Author: Feminist Newswire

The Feminist Newswire has provided a daily feminist perspective on national, global, and campus news stories since 1995. You can receive a weekly feminist news digest when you subscribe here.

Mayors Across the Country Condemn Trump Food Stamp Plan

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Mayors from across the US came together today to sign a letter condemning Trump’s proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which would potentially disqualify 3 million people from receiving food stamps.

According to the letter, the changes to SNAP would harm the most vulnerable populations in the U.S.: children, seniors, and people with disabilities. The predominately Democratic mayors sent the letter to Jessica Shahin, an administrator at SNAP, decrying what they perceive to be a move by Trump to shift people off of welfare programs. “Our nation cannot remain globally competitive if our children do not have enough to eat; if our citizens do not have access to affordable health care; if housing and other basic needs are priced out of reach; and if adults who are willing and able to work cannot find jobs that will help them support their families,” the mayors stated in the letter.

The letter also discusses the how the new policy will have a far-reaching negative effect on their local economies claiming that SNAP recipients spend more and therefore are responsible for a “multiplier effect” that helps enable economic growth and assists in creating more jobs.

“This proposal will put children’s health and development at risk by removing their access to healthy school meals; and harm our economy by reducing the amount of SNAP dollars available to spur regional and local economic activity,” said the mayors.

The changes to the program will work to close a “loophole” that allows states to provide benefits to those whose savings and assets the Trump administration claim should make them ineligible for food stamps. Since the rule was posted online over 4,000 people have contributed their thoughts on the issue with numerous commenters expressing their outrage at the proposed rule calling it “horrifying” and saying the policymakers “should be ashamed of yourselves if you believe it is ok to make children go hungry for ANY reason”.

Sources: NPR 8/22/19; NPR 7/23/19; Feminist Newswire 3/5/19

Trump Administration Instates Rules to Detain Migrant Children Indefinitely

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The Trump Administration has moved to enact new rules that would overturn protections that mandate safe and sanitary conditions at detention facilities and allow border agents to detain migrant children indefinitely, claiming it will allow them to keep families together.

Currently, the Flores settlement mandates that the government has 20 days to transfer migrant children and their families to state-licensed facilities. Since states don’t detain families, and don’t have licensing procedures for the facilities that would hold them, the government must release them after 20 days.

According to a 2018 proposal of the new rule, the Department of Homeland Security would be allowed to license its’ own facilities which would let the Trump administration decide the criteria for the facilities where families will be kept. The government says an unnamed third party will provide oversight on whether or not these conditions are being met.

Many reports have described the conditions in detention centers as dirty, overcrowded, and inhumane. So far five children have died in custody since September of 2018.

“This rule will separate more families and traumatize countless others in the process,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, chair of Families Belong Together. “The government needs to reunite families immediately, not expand the number of parents and children they jail with limited food, beds, toilets, or access to medical attention.”

The rule will require court approval before it goes into effect, and is expected to be challenged by immigrant and civil rights groups. The final version of the new rules will be published in the Federal register on Friday.

Sources: Politico 8/21/19; Huffington Post 8/21/19; Buzzfeed News 8/21/19

Chicago Man Arrested After Threatening to Attack Abortion Clinic on Social Media

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19-year-old Farhan Sheikh was arrested in Chicago on Monday after making threats on social media to attack patients and doctors at an abortion clinic this coming Friday.

Sheikh posted the threats on iFunny, a meme sharing app that is becoming a hot spot for right-wing extremists and white supremacists. He was taken into custody by the FBI and charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, for which he could serve up to five years if convicted. He faces a detention hearing on Tuesday.

“I am done with my state and thier bullshit abortion laws and allowing innocrnt kids to be slaughtered for the so called ‘womans right’ bullshit,” he said in his post. “Ive seen nothing but whores go out of the way to get an abortion, but no more.”

Sheikh told agents that the threats posted online were jokes, even though he had insisted otherwise on the app. “To all the fbi agents in this app, I am NOT a satirical account. I post what I mean, and I WILL carry out what I post.”

