Migration Category: Feminist Newswire

Stories from the Feminist News Wire.

House of Representatives Passes Devastating Budget Blueprint

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Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint that would cut taxes for the wealthy, add as much as $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit, and cuts over a trillion dollars from Medicaid and Medicare.

The budget bill also defunds Planned Parenthood and cuts $154 billion out of the nutrition assistance program SNAP, taking access to food away from nearly 7 million households. “Did you really come to Congress to take food out of the mouths of hungry children?” remarked Rep. Jan Schakowsky on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“The House Republicans are using this budget as a vehicle to offer massive giveaways to wealthy special interests, paid for on the backs of everyday Americans,” said a statement from Rep. Barbara Lee, member of the House Budget Committee. “Make no mistake: this ‘Trojan horse’ budget benefits millionaires and billionaires, while making heartless cuts to food stamps, deny healthcare to millions and ending Medicare and Medicaid as we know it.”

According to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, 80 percent of the budget’s tax cuts would go to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. Those households, which make more than $900,000 a year, would see their taxes drop by more than $200,000 on average. Meanwhile 30% of households making between $50,000 and $150,000 a year would see a tax increase, as would the majority of households making between $150,000 and $300,000 a year.

Republicans’ claim that the tax cuts for the wealthy will lead to increased economic development, and thus offset the increase to the deficit, but many economists strongly disagree, saying evidence of that is slim.

After failing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Republicans see overhauling the tax code as their last chance to pass a bill that would appease their wealthy donors.

“If you do the same thing you did on healthcare and try to do it yourselves, I think you will meet the same fate that the healthcare bill did,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). He told Republicans that Democrats will not support any bill that cuts taxes for the wealthy or adds to the federal deficit without giving benefits to the middle class. Because the blueprint is considered a budget reconciliation bill, it will only require 51 votes in the Senate as opposed to the standard 60.

Many Democratic lawmakers are pointing out that the budget’s cuts to Medicaid and Medicare would be even more devastating than the plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Media Resources: Washington Post 10/5/17; Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee 10/5/17; Office of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky 10/5/17.

White Supremacists Hold Another Hate Filled Rally in Charlottesville, VA

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On Saturday, white supremacist leader Richard Spencer held another torch lit rally in Charlottesville, Virginia where neo-Nazis and white supremacists held the “Unite the Right” rally that turned deadly in August.

Approximately 40-50 white supremacists gathered in Emancipation Park at the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee marching with torches and chanting “You will not replace us.” Many of the attendees, like at the previous rally in August, are not residents of Charlottesville, and vowed to continue returning.

Mike Signer, mayor of Charlottesville, tweeted on Saturday during the rally “Another despicable visit by neo-Nazi cowards. You’re not welcome here!”

Spencer is the head of the National Policy Institute, an organization and think-tank classified as a white supremacist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Spencer is expected to speak at the University of Florida later this month, an event that has caused concern and upset from the student body.

On August 11, white supremacists marched onto the campus of the University of Virginia holding torches and chanting slogans like, “You will not replace us,” while circling peaceful counter-protesters.

On Saturday, August 12, white supremacists gathered at Emancipation Park chanting “White lives matter.” Thousands of armed white supremacists began clashing with counter-protesters hours before the rally was scheduled to being. The rally turned deadly when James Alex Fields Jr., a member of the so-called “alt-right” drove his car into a crowd of peaceful counter protesters in downtown Charlottesville. He injured 19 people and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Fields was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and failing to stop at an accident resulting in death.

In response to the August white supremacist rally, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was forced to declare a state of emergency and call in the national guard, saying “Please go home and never come back. Take your hatred, and take your bigotry.” Leaders of the alt-right and Klu Klux Klan were in attendance in August.

While the majority of Americans were deeply disturbed by the August events in Charlottesville, President Trump‘s response was widely seen as siding with the white supremacists against the counter protesters, and exacerbating the already deep racial tension in America. Trump originally placed the blame for the violence “on many sides” and argued that he was not responsible for the rise in actions by racist hate groups. But three days after the riot, the President changed course and began vilifying the counter-protesters, referring to the anti-white supremacists as, “a group that came charging in without a permit, and they were very very violent.” He went on to say that there were “very fine people” on the side of the white nationalists. His comments were praised by a number of prominent white supremacists including former leader of the Klu Klux Klan David Duke, who thanked the President for his “honesty and courage.”

Media Resources: CNN 10/8/17; The Washington Post 10/8/17, 10/9/17; Feminist Newswire 8/14/17

Over a Dozen Women Allege Sexual Harassment or Assault by Harvey Weinstein

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Over a dozen women have come forward accusing Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, and multiple women have alleged they were also sexually assaulted by the media mogul. Since the story of Weinstein’s decades long record of sexual harassment was brought to light by the New York Times last week, Weinstein has been fired from the company that bears his name, and four members of his all-male board have resigned.

