Migration Category: news-1-5000-national

A recent study of 990 prostitutes in four countries found that the spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase the risk of contracting the HIV-AIDS virus for sexually active women. Evidence from a study sponsored by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that when used frequently, the chemical’s irritant causes breaks or “lesions” in the vaginal lining, thereby increasing women’s vulnerability to HIV. Some health officials have expressed concern that utilizing this spermicide is not advisable for any woman at risk of HIV infection. Nonoxynol-9, which has been used for over four decades as a contraceptive, was used by over 9 million women in 1995 alone. Public health experts will convene at a meeting sponsored by the World Health Organization this fall to determine how to advise women who use nonoxynol-9 of its risks associated with HIV.

Federal officials are concerned that as states attempt to enforce the rules of 1996 Welfare Reform Act, they are inhibiting eligible applicants from applying for food stamps. Currently 12 million potential recipients of food stamps are not receiving them.

In most states, food-stamp applications have become so arduous and time-consuming that needy people are dissuaded from applying for the benefits. States administer the food-stamp program according to their will, with financing by the federal government. As a result, the application process varies from state to state. According to a recent study, however, most applications are more than 10 pages long and often include questions that recipients and food-stamp researchers call unfair and irrelevant to legal requirements for receiving the benefits. Some states’ efforts to enforce the tougher and fiscally conservative laws of 1996 welfare reform have led to the fingerprinting of food stamp recipients, and the review of applicants’ credit-card histories. On some applications, potential recipients are questioned about money received from blood plasma donations or the value of one’s burial plot and car. Each of these can be used to count against a family’s food allotment.

To combat this unfair and difficult application process agricultural officials are offering, for the first time, modest rewards to states that increase outreach efforts and participation of recipients in the food-stamp program.

The American Civil Liberties Union, along with four other legal organizations, sought a restraining order to stop what it claims is harassment of demonstrators prior to next week’s Democratic National Convention. According to the Associated Press, ACLU attorney Daniel P. Tokaji said that close to two dozen incidents of LAPD harassment have occurred this past week, all centered around the demonstrators’ headquarters in MacArthur Park. Allegations include constant surveillance by LAPD squad cars and helicopters, building searches without warrants, photographing people entering and leaving the building, as well as detaining people without just cause. “Freedom of speech cannot survive in an atmosphere where fear predominates,” said Tokaji.

The LAPD has been plagued with allegations of police officers involved in beatings and shootings of citizens, perjury, drug dealing and sex discrimination. The Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Center for Women & Policing has successfully spearheaded community efforts to increase the representation of women in law enforcement in Los Angeles and to improve police response to violence against women.

The District of Columbia agreed Thursday to pay $1.75 million dollars to the mother of a transvestite who died after city firefighters and doctors failed to provide adequate medical care due to gender discrimination. The settlement ends a case that began in 1995 when Tyrone “Tyra” Hunter was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident. In 1998, an 8-person jury found that DC firefighters stood by and laughed instead of administering lifesaving treatment. The jury also found one DC General Hospital doctor negligent for failing to drain fluid around Hunter’s heart, and refusing to prescribe needed blood transfusions. Mayor Anthony Williams issued a statement condemning discrimination based on race, gender or sexual orientation. The DC Fire Department has initiated a diversity and sensitivity training named for Tyrone Hunter. Despite the settlement and public condemnation of the acts, both the firefighter and doctor named in the case continue to work and be promoted as city employees.

Assistant US Customs Commissioner Bonni G. Tischler has just been named as the first woman to hold the position of chief of the Office of Field Operations at the US Customs Commission. Tischler was the first woman to head the agency’s Office of Investigations where, under her leadership, 37,000 investigations were conducted with a record number of arrests, seizures, indictments and convictions. In her new role as field chief, she will oversee all cargo and passenger processing by the Customs Service. In March of 2000, Tischler was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Center for Women & Policing which is funded by the Feminist Majority Foundation. The award is given to female law enforcement officers with successful careers who have helped other women in law enforcement follow in their footsteps.

