A high court in England has ruled that children under the age of 16 who are seeking gender confirmation treatment are “unlikely to be mature enough to give informed consent to be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs”. This 19-page court ruling was made in an action against the Tavistock and Portman NHS trust, which is responsible forthe […]
Biden Appoints Record Number of Women to Top Roles
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has announced his picks for his communications and economic teams. Most of his announced picks are women, several of whom are women of color, following his campaign promise to build a diverse administration. Biden nominated Neera Tanden as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Tanden currently leads the […]
Kabul University Students: Do Not Kill Us. Our Numbers are Bigger than Your Bullets.
The banner held by student protesters reads: “Do not kill us. You will run out of bullets; we are many.” Students at Kabul University (KU) resumed their classes just days after the November 2nd terrorist attack which killed thirty-five and wounded more than fifty. According to a notification from the KU administration, the decision was […]
U.S. House Committee Hearing Warns Against Troop Reduction in Afghanistan
The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Hill last Friday at which a panel of three foreign policy experts, and most members of the Committee, expressed their concerns about the ongoing peace process and the impending Trump-backed troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The three experts called it a “mistake,” “dangerous” and changing “the […]
Biden Announces Janet Yellen as First Female Head of Treasury Department
On Monday, President-elect Joe Biden announced Janet Yellen as his nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, the first woman to hold the position in the history of the country if confirmed. Ms. Yellen is a labor market expert and is widely considered a strong feminist. She has spoken publicly of her support for economic policies […]
Biden Expected to Announce Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the UN
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a longtime Black diplomat, as ambassador to the United Nations in a move to affirm his commitment to a diverse Cabinet. Greenfield has worked as a foreign service officer since the Reagan administration. She served as ambassador to Liberia, and as the Assistant Secretary of State […]
Biden Plans to Repeal Mexico City Policy, a Win for Abortion Rights
President-elect Joe Biden has committed to rescinding the Mexico City Policy, also known as the “global gag rule”, a policy that “currently bars the U.S. federal government from supporting important global health efforts — including for malaria and HIV/AIDS — in developing countries simply because the organizations providing that aid also offer information on abortion […]
Massachusetts Legislature to Pass Budget Amendments to Expand Abortion Access
Advocates in the state of Massachusetts are currently working to get budget amendments based on the ROE Act passed, otherwise known as “An Act to Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access” (S.1209). This bill aims to cement abortion rights in Massachusetts state law, in a time where reproductive rights are under question and attack. At […]
Trump’s Order to Withdraw from Afghanistan Draws Ire Domestically and Abroad
On Tuesday, President Trump ordered the withdrawal of more troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. Leaders within his party, as well as global allies, shared their concerns that leaving “too soon” could have a high cost. In a statement to CNN, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that, “the price for leaving too soon or in […]
LSU Staff & Administration Mishandle Sexual Assault
CW: sexual assault, rape A USA Today investigation that was released yesterday indicates that Louisiana State University has mishandled numerous sexual assault complaints against students, many of which are athletes. A large number of these sexual misconduct complaints have been about the football team’s running back, Derrius Guice. A member of the diving team told […]
Kim Ng Named First Female GM of a Major League Baseball Team
After a 30-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Kim Ng has been named the first female general manager of a national American baseball team, the Miami Marlins. Ng began her career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox, moving up through the ranks of an organization dominated by men and working with teams […]
Despite Warnings, Trump Pushes for Afghanistan Withdrawal
Soon after President Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a tweet, he appointed his apparent loyalists and strong opponents of US presence in Afghanistan; Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor has been appointed as the senior advisor to the new acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, who has been against US troops’ presence in Afghanistan. Macgregor […]
Anti-Trans Bills Across the Country Threaten the Rights of Trans People
On November 12, Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, began a Twitter thread to track anti-trans bills across the country. He tweeted, “legislatures are starting early and are extra cruel this year despite the pandemic. The judiciary is even more hostile so we need to stop these […]
Taliban Uses Increasing Violence as Leverage in Peace Talks
In a series of targeted killings across Afghanistan, Afghan journalists and members of civil society have become the biggest targets. Today, in yet another violent attack, Afghanistan lost a beloved and experienced journalist and a member of the civil society in Helmand, the southern part of the country. The killing of Elyas Dayee comes a […]
Supreme Court Hearings on Affordable Care Act Endanger Women’s Health
The Supreme Court has been hearing oral arguments regarding the legality of the Affordable Care Act this week, which puts about 32 million people’s (a majority of whom are women) healthcare coverage at risk. The Affordable Care Act, in addition to providing millions of people with insurance coverage through Medicare and Medicaid, bans sex discrimination […]
Amendment 1 Passes, Further Restricting Abortion Access in LA
Last week, Louisiana voters passed Proposed Amendment 1, which explicitly states that the state constitution offers no protections for a right to an abortion or funding for abortions. Voters passed the constitutional amendment 62 percent to 38 percent. If Roe were to be overturned, which is a rising concern due to the appointment of Justice […]
Kamala Harris Becomes First Female VP-Elect in U.S. History
On Saturday, after days of uncertainty, the 2020 election was called for Vice President Joe Biden, making his running mate Senator Kamala Harris the first female, first Black and first South Asian woman to become Vice President-Elect in U.S. history. “So, I’m thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women. Asian, […]
Feminists Win in Historic Races Across the Country
On Tuesday, feminists across the country were elected to office, including many historic firsts. In Missouri, Cori Bush became the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress. Bush won by a 79 to 19 percent margin in Missouri’s first congressional district. She is a nurse, pastor, community organizer, protest leader, and progressive politician […]
Colorado Voters Defeat Proposition 115, Maintaining Support for Abortion Access
As of this morning, 59.1 percent of Colorado voters voted “no” on Proposition 115, a proposition that would restrict abortions after a fetus reaches 22 weeks gestational age except when “immediately required to save the life of a pregnant woman”. This proposition did not include exceptions for rape or incest, would impose $5,000 fines on […]
Record Numbers of Young People and Women Voting This Year
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s general election is unlike any other. Over 100 million Americans already voted in the weeks leading up to Election Day, both in person and by mail. Of those who have already voted, we see both a large gender gap emerging, as well as a historic number of young […]