Like many other alleged abusers of women in powerful positions, Weinstein used nondisclosure agreements, financial payoffs, a powerful legal team, and the threat of ruined careers to keep women quiet. While many women chose to remain silent, Weinstein’s misconduct was apparently an open secret to everyone in the industry.

From aspiring actresses and models to employees of his company, many young women found themselves allegedly targeted by Weinstein. His alleged pattern of coercion was similar in many of the stories these women tell. They report that he would arrange for meetings in his hotel room, and then either present himself half dressed, turn on the shower, or forcefully push for them to give him a massage. What happens after varies from woman to woman, but almost all describe feeling terrified and humiliated.

Many advocates for women are hoping that these public revelations about Weinstein are the latest advancement in the movement to expose the rampant sexual harassment, and at times assault, that women are exposed to in nearly every professional sector. Too often, men with money, power and influence are able to intimidate or threaten women into silence.

When tapes were released of then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, more than a dozen women came forward to accuse the now United States President of sexual misconduct. He responded by publicly denigrating them and threatening crippling lawsuits. And comedian Bill Cosby allegedly sexually assaulted dozens of women with impunity for over three decades through a culture of silence enabled by his celebrity status and access to power.

Weinstein’s firing follows a year that saw a wave of powerful men in media lose their jobs over accusations of rampant sexual harassment. Fox News saw the forced-resignation of Roger Ailes after former news anchor Gretchen Carlson found a way around Fox’s secret arbitration clause, and publicly exposed Ailes as an accused serial sexual harasser and abuser. Many of Fox’s contracts contain fine print that forfeit an employee’s right to have a legal dispute with the company settled in court, instead forcing them into private proceeding that typically result in significantly lower payouts and keep sexual harassment allegations secret.

Nine months later, Fox News superstar Bill O’Reilly was forced out after widespread national condemnation over sexual harassment allegations led to more than 70 companies pulling their advertisements from The O’Reilly Factor. O’Reilly has reached settlements with five of his victims totaling $13 million, though many more women have come forward to allege sexual harassment. Soon after that, Fox News co-president Bill Shine resigned amid accusations that he knowingly covered up sexual harassment allegations, enabling a corporate culture that became notorious for allegedly demeaning and abusing female employees.

The Weinstein Company will likely require a cultural overhaul in order to root out what appears to have been a systemic epidemic of abusing women by its top executive. Like 21st Century Fox, consistent sexual harassment allegations put the company in a complex legal situation. Without major changes, the company will have a difficult time arguing that they are complying with Title VII and doing everything possible to create a non-hostile work environment for women, opening them up to serious legal liability.

25 percent of American women report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace.

Media Resources: New York Times 10/5/17; The New Yorker 10/10/17; Huffington Post 12/6/16; Feminist Majority Foundation 10/26/16, 4/21/17, 5/2/17

Female Governor in Afghanistan Removed From Office

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Masooma Muradi, the former Governor of Daikundi, Afghanistan, has been removed from office after receiving continued opposition due to her gender. Muradi was the only female Governor in Afghanistan, and her position has now been filled by a man.

Appointed by President Ghani as Governor in 2015, Muradi is not the first woman in Afghanistan to lose her job due to objections to having a woman in a leadership position. Sima Joinda, the former Governor of the province of Ghor, Afghanistan was also removed from her position less than one year after she was appointed after becoming the target of numerous protests. She is now the Deputy Governor of Kabul.

Muradi and Joinda are among very few women who have occupied government positions within Afghanistan. Muradi reported that throughout her time as Governor, she received criticism from numerous religious conservatives. She stated, “People claim to be open-minded, but many cannot bear having a woman in this position.” In response to opposition, Muradi stated, “I won’t allow men to hush me up – society is not used to that from a woman.”

Dr. Habiba Surabi became the first female Governor within Afghanistan in 2005. As Governor of Bamyan province for 8 years, Surabi focused on promoting women’s rights. In addition, Surabi was recognized for her contributions relating to environmentalism and tourism. She was chosen to receive the Ramon Magaysay Award for her successful actions as governor.

There have been many attempts to increase the representation of women in leadership roles, however this has been an issue of great controversy. With men holding the majority of government positions, the impact of gender discrimination on the removal of female Governors is publicly minimized. Regarding the removal of Muradi from office, a government representative stated, “We are thankful for all her efforts. This is not any kind of prejudice against women.”

Despite this setback, a 2016 survey of the Afghan people showed that 74 percent of Afghans believe women should work outside the home, a record high. In addition, a large majority of Afghans (80.7 percent) agree that women should have equal opportunities to men. When women were asked to name the greatest challenge they face, 36.1 percent voiced concern over illiteracy and access to education.