For the first time in the U.S., women make up the majority of the online population, says a survey by Media Metrix. In 1999, women made up 45.4 percent of internet users; today, women are 50.4 percent of internet users. The fastest growing group of women on the internet is teenage girls aged 12-17, 4.4 million of whom are online regularly-a 126 percent increase from just one year ago. The number of female internet users over age 55 dramatically increased as well, by 110 percent since 1999. While older women still make up only 4.4 percent of the online population overall, they now number 3.3 million.

An anthropologist interviewed by the Washington Post suggests that a general trend toward equality for women has contributed to women’s increased presence online. The Post also denotes that women are using internet technology for a variety of purposes. Women visit health sites, genealogy sites, and entrepreneurial sites. Women of all ages also use internet message boards to voice their opinions on timely and feminist topics, from the upcoming presidential election to reproductive rights. The Feminist Majority Foundation’s feminist.org remains one of the most well-trafficked non-profit sites on the internet.

NAACP Dallas branch President Lee Alcorn resigned on Aug. 9 after being suspended for making anti-Semitic comments in reaction to Gore’s VP choice of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew. On a Fort-Worth radio show on Aug. 7, Alcorn said, “I think we need to be very suspicious of any kind of partnerships between the Jews at that kind of level because we know that their interest primarily has to do with money and these kinds of things.” NAACP President Kweisi Mfume suspended Alcorn, noting that his comments were anti-Semitic and contradictory to the principles of the NAACP. Other national civil rights leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow Push Coalition, rebuked Alcorn.

Over 70 pharmacists in three inner-city Health Action Zones are participating in a pilot program to widen access to emergency contraception for young women in an attempt to halt Great Britain’s climbing teen pregnancy rate. According to statistics from one of the zones, over 100 young women under age 16 have participated, although they make up only 4 percent of women requesting the “morning-after” pill. The program’s next phase will include an ad campaign aimed to encourage women aged 16 to 19 to use emergency contraception. Young women under 16 who requested the pill reported having unprotected sex, or using unreliable condoms that broke during intercourse. The program may be expanded to a national level, and has garnered much interest from other countries as well. Anti-abortion groups in Britain have denounced the program, saying it will simply encourage teens to have unprotected sex. But one health official says the program “transcends” moral arguments, and ensures an important outcome-fewer unwanted pregnancies.

LEARN MORE Click here to read women’s narratives about barriers or successes in accessing reproductive health and family planning services.

Dr. Michael Burnhill, vice president for medical affairs of Planned Parenthood since 1995, died on August 4 at a hospital near his home in New Jersey after suffering an aortic tear. Burnhill had been with Planned Parenthood since 1972, and was a pioneer in the arena of family planning, contraception, and other reproductive health services. Burnhill was an obstetrician-gynecologist who, in the 1960s, helped to develop an early intrauterine device (IUD), a method of contraception.

Eleven Bosnian women relayed horrifying tales of rape, torture, forced prostitution, kidnapping, and killing in a U.S. civil trial against Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. The victims are seeking millions of dollars, and charge Karadzic with ordering Bosnian Serb military personnel to commit atrocities against Croats and Muslims in a genocide plot in the early 1990s. The women took the stand, telling their stories through sobs and screams, displaying evidence of severe anxiety as a result of the torture. One victim, now 65 years old, reported being raped daily and burned with an electric cattle prod. The trial is expected to end today, but whether the victims will collect damages is doubtful.

The case comes under U.S. jurisdiction through a 1789 law, the Alien Tort Claims Act, which was originally designed to punish acts of piracy and protect U.S. ambassadors in foreign countries. The law gives non-U.S. citizens the right to file civil suits in the U.S. for injuries suffered in violation of international law. It has been applied to cases like this since the 1980s, although most defenders ordered to pay damages have yet to pay. Karadzic has not been present in the NY courtroom to present a defense, and is currently in hiding from a UN tribunal seeking him on genocide charges. The Bosnian women’s case was filed by noted feminist scholar Catharine MacKinnon, who pioneered sexual harassment law in the U.S.