Sheikh followed user ArmyOfChrist, the handle used by Justin Olsen who was recently arrested in Ohio for threatening an agent. Regarding Olsen’s arrest he posted, “They arrested armyofchrist for no reason except suppressing us and our freedoms.” Olsen previously posted on iFunny espousing support for mass shootings and attacks on Planned Parenthood. Olsen had been under investigation since February and was found with a stockpile of ammunition and guns. Agents decided to take him in after the recent shootings in Dayton and El Paso.

Sources: Huffington Post 8/20/19; Buzzfeed News 8/19/19; Buzzfeed News 8/15/19

New York City Police Commissioner Fires Officer Who Put Eric Garner in Chokehold

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The New York City Police Department announced Monday that it will be firing Daniel Pantaleo, the officer responsible for the chokehold that led to the 2014 death of Eric Garner which prompted protests against police brutality across the country.

Pantaleo was fired two weeks after a disciplinary trial in which the presiding judge made a nonbinding recommendation for his dismissal for violating the New York City police department’s ban on chokeholds.

“The unintended consequence of Mr. Garner’s death must have a consequence of its own,” said New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, “Therefore I agree with the deputy commissioner of trial’s legal findings and recommendations. It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer.”

Eric Garner died on July 14, 2014 after being arrested for selling loose cigarettes on Staten Island. Pantaleo put Garner in chokehold during which Garner repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” until he lost consciousness. Police then left him on the sidewalk until emergency services arrived and he was pronounced dead an hour later. His death highlighted a trend of police officers using excessive force against people of color which sparked protests across the country and gave increasing momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement who used Garner’s last words as a rallying cry against police brutality and racial profiling.

Sources: NYT 8/19/19; Huffington Post 8/19/19; Feminist Newswire 7/16/19

Afghan Women Activists Demand a Prominent Role in Peace Talks

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During a large gathering to celebrate Eid and Afghanistan’s Independence Day on Tuesday, women in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan courageously called on the Taliban to stop violence and take steps towards enduring peace in the country.

Afghan women have repeatedly called for more representation in the ongoing peace negotiations aimed at ending 18 years of conflict which has resulted in thousands of civilian and military casualties. Khost governor, Mohammad Halim Fidaee, said that “women should be given a role in the peace process”.

Yet neither the Afghan government nor Afghan women have been included in the ongoing negotiations between the US government and the Taliban. Afghan women’s groups and the Afghan government have repeatedly demanded direct representation in negotiations with the Taliban.

Negotiations that exclude Afghan women appear to be a direct violation of the U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 that requires “meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.” Research shows that “peace negotiations are more likely to succeed and to result in durable peace agreements when women participate in the peace processes.”

Sources: Tolo News 8/14/19; Tolo News; U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017

Planned Parenthood Announces Impending Withdrawal from Title X Program

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Planned Parenthood says that it will withdraw from Title X just days from now unless a federal court intervenes to save their Title X funding. Due to the Trump administration’s “domestic gag” rule Title X recipients are prevented from performing, counseling, or referring patients to abortion services and providers, primarily affecting low-income patients seeking family planning care.

In a letter to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Planned Parenthood outlined its’ plan to withdraw from Title X by Monday unless the court moves to protect funding for the organization. Acting Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson said the changes to the rule are “unethical, and a gag on health care providers.” She stated that the new rules will raise the cost of contraception and other services, as well as increase wait times at clinics around the US.

The decision to withdraw from Title X will have far reaching repercussions for low-income patients of Planned Parenthood. McGill Johnson says that the Trump administration’s changes to the almost 50 year old program will result in “—putting birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment at risk for millions of people struggling to make ends meet. This is a blatant assault on our health and rights, and we will not stand for it.”

Dr. Monica McLemore, a Title X expert and professor at the University of California-San Francisco School of Nursing explained “These rule changes force providers into an impossible choice: Will we care for the pregnant person in front of us and make a requested referral for abortion related services, or will we accept funds allowing us to care for thousands of others? The proposed changes to the rule are not about “paying for abortion”—rather, if directly asked for an abortion referral, providers would have to respond that as a Title X grantee, we cannot refer them, and we would be limited instead to providing a resource list of comprehensive providers without specifying whether they offer abortion services.”