 

Media Sources: The Indian Express 8/1/16, 9/30/17, The Independent 9/28/17, Afghan Bios, Feminist Newswire 1/10/17

Arrests in Egypt After Display of LGBT+ Pride Flag

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During a concert in Cairo on September 22, audience members waved an LGBT+ pride flag sparking an immediate response from the Egyptian government.

At least 32 men and one woman have been arrested since this event. Those who are currently being detained have been charged with “joining a group formed in contrary to the law,” and in some cases, there is an additional charge of “promoting sexual deviancy and debauchery.”

While homosexuality is not criminalized in Egypt, discrimination towards LGBT+ people is common. LGBT+ people often face violence and homophobia. According to Najia Bounaim of Amnesty International, “This is the worst crackdown against people based on their perceived sexual orientation since the mass arrests of 52 people following a raid on the Queen Boat in 2001.”

People suspected to be LGBT+ are often targeted through social media content and dating apps. The Human Rights Watch reports that hundreds of people have been imprisoned due to their perceived sexual orientation and sexual conduct since 2014.

Mashrou’ Leila, the band that performed in Cairo, has been banned from performing in Egypt in the future. Mashrou’ Leila has released a statement showing their support for the people of Egypt and denouncing human rights violations. The band stated, “It is sickening to think that all this hysteria has been generated over a couple of kids raising a piece of cloth that stands for love.”

Media Sources: Huffington Post 10/2/17, Amnesty International 10/2/17, Human Rights Watch 10/3/17, Al-Bab 10/3/17

Puerto Rico in Crisis More Than Two Weeks After Hurricane

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Since Category 4 Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20, the island has been desperately working to rebuild. Almost 20 days after the initial storm, only 12 percent of the island has access to electricity, and many people are without consistent access to basic necessities including water and medication. The availability of medical services is limited, and the death toll has risen as a result of hospital closures.

140 mile per hour winds and massive flooding caused devastation to structures that were not designed to withstand such conditions, leaving thousands without shelter. The widespread loss of electrical power and destruction of telecommunications infrastructure means that communication between families and officials remains difficult. Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was already experiencing strains, and the effects of the hurricane have exacerbated its condition.

A territory of the United States, Puerto Rico is home to nearly 3.4 million American citizens. According to reports from hospitals in Puerto Rico, the number of hurricane related deaths is significantly higher than was initially reported. Omaya Sosa Pascual, a reporter in San Juan stated, “The dead can’t be documented because of all the logistics and legal aspects of declaring someone dead.” As a result, the exact number of fatalities is unclear.

There has been disapproval regarding the President’s response to the hurricane, as relief efforts have been considerably slower than the recent efforts in Texas and Florida. Commenting on the frail infrastructure on the island, President Trump has expressed considerable criticism of government officials in Puerto Rico and consistently mentioned the island’s $70 billion debt.

The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, has been a subject of the President’s criticism after she went on a national media campaign to beg for additional resources and reinforcements. Her response was a plea for the United States government to increase their relief efforts. She stated, “I have no time for distractions. All I have is time for people to move forward. This isn’t about me, this isn’t about anyone. This is about lives that are being lost.”

Economists are now saying that it could take Puerto Rico 12 to 13 years to recover from the mass devastation. The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday asking for $4.6 billion in aid to help the island get back on its feet.

 

Media Sources: Vox 10/3/17, CNN 9/26/17, The Guardian 10/1/17, Washington Post 9/30/17; CNBC 10/9/17

The Growing Movement for Indigenous Peoples Day

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Today is a day of remembrance referred to by two different names that are fundamentally paradoxical in nature—the widely recognized national holiday that is Columbus Day and the growing movement to reclaim it as Indigenous Peoples Day.

In October of 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas, marking the beginning of over 500 years of subjugation and genocide of indigenous people that many argue continues to this day. Five centuries after Columbus set foot in North America, the United States is experiencing a growing movement aimed at re-framing the way history is taught and understood by lifting up the voices, experiences and contributions of historically marginalized and oppressed people.

Indigenous Peoples Day serves to correct the rhetoric that Columbus “discovered” the continent and end the celebration of men who raped, murdered and enslaved countless indigenous people. Instead, the holiday serves to recognize the customs, traditions and resilience of the Native people who have lived in the Americas for thousands of years.

In this light, a number of states and cities have moved to re-brand the day of tribute. South Dakota has been celebrating Columbus Day as Native American Day since 1990. Hawaii has always referred to the day as Discoverers’ Days in honor of the people who came to the islands from Polynesia. This year, 23 new localities will be observing Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time.

The conversation over re-framing American history extends beyond Christopher Columbus to other historical figures who represent Euro-white supremacy and the American slave trade. In August, thousands of white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia to protest the local City Council’s decision to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from a town park, a decision that many states and localities have taken action on since then.

Today, Native Americans continue to be denied sovereignty over the land they were forced on to. For over half a year, thousands of Water Protectors representing over 280 Tribes protested the construction of the 1,200 mile, $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, arguing that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was not properly consulted on the project, which passes through their treaty lands, sacred sites and burial grounds. A spill could contaminate the Tribe’s water supply, a reason the pipeline’s path was moved from the capital of Bismarck to its current route.