The National Center for Health Statistics showed that teen birth rates in the United States are the lowest they have been since 60 years ago, when these statistics were first collected. Teen births have been dropping steadily over the past decade, and in 1999, for every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, there were 49.6 births in 1999. The most significant drop by age was among girls 15 to 17, whose rates fell 6 percent from 1998 to 28.7 births per 1,000. Rates fell across all racial lines, with a more significant drop among black teenagers, where the rate fell 38% from 1991 to 1999. Government demographers have credited a range of programs and organizations with the drop, including sex education programs, parents, churches, and abstinence groups. Others have also cited an increased fear of sexually transmitted diseases, the affect of AIDS, and the booming economy as factors in the drop.

The Clinton Administration and other members of the United Nations Security Council reported on August 7 that they are considering imposing an arms embargo against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These measures, including a proposed ban on international travel for senior Taliban officials, and the possible closing of Taliban offices in foreign countries, are being considered for the Taliban’s refusal to hand over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.

The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) has been pressuring both the U.S. and the U.N. to take tougher action against the countries that support the Taliban, namely Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who not only officially recognize the Taliban but also support the extremist militia. The FMF Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid calls for an end to the brutal edicts the Taliban has issued, forcing the women and girls of Afghanistan into virtual house arrest. Click here to take action on this issue.

The Republican National Convention featured women and people of color in front of the cameras, but a quick look at the floor showed that most delegates were white and male. The August 14 Democratic National Convention, to be held in Los Angeles, promises to “reflect political reality,” says Women enews, by giving a prominent place to the women and people of color who hold leadership and clout in the party. For the first time in American history, the two co-chairs of the national convention will be women: California U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. The opening night will include a tribute to women elected officials, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, co-chair of the Democratic National Committee, and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, co-chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Many of the women scheduled to speak at the convention participated in FMF’s Feminist Expo 2000, including Rep. Maxine Waters (NY), co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD), and Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. NY Rep. Carolyn Maloney, co-chair of the House Committee on Women’s Issues, contrasted the upcoming DNC with the Republican convention in Philadelphia last week, saying the DNC’s commitment to women is not simply “rhetoric.”

Florida Circuit Judge Marc Gilner refused to issue a restraining order to protect a gay man from domestic violence. The decision has become somewhat of a trend in FL, as no county clerks have issued applications for domestic violence injunctions to lesbians and gays since the judge’s order. Gilner argued that lesbians and gays are not legally recognized as families, since Florida does not recognize gay marriage, and are therefore ineligible for domestic violence protection. Neighboring counties disagree with Gilner, and issue domestic violence injunctions regardless of sexual orientation. Gilner gave a hand-written denial to the victim, arguing that “Florida law does not recognize same-sex, live-in relationships as family,” and denying him protection from violence.

A woman in Florida last week who tried to force her 16 year-old daughter to have an abortion by pointing a gun at her stomach and threatening to pull the trigger was stopped by clinic workers at the Aware Woman Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida. At the clinic, the young woman wrote on a medical form that her mother was making her have the abortion and she did not want the procedure performed. Upon discovering this, staff members spoke with her privately and told her she did not have to continue with the procedure. When the clinic workers became aware that the teen’s mother had a gun, they immediately called police and had the mother arrested. The woman is in jail awaiting charges of false imprisonment and domestic assault. The clinic staff were praised for their courageous efforts to ensure the safety of the young woman and their continued commitment to providing women with a choice in their reproductive futures.

Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush is backing a Texas court’s decision to execute a mentally retarded man convicted of raping and murdering a 24-year-old woman. Bush supports the sentence despite the fact that 13 of the 36 states with capital punishment bar the execution of the mentally retarded. In a 1989 ruling, the Supreme Court said that executing the mentally retarded was “cruel and unusual punishment.” Oliver Cruz has an IQ between 64 and 76, and has spent his life doing menial work because he does not have the mental ability to negotiate a job application. He is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, August 9.