The Trump administration made changes to Title X earlier this year, making organizations that provide abortion services ineligible for federal funds that help to provide other healthcare services. Planned Parenthood has been part of Title X since its creation in 1971 and currently serves 40% of its grantees. According to Planned Parenthood, abortion services make up only 3% of its overall programs. Federal funding of abortion is prohibited by the Hyde amendment but the Trump administration’s changes to Title X will prevent recipients from even speaking about, counseling, or referring patients to abortion providers.

Sources: NPR 8/15/19; NPR 2/22/19; Planned Parenthood 8/14/19; Planned Parenthood 8/16/19; Dr. Monica McLemore Congressional Testimony 6/16/19; Feminist Newswire 3/31/17

Birth Control Delivery Startups Threatened by CVS Proposal to Cut Reimbursement Rates

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Birth control mail order services are in danger after CVS indicated it would cut reimbursement rates for home delivery, putting members in jeopardy of losing access to their birth control due to rising costs.

#CVSDeniesCare began trending on Twitter Thursday after birth control mail order service Pill Club posted a public plea to the pharmacy giant asking them not to change its pricing structure.

NARAL president Ilyse Hogue tweeted “Women need birth control delivered for many reasons–physical challenges getting to the pharmacy, living in very rural areas, simple privacy concerns, or something else-it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that they should not be financially punished by CVS.”

Tens of thousands of women rely on Pill Club for access to birth control, with 55% reporting they will stop using contraception if they lose access through home delivery and 70% of their members experiencing difficulty obtaining birth control from other sources. Access to birth control has already come under fire from the Trump administration, and many on social media have pointed out the connection between CVS board members and conservative lawmakers like Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence, and Marsha Blackburn.

“If we cannot convince CVS to change course in the next few weeks, we will have no choice but to stop serving people with CVS Caremark pharmacy benefits. The reality is that we would be out of business if every pharmacy manager did what CVS is doing. And thousands of women would be without the birth control they need,” Pill Club wrote online.

Arizona Congressional candidate Eva Putzova took to Twitter to say “CVS is blocking access to birth control for disabled, rural, and other women who rely on mail order services. Unsurprisingly, 12 of their 16 board of directors are men. This is incredibly dangerous, restrictive, and disappointing.”

Pill Club is a startup similar to Nurx and Hers which provide easy access to birth control through online prescriptions and home delivery. Members receive prescriptions via a virtual visit with the company’s online physicians, after which the birth control is mailed directly to members. These services provide vital access to contraception for women who face challenges getting to a pharmacy.

Sources: Twitter 8/15/19; The Hill 8/15/19; Business Insider 8/15/19; Feminist Newswire 10/6/17; The Pill Club 8/15/19

Philadelphia Mayor Makes Public Plea for Gun Control in Aftermath of Police Shooting

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Mayor Jim Kenney (D) held a press conference last night in which he called on legislators to strengthen gun control laws after an eight hour standoff between police and an active shooter in North Philadelphia.

The mayor expressed frustration and outrage at the excessive amount of weapons and ammunition the gunman seemed to possess.

“Our officers deserve to be protected and they don’t deserve to be shot at by a guy for hours with an unlimited supply of weapons and an unlimited supply of bullets. It’s disgusting and we have to do something about it,” the mayor told reporters.

The mayor chastised lawmakers for refusing to stand up to the National Rifle Association and its influence on gun control legislation on Capitol Hill. “Whether it’s our six officers who were shot or it’s some 16-, 17-, 20-year-old kid on the streets of Philadelphia who gets shot with guns that shouldn’t be in people’s hands,” Kenney stated. “It’s aggravating. It’s saddening. And it’s something that we need to do something about.”

The Senate has consistently rejected gun control bills that have been brought to the floor over the past several years. In the days following the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 they rejected four pieces of legislation that would have tightened gun control laws by mandating background checks and refusing sales to buyers suspected of terrorism. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has successfully blocked gun control measures from reaching the 60 votes needed to become law after mass shootings in Parkland, Las Vegas, and Sandy Hook. The Philadelphia shooting comes just days after similar incidents in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

“This government, both on federal and state level, don’t want to do anything about getting these guns off the streets and getting them out of the hands of criminals,” Mayor Kenney said to the press.

