and justice organizations in August to urge Congress to take action against extreme attacks on women’s health.
Indiana Relinquishes Fight to Defund Planned Parenthood
After a legal battle that began in 2011, the state of Indiana and Planned Parenthood reached a settlement protecting Medicaid and Medicare funding for the organization.
Pro-Choice Advocates Protest Restrictive Abortion Bill in North Carolina
Abortion rights advocates in North Carolina are holding two 12-hour vigils to protest a restrictive bill that could close some abortion clinics in the state.
House Passes Bill Investigating Discharges of Military Sexual Assault Survivors
Yesterday the House passed an amendment to the 2014 defense appropriations bill that seeks to increase support of military sexual assault victims who have faced separation from the military based on alleged mental disorders.
Senate Passes Student Loan Reform Bill
On Wednesday, the Senate passed legislation to lower interest rates on student loans 81-18. If the bill is passed in the House, it will reach President Obama, who has expressed his support of the legislation and urged Congress to also tackle the rising cost of tuition and the existing $1 trillion in student debt.
New All-Women Jirga in Pakistan Takes Steps Toward Equality
In Pakistan, the rights of fundamentalists surpass the rights of women.
USC Under Investigation for Mishandling Sexual Assault Cases
The United States Department of Education (DOE) has opened an investigation into the mishandling of sexual assault cases by the University of Southern California (USC) and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the schools under Title IX, a law that bans discrimination on the basis of gender, and the Clery Act, which requires cases of sexual assault to be reported to the DOE.
Hobby Lobby Win Injunction Against Birth Control Mandate
After receiving a temporary injunction from US District Judge Joe Heaton last week, Hobby Lobby will now be exempted from the Affordable Care Act stipulation that requires employer-based insurance plans to cover various birth control methods at no extra cost to employees until October 1, 2013.
Review of “Stand Your Ground” Laws Receives Bipartisan Support
Leaders of both political parties have spoken up in favor of reforms to the “Stand Your Ground” laws that have been associated with the high profile case of the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.
Gillibrand Gains New Bi-Partisan Support in Fight Against Military Sexual Assault
Today conservative Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY) will officially announce their support for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s provision of the National Defense Reauthorization Act that would remove cases of military sexual assault from the chain of command.
Northern Virginia Clinic Forced to Close
NOVA Women’s Healthcare, an abortion provider that is repudiated to be the busiest clinic in Virginia, has closed its facility in Fairfax as a result of new city regulations combined with impending new Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers (TRAP laws). NOVA was one of the main abortion clinics in the Northern Virginia area, and a main provider of low-cost cancer-screenings, birth control options, and other women’s health services.
Women Are The Driving, and Oft Forgotten, Force Behind the Western Sahara’s Movement for Independence
If there is any coverage in regards to Western Sahara’s struggle for independence, women are, more often than not, left out of the conversation – yet it is women in Western Sahara who are leading and playing a large role in the movement.
Texas Passes Anti-Abortion Law, Confiscates Tampons
The Texas state Senate passed an anti-abortion law that threatens to close all but five clinics in the state and has garnered national attention in a vote of 19 to 11 on Friday.
Catholic Health Association Agrees with Birth Control Coverage Provision
The Catholic Health Association announced that it no longer disagrees with Obama Administration’s Contraception Solution, a plan that will allow employees to receive free birth control coverage.
Happy Malala Day!
Girls Learn International, a project of the Feminist Majority Foundation, has been working to aid in Malala’s effort for broader education around the globe for 10 years – and today they’re honoring Malala as part of their 10th anniversary celebration, 30 Days of Sheroes.
NC Legislature Passes Another “Sneak Attack” Anti-Abortion Bill
Conservative North Carolina representatives have passed a “sneak attack” bill that combines an unrelated House bill on motorcycle safety with anti-abortion provisions. These provisions mirror the amendment added to an anti-Sharia bill that was passed in the Senate.
Unlawful Single-Sex Education Case Settled in WV Court
A settlement reached this week between the ACLU of West Virginia and the Wood County Board of Education will result in the abandonment of single-sex education attempts for the next two years in the West Virginia school district.
DOMA Speaks, States React: The Marriage Equality Movement Goes to Pennsylvania and Beyond
Different states have had different reactions to the recent SCOTUS decision. Some state policies remain relatively similar to what they were before the decision and some states are taking action to pass same-sex marriage laws. Here’s the latest on the new frontier of marriage equality: a state-by-state strategy to legalize gay partnerships.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Abortion Law in Wisconsin
A federal judge temporarily blocked the portion of a new Wisconsin abortion law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. U.S. District Judge Conley delayed the law for 10 days, until after another hearing on July 17th.