This is not the first case in which Bush has condoned the execution of a mentally retarded inmate. He refused pardon for a mentally retarded man executed in January of 1995; the inmate’s lawyer described him as child-like. Doil Lane, a death-row inmate, has an IQ between 62 and 70, and his emotional and intellectual development is that of an 8-year-old. Experts say that the mentally retarded often give false confessions in an effort to please. Furthermore, they are often poor, and are represented by appointed lawyers who lack the experience and competence to present evidence of mental retardation early enough in their cases.

Vice President Al Gore has selected Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman to be his running mate, confirming that the Democratic presidential ticket will remain staunchly in favor of abortion rights. During his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, Lieberman has consistently voted for a woman’s right to choose and has worked to preserve the constitutional right for women to have safe and legal abortion services. Lieberman cosponsored the Freedom of Choice Act which would have codified Roe v. Wade under federal law, and he voted to repeal the Hyde amendment which bans Medicaid coverage for abortion services for low-income women. In addition to voting for the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) which works to prevent abortion clinic violence, Lieberman has also opposed a federal ban on safe abortion procedures. Gore’s decision to pick Lieberman as his running mate also marks the first time there will be a Jewish vice presidential candidate in American history.

The Taliban’s edict forbidding Afghan women from working for international and national humanitarian organizations may have a devastating impact for the millions of women and children living in poverty in Afghanistan. Before this latest edict, humanitarian aid organizations had obtained exemptions to the Taliban’s ban on women from working. With one of the worst droughts the country has ever faced, Afghanistan is suffering from a severe food shortage, and the United Nations estimates that 25% of the 1.8 million residents of Kabul are dependent on aid for survival. The UN began negotiations with Taliban officials to reverse this restrictive edict over 3 weeks ago, with talks continuing over the weekend. Meanwhile, the UN warned all Afghan women working for international aid organizations in Taliban-controlled regions to stay home, in fear of brutal retaliation by the Taliban militia. The United States, argues the Boston Globe, should help end the Taliban’s brutal treatment of women by putting pressure on Pakistan, one of the few countries that supports the Taliban, and concentrate on ending gender apartheid rather than targeting the Taliban’s harboring of terrorist Osama bin Laden. The Feminist Majority Foundation has been working, through the Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan, to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan and to provide assistance to Afghan refugees and to the women and girls in Afghanistan living under virtual house arrest.

Farm workers calling for higher wages and improved working conditions were joined by political, civil rights, and religious supporters in a 4.5-mile march in Washington state over the weekend. The demonstrators demanded amnesty for undocumented workers, protection for labor organizers from reprisals by employers, and higher apple-picking wages. Represented at the march were organizers from the AFL-CIO and United Farm Workers of America (UFW). The AFL-CIO passed a resolution in February calling for the federal government to grant amnesty to the 6 million undocumented workers living in the United States. A spokesperson from the UFW said that undocumented workers are treated like “second-class citizens” while they are relied upon to do the work that other Americans reject. The UFW has been fighting for workers’ rights since it was founded in 1962 by Ceasar Chavez and Delores Huerta. Huerta is a founding board member of the Feminist Majority Foundation and has been a leader in the struggle for migrant farm workers for over 30 years.

MSNBC’s post-speech poll conducted last night showed 47% of voters favoring George W. Bush, and 36% favoring Al Gore. A 9-point gender gap showed in the poll, with 43% of women favoring Bush and 52% of men favoring Bush. While 40% of women favored Gore, only 31% of men favored Gore. In an earlier NBC/Wall St. Journal poll, 44% of voters overall chimed in for Bush, and 38% backed Gore. Bush’s slight lead over Gore in the MSNBC poll does not necessarily mean long-term trouble for Gore, as post-speech polls often garner similar results. The gender gap continues to show that women will be crucial to this election.

A focus group conducted by Frank Luntz after last night’s speech mirrored the MSNBC poll’s conclusion that swing voters were impressed by Bush. The group asked 36 swing voters how the speech influenced their votes, with a majority responding that the “home run” speech motivated them to become Bush supporters. Using dial technology, Luntz monitored responses to different sections of Bush’s speech. The only issue that caused voters support to crash-among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike-for Bush was when he spoke about how he would restrict abortion.