In January, President Trump signed an executive action to advance the construction of both the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, and in February, Water Protectors were forced off the land by law enforcement so the project could move forward. According to his financial disclosure forms, Trump owned stock in Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the company that built the Dakota Access pipeline, through at least mid-2016, and the company’s chief executive, Kelcy Warren, donated $100,000 to his campaign.

Since June 1, the pipeline has carried nearly 470,000 barrels of oil a day under the Missouri River, half a mile upstream from the Tribe’s water supply. The Army Corps of Engineering is conducting an additional environmental study of the project after a federal judge ruled that they had not completed a thorough enough assessment of how an oil leak could disproportionately impact the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. That judge is currently considering whether or not to halt use of the pipeline until the Army Corps assessment is completed in April 2018.

Media Resources: The Independent 10/9/17; US News and World Report 10/6/17; Feminist Majority Foundation 2/24/17, 8/14/17.

ACLU Sues FDA Over Mifepristone Restrictions

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A Hawaiian doctor, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, has launched a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for placing unnecessary restrictions on Mifepristone, also known as Mifeprex, a pill used for medical abortions.

The lawsuit filed in a US District Court against the FDA was announced by the ACLU on Tuesday. The lawsuit concerns the FDA’s restrictions or REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) placed on Mifepristone  which requires the drug to be dispensed at specific facilities, like a clinic, and not at a regular pharmacy. Dr. Graham Chelius, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, argues that these restrictions prevent his patients who live in rural parts of the Hawaiian island of Kauai from accessing the drug.

According to Chelius, since his practice isn’t able to stock Mifepristone, patients who are seeking a medical abortion are forced to travel to another island to obtain the procedure. This dramatically increases the cost for patients and delays the procedure.

The ACLU is arguing that the purpose of FDA REMS is to “ensure that a drug’s benefits outweigh its risks” but since Mifepristone is proven to be safe and effective, the REMS are entirely unnecessary. The FDA restrictions also put “undue burden” on those seeking a safe and legal abortion, making them unconstitutional.

Mifepristone is an anti-hormone drug that, when used in combination with misoprostol, can be used to terminate pregnancies prior to 10 weeks. The drug can also be used to treat several other gynecological and obstetrical conditions such as endometriosis, breast and ovarian cancers, and fibroid tumors. The FDA approved Mifepristone for early pregnancy termination in 2000. The drug, however, can only be obtained through the manufacturer and dispensed at a doctor’s office or clinic.

Mifepristone has been increasingly used as a private and convenient way for those seeking an abortion to terminate a pregnancy prior to 10 weeks gestation in their own home. The Feminist Majority Foundation has fought for wider availability for several decades and took part in the “Mifepristone Compassionate Use” program to ensure access to Mifepristone for women suffering with any number of debilitating and painful illnesses.

Media Resources: Feminist.org; Feminist Newswire 9/28/15, 3/31/16; Rewire 10/3/17; Mother Jones 10/3/17; Chicago Tribute 10/4/17

Thousands of Wisconsin Voters Blocked by Voter ID Laws in 2016 Election

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A recent study shows that as many as 23,000 eligible voters in Wisconsin were discouraged from casting a ballot in the 2016 presidential election due to the state’s voter ID laws.

The study surveyed registered nonvoting Wisconsinites to determine the reason why they did not vote. According to the report, between 17,000 and 23,000 registered voters were discouraged from voting because of the state’s ID laws and between 9,000 and 14,000, or 6% of people, did not vote because they did not think they had acceptable ID.

The study also found that 27.5% of African Americans were discouraged compared to only 8.3% of white registered voters. Similarly, 21.1% of low income registered voters were deterred by voter ID laws, compared to only 2.7% of high income registered voters.

The findings of the study have made it clear that the voter ID law in Wisconsin does very little to prevent voter fraud. Instead, the law successfully deters or even fully blocks registered voters from casting a ballot due to the confusion about what type of identification the voter would need to provide at their voting location.

Voter ID laws have a history of blocking racial minorities and low-income people from voting. Earlier this summer, a revised Texas voter ID law was struck down by a U.S. District judge on the basis that the law was discriminatory against African American and Latino voters. The law, SB 5, was a revised version of SB 14, which was struck down in 2014 due to the “impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose [in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.]” Texas has some of the strictest voter ID laws in the country.

Media: The New York Times 9/25/17; Huffington Post 9/26/17; Feminist Newswire 8/24/17;

March for Black Women Draws Attention to Intersectional Injustices

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Last weekend, two marches aiming to bring attention to racial injustices occurred in the nation’s capital–the March for Racial Justice and the March for Black Women. The two marches began at different starting points and then met at Lincoln Park before marching together to the Justice Department and the National Mall.

Organized by Farah Tanis, the executive director of Black Women’s Blueprint, the March for Black Women was organized to draw national attention to the widespread incarceration of Black women, the wage gap for women of color, and the sexual violence and murders of Black cis and transgender women. “It’s difficult getting the issues specific to Black women and girls centered within the racial-justice movement of this nation,” said Tanis. The march was sponsored by the Black Women’s Blueprint, Black Youth Project 100 and Trans Sisters of Color Project. Keynote speakers included Marissa Alexander, Gina Belafonte and Michaela angela Davis.

One of the biggest messages the March for Black Women aimed to send out was how issues that affect women, disproportionately affect black women. “50 to 60 percent of Black girls are sexually assaulted, but people have a hard time believing this even though they know historically, we have endured rape and have been forced to endure generations of rape,” said Tanis. Throughout the march, women linked arms in solidarity and chanted “Say her name” after speakers listed the names of black women who have been victims of violence.

Attendees also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Million Woman March, which gathered 500,000 black women and men at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to bring attention to the marginalization of black women.

 

Sources: Washington Post 9/28, The Root 9/28, The NYT 9/30

Feminist Majority Foundation Condemns Department of Education Over New Title IX Guidance

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This week the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) and other women’s rights advocates commandeered a hearing held by the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) in order to express grievance over the Department’s rescinding of Title IX guidance documents that served to protect victims of sexual assault on college campuses.

Because the Department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the office responsible for Title IX enforcement, refused to hold a public hearing on the matter, OPE’s hearing was the only opportunity to publicly express disappointment and outrage over the decision.

“It is proven that students who have experienced some form of sexual violence do not perform as well academically afterwards,” testified Emily Garrett, a sophomore at George Washington University and FMF intern. “This could be due to the fact that their assailant is in their class, or that they don’t feel comfortable going back to their rooms—which is often where (assaults) occurred—or even walking around campus because of the fear that they might have an encounter with their assailant. Until the lasting effects of sexual assault are brought to light among all people, especially government officials, we will continue to go nowhere.”

Hundreds of thousands of people submitted comments to the Department of Education urging them to keep the Obama-era guidances intact. Yet less than 48 hours after the comment period ended, DeVos rescinded the April 2011 Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence and the April 2014 Title IX guidance document, prioritizing the rights of those alleged to have committed sexual violence over the rights of survivors.

“Through this action, we are left wondering whether Secretary DeVos takes equal access to education for survivors seriously. For many, of course, sexual violence is deadly serious,” testified Gaylynn Burroughs, Director of Policy and Research at FMF. “By withdrawing the 2011 and 2014 guidances, this Administration has unfortunately sent the message that women’s education is disposable. They can either put up with sexual violence or get out.”

DeVos’s decision does away with the 60-day guideline for resolving investigations, basically allowing schools to draw out the process and unnecessarily delay resolution of sexual misconduct complaints. The new interim guidance allows schools to impose a clear and convincing evidence standard to grievance procedures, basically giving the alleged perpetrator, and the perpetrator only, the presumption of truth.

The interim guidance also allows schools to give the perpetrator, and only the perpetrator, the ability to appeal a finding. In addition, the Department will allow schools to mediate all Title IX disputes, including cases of sexual assault, essentially forcing victims to “work it out” their alleged perpetrator.

One in five women and one in sixteen men will be sexually assaulted while in college, and 90 percent of survivors will never report the attack.

 

Media Resources: Feminist Majority Foundation 9/22/17

House Passes 20 Week Abortion Ban

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On Tuesday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that criminalizes abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy in all 50 states. Senator Lindsey Graham, with the support of 45 other GOP Senators, has now introduced the bill in the Senate, where it will need 60 votes to pass.

If it passes the Senate and is signed into law by President Trump, any doctor who violates the 20 week abortion ban will be subject to criminal penalties in the form of a fine and up to five years in prison.

The bill allows exceptions in circumstances such as danger to the mother’s life, rape or incest, but not without adding additional obstacles. In cases of rape, a woman is only permitted to seek a post-20 week abortion if she has sought counseling and reported the assault to police. In the case of minors who are victims of incest or rape, they must go through law enforcement or social services to qualify for a post-20 week abortion.

During the debate on the House floor, Representatives cited a number of lies to back up their position in support of the bill, one of which was that only seven other nations allow for post-20 week abortions. In reality, 59 other countries allow women to access abortion after 20 weeks.

Although the bill is called the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the overwhelming majority of scientists and medical professionals say that at 20 weeks a fetus hasn’t even developed the neurological wiring necessary to feel pain, and a 2005 study suggests that fetuses don’t feel pain until the third trimester.

20 week abortion bans have already been ruled unconstitutional in federal court, as Roe v. Wade states that abortion can’t be banned until a fetus is viable outside the womb, which isn’t until after 24 weeks. But women’s rights advocates believe that anti-abortion lawmakers intend for this new bill to wind its way through the court system and potentially serve as a Constitutional challenge to Roe, thanks to a Supreme Court that right-wing politicians intend to stack with anti-abortion justices, such as Neil Gorsuch.

The overwhelming majority of abortions take place prior to the 20 week mark, and those who seek out abortion later in pregnancy often do so for very complicated and personal reasons, including severe fetal anomalies, most of which can’t be detected prior to the 20 week mark.

24 states have restrictions on later term abortions with 17 states banning abortion after 20-weeks. A poll recently released by the Center for Reproductive Rights found that 61 percent of adults in the United States support the federal government passing legislation to protect women’s access to abortion and prevent states from passing laws meant to restrict access. Another poll shows that 60 percent of adults support post-20 week abortion access after they were given details about why women seek one out.

Media Resources: Feminist Majority Foundation 9/27/17; The Hill 10/5/17; Bustle 9/28/17; Care2 9/28/17;

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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First commemorated in 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness month serves to raise awareness about domestic violence in the United States and bring forward the voices of survivors of intimate partner violence. This October is the 30th anniversary of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Each year, 10 million people are victims of domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will become victims of physical domestic violence in their lifetime.

Furthermore, there is a clear connection between domestic violence and gun violence. The likelihood of domestic violence turning into a homicide increases by 500% when a gun is present. 4.5 million women report having been intimidated or coerced with a gun by an intimate partner.

Domestic violence doesn’t exclusively affect heterosexual couples; according to the CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 43.8 percent of lesbians, 61.1 percent of bisexual women, and 35 percent of heterosexual women, along with 26 percent of gay men, 37.3 percent of bisexual men, and 29 percent of heterosexual men report having been a victim of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

Abusive relationships are not always physical; survivors of domestic violence often endure emotional, mental, financial, and reproductive abuse.

Break the silence, get involved, and support survivors. For more resources, click here.

Resources: Feminist Newswire 10/6/17, 10/11/17; Everytown Research 4/11/17; The Washington Post 6/15/17; NCADV

Temple University Feminists Protest Board of Trustees Chairman

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In September, the Temple University group Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) announced their campaign to try to remove the name of Patrick O’Connor, lawyer for Bill Cosby, from one of the university plazas, as well as oust him from his role as chairman of the Board of Trustees. FMLA is affiliated with the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Feminist Campus program.

O’Connor represented Bill Cosby in the 2004 civil case brought by former Temple employee Andrea Constand, who accused Cosby of sexual assault. In the case’s 2005 deposition testimony, Cosby disclosed that he had a supply of the sedative drug Quaaludes that he gave to young women with whom he wanted to have sex. Cosby went on to describe committing non-consensual acts on Constand in the testimony, saying, “I don’t hear her say anything. And I don’t feel her say anything. And so I continue and go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection. I am not stopped.”

Dedicating the new plaza to O’Connor “shows a lack of respect and disregard Temple has for survivors of sexual assault, and we find it counterproductive that this was unveiled during the newly implemented Sexual Assault Prevention Week,” read a statement from FMLA.

The FMLA plans on creating an email campaign which will allow students to send President Richard Englert messages about the ways in which they are impacted by the plaza dedication and O’Connor’s position on the Board. The email initiative is seen as a stepping stone for the larger movements that they plan to carry out on this issue. They are discussing the possibility of putting on events such as university rallies, protests, and social media campaigns. The FMLA believes that these types of events will allow for the information about this topic to become more widely spread around school.

The Public Relations Chair of the FMLA, Kayla Boone, said to the Temple student newspaper, “I think it’s important for us to really amplify the voices of survivors of sexual assault in this instance…We can’t speak over or speak for people. You can’t tell people that their experiences are not real and just made up.”

One in five women and one in sixteen men will be sexually assaulted in college, and 90 percent of survivors will never report the attack. Temple University’s decision to celebrate O’Connor comes as the Department of Education implements a roll-back on Title IX protections for sexual assault survivors on college campuses.

 

Media Resources: Temple News 9/26/17, 9/26/17; Feminist Majority Foundation 12/7/16,

Wins for Abortion Access in Indiana and Kentucky

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Last week, two laws that made it more difficult to obtain an abortion in the states of Indiana and Kentucky were struck down in a win for abortion access in the United States.

In Kentucky last week, a federal judge struck down HB 2, an anti-abortion law that requires patients seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound before the procedure. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of EMW Women’s Surgical Center, the sole remaining abortion clinic in Kentucky that has been targeted by anti-choice groups who have staged blockades to prevent patients from entering the facility.

HB 2, signed into law by Governor Matt Bevin in January of this year, also requires abortion providers to describe the image on the ultrasound and play audio of the fetus’ heartbeat in the hopes of deterring the patients from following through with the abortion procedure.

Judge David Hale of the Western District of Kentucky handed down the decision that the law violates the First Amendment and “appears to inflict psychological harm on abortion patients.”

In Indiana last week, a federal judge struck down several provisions of an anti-abortion lawn HEA 1337 that outlawed abortions in cases of severe genetic abnormalities. The same law required all fetuses be cremated or buried.

In April of 2016, shortly after then Governor Mike Pence signed the bill into law, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky began a lawsuit against the state for restricting abortion access.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt handed down the decision that stated the provisions were unconstitutional and infringed on a patient’s due process rights and that there is no legal basis to have such strict restrictions on disposal of the fetus. In her decision Pratt stated that a “woman’s right to choose an abortion that is protected, which, of course, leaves no room for the State to examine, let alone prohibit, the basis or bases upon which a woman makes her choice.”

Media Resources: CNN 9/28/17; USA Today 9/28/17; The Washington Post 9/28/17; CBS 9/25/17; The Washington Post 9/25/17;

US Marine Corps Adds First Female Infantry Officer to Ranks

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Last week, a women lieutenant became the first woman to complete the Infantry Officer Course for the United States Marine Corps.

In the past, 36 women have attempted to complete the Infantry Officer Course but due to its difficulty and rigorous physical demands, none have been able to complete the course until now. IOC is a thirteen week course with approximately a 25% wash out rate, with 10% dropping out on the first day.

The lieutenant has requested that her name not be released to the public, but her achievement is a milestone for all women in military service. She will be assigned to the 1st Marine Division in California.

The ban on women in combat was not lifted until 2013 and women were not fully integrated into all military combat roles until 2016. Only about 15% of people serving in the U.S. military are women.

The US Marine Corps, which publicly opposed opening all combat roles to women, has recently launched new efforts to recruit more women, including social media campaigns and advertisements that showcase women soldiers.

The US military has been subject to scrutiny over its treatment of women soldiers, specifically around the issues of rampant sexual assault and harassment toward women. A recent anonymous military survey reported that 14,900 service members in the US military have experienced some form of sexual assault from 2014 to 2016. Earlier this year, the Marine Corps was the subject of a Pentagon investigation over the leaking of nude photos of women service members on the internet without their permission.

Media Resources: Washington Post 9/21/17; BBC 9/26/17; NPR 9/25/17; Time 9/25/17; NBC 5/1/17; Feminist Newswire 12/3/15

NASA Dedicates New Facility to Katherine Johnson, Heroine Mathematician

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Last month, NASA dedicated its newest building, the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility, to the now 99-year-old mathematician behind some of NASA’s biggest accomplishments.

From a young age Katherine Johnson was wildly curious about numbers, her curiosity driving her to excel in school despite racial and gender barriers. By age 14 she had graduated from high school and four years later, at age 18, she graduated from West Virginia State College. She then took time off from school to begin her family, having three daughters before returning to the mathematics work she loved. In 1953, she began working at NACA, the organization that later became NASA, as “computer.”

During her time as a human computer at NASA, Johnson assisted with getting the first American in space by calculating the trajectory of his trip and was the first woman to receive credit on a research report. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, refused to take off before Johnson had personally rechecked the calculations made by the electronic computers because he trusted her math talents more than the electronic computers of the time. Her contributions to NASA also led to the success of both the Apollo Moon landing and the beginning of the Space Shuttle program.

This past year wide ranging recognition was finally given to Johnson and her colleagues, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, with the release of the film “Hidden Figures” which highlighted their contributions in breaking down segregational barriers within NASA.

Despite her seemingly endless accomplishments, Johnson still maintains a sense of wide-eyed humility, saying at the ceremony “I like the stars, and the stories we were telling, and it was a joy to contribute to the literature that was going to come out, but little did I think it would go this far.”

Media Sources: Huffington Post 9/24/17, NASA 9/3/17, NASA History 11/24/15, The Independent 9/24/17

Lone Shooter Kills Over 50, Injures Over 500

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On Sunday night, a gunman on the 32nd floor of Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort opened fire on a crowd of thousands of people attending the final night of a county music festival. As of Monday afternoon, at least 58 people are dead and over 500 are injured.

Police report that the 64 year-old-gunman, Stephen Paddock, turned his weapon on himself before law enforcement could breach his hotel room. He had over ten rifles with him.

Video shows that the bullets were coming in continuous rapid fire for up to nine seconds at a time, before the shooter presumably took breaks to reload his weapon and began shooting again. One of the performers at the concert said the bullets were “nonstop” and added that it was like “shooting fish in a barrel.”

Public officials swarmed social media to condemn the violence, offer condolences to the people impacted, and chart a path for moving forward. After Tweeting her support for victims and first responders, Hillary Clinton added, “The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots. Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get.”

Today, if someone wants to buy a silencer, they face waiting times, a $200 transfer tax, and a record of the purchase by federal law enforcement. But the so-called Hearing Protection Act being considered in Congress would get rid of all of those safeguards.

As early as this week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill to de-regulate gun silencers. Despite widespread opposition from police organizations and gun violence prevention groups, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has thrown their full support behind the bill. The NRA argues that silencers are necessary to protect hunters’ hearing, but law enforcement and military experts argue that there are already a number of effective hearing protection products on the market, and that gun silencers pose more harm than good.

Assault weapons, like the one experts presume was used by the shooter, are not illegal to purchase in the United States. In 1994, Congress passed the federal Assault Weapons Ban, which successfully led to a decrease in total gun murders, and use of assault weapons in crimes declined by two-thirds over nine years. But the ban expired in 2004, and Congress has refused to reauthorize it despite the role assault weapons have played in multiple American mass shootings. The NRA has been very active in advocating against the assault weapons ban.

The NRA is an interest group widely considered to be an advocate for the gun manufacturing industry, and contributes significant funding to political campaigns. They were the single largest donor group to President Trump’s campaign. In July, the Feminist Majority Foundation joined the Women’s March and several other organizations in a 17-mile, two-day rally to protest the NRA’s promotion of violence against progressive activists—especially women and people of color—as well as the lack of action the NRA took in response to the shooting death of Philando Castile.

Media Resources: New York Times 10/2/17; Senator Diane Feinstein 2013; Business Insider 10/2/17; US News 10/2/17

 

Celebrating Afghanistan’s Independence Day

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This week the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. celebrated the 98th annual Afghanistan Independence Day. This celebration marks the anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence from Great Britain in 1919. Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib, Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells, and United States Lieutenant General John Dolan were present at this event alongside both U.S. and foreign officials. Nobel Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai was also in attendance.

During his speech, Ambassador Mohib shared his positive hopes for the future, “Despite our challenges, we tirelessly pursue the realization of our potential, the potential for becoming a beacon of democracy in our region… A country where men and women have equal opportunities and contribute valuable ideas, knowledge, and projects to the world.” In addition, the Ambassador shared his gratitude for the United States’ decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells remarked, “Moving forward, the United States will continue to offer our friendship and support as the government of Afghanistan continues to make progress on key economic and political reforms.” This celebration of Afghanistan’s independence is an opportunity for Afghanistan and the United States to come together to promote a better for future for all Afghan citizens.

A representative from the Feminist Majority Foundation attended this celebration and had the opportunity to meet with Malala Yousafzai.

Commemorating International Safe Abortion Day

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International Safe Abortion Day began in 1990 in Argentina and became an internationally recognized event in 2011. The Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights was central in declaring September 28 Safe Abortion Day on a global level. On this day, women’s organizations around the world unite towards the common goal of achieving abortion access worldwide.

The key components of International Safe Abortion Day include advocating for the decriminalization of abortion, reducing the negative stigma surrounding abortions, and ensuring equal access to safe abortions for all individuals. According to a statement from the United Nations regarding International Safe Abortion Day, “Denying women access to necessary health care is inherently discriminatory and a violation of their human rights.”

In the absence of safe abortion access, many individuals seek out alternative methods of abortion. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 25 million individuals attempted to induce abortions without access to save procedures between the years 2010 and 2014. It’s estimated that over 50,000 women a year die from unsafe abortions around the globe. Up to 13% of deaths relating to pregnancy are a result of unsafe abortion practices, making it one of the leading causes of maternal death in the world.

On President Trump’s second day in office, he reinstated and expanded the Global Gag Rule, a deadly U.S. policy that forbids international nongovernmental organizations (NGO) receiving U.S. global health funding from providing counseling, advocating or even referencing abortion, even if these activities are done with non-U.S. funds. Marie Stopes estimates that Trump’s Global Gag will lead to the deaths of more than 21,000 additional women over the next three years.

The Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act has been introduced in Congress and would permanently revoke the Global Gag Rule. But the United States Congress currently has different priorities concerning legislation regulating abortion access.

Next week the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote on a 20 week abortion ban, criminalizing the procedure after 20 weeks and subjecting anyone found to have violated the law to a fine and up to five years in prison. 24 states have restrictions on late-term abortions and 17 states have banned abortions after 20-weeks. Between 2011 and now, some 369 abortion restrictions have been passed by state legislatures, twice as many as the previous decade.

A poll recently released by the Center for Reproductive Rights shows that 61 percent of adults in the United States support the federal government passing legislation to protect women’s access to abortion and prevent state’s from passing laws meant to restrict access. In addition, the poll found that 69 percent of adults want Roe v. Wade to remain the law of the land and 66 percent support a woman having access to abortion care in her own community.

Media Sources: Feminist Majority Foundation 9/27/17, 3/9/17, 9/27/17, Egypt Today 9/28/17, Guttmacher Institute 5/19/16, United Nations Human Rights 9/28/17, International Women’s Health Coalition 9/15/17

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