The shootout occurred when police attempted to serve a drug warrant, resulting in two police officers and several civilians being held hostage until the suspect surrendered early Thursday morning. The gunman injured six officers who were treated for their injuries and later released.

Sources: The Hill 8/15/19; Huffington Post 8/15/19; Feminist Newswire 6/22/16; Buzzfeed News 8/5/2019

Stacey Abrams Says She Won’t Run for President in 2020, Is Open to VP Nomination

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Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams announced this week that she will not be running for president in 2020, but said in an interview with the New York Times that she would be open to a VP nomination from any of the 2020 Democratic candidates.

Ms. Abrams said that her decision not to run ultimately came down to her role in ensuring that voter suppression does not sway the 2020 election. “I’ve been thinking about this for the last few weeks, and I’ve just come to the decision that my best value add, the strongest contribution I can give to this primary, would be to make sure our nominee is coming into an environment where there’s strong voter protections in place.”

Ms. Abrams garnered national attention during her 2018 campaign and controversial defeat by Republican Brian Kemp which raised questions about voter suppression in Georgia. She has quickly become a rising star in the Democratic Party, with several candidates rumored to be considering her as their VP pick. Abrams recently turned down an offer to run for Senate, saying that she wants to focus on voter suppression and the 2020 primary elections.

When asked about her thoughts on being nominated as VP she said “I would be honored to be considered by any nominee. But my responsibility is to focus on the primary. And that means using the primary as an opportunity to build the apparatus to fight voter suppression. Because in the end, no matter where I fit, no matter which ones of our nominees win, if we haven’t fought this scourge, if we haven’t pushed back against Moscow Mitch and his determination to block any legislation that would cure our voting machines, then we are all in a world of trouble.”

Many of the Democratic candidates have expressed the importance of diversity in the 2020 race. Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker have both said they want a female candidate on the ticket, and there have also been reports that Joe Biden has considered offering Abrams the VP spot. With six women and three people of color running for president— a record for the Democratic Party —gender and race are taking center stage in the 2020 nominee race. Ms. Abrams did not shy away from discussing her feelings about identity politics.

“We must understand the challenges that we face — whether it’s a white suburban mom, who has to deal with not having access to public transit to get to your child’s school and then get to their job, or an African-American farmer who’s isolated from the internet and can’t figure out how to get his produce to market. Our responsibility is to know that those identities are real, and the barriers to their success are real. And that we should see those identities and embrace the politics of fixing the barriers, of removing the structural obstacles. I do push back against any politician, Democrat or Republican, who would offer this notion that talking about identity is somehow dangerous. It is the only way we are successful. This is how people see themselves in our politics.”

Ms. Abrams has spent the year since her loss working to strengthen voter protections in Georgia, as well as meeting with various Democratic presidential candidates about making voter suppression a priority in their policies.

Sources: NYT 8/14/19; NYT 3/6/19; Politico 8/14/19; Feminist Newswire 11/28/18

Survivors Still Seek Justice Against Jeffery Epstein, Turn to Civil Suits

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This past weekend, Jeffery Epstein, who was convicted of prostitution charges and was recently charged for sex-trafficking, was found dead by apparent suicide in federal jail; however, accusers are still seeking justice through civil cases against Epstein’s estate.

Geoffery S. Berman, chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan, ensured the public that the investigation will continue. He hinted that the government has other individuals that are potentially involved and are under investigation.

Many accusers were outraged to hear that Epstein committed suicide, viewing his death as again eluding justice for his crimes. Michelle Licata, one of the many girls recruited and sexually abused at Epstein’s hands, stated that she “never wanted him to die” but instead “wanted him to be held accountable for his actions.”

“To those brave young women who have already come forward and to the many others who have yet to do so, let me reiterate that we remain committed to standing for you, and our investigation of the conduct charged in the indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains on going,” said Berman.

Several accusers are disappointed that they will never be able to confront Epstein. Sarah Cohen Levin, a former federal prosecutor, said “the victims will lose the opportunity to face him in court, see him eye to eye and tell their story, but they can still work with the government to get their story out.”

Lisa Bloom, a California lawyer, has already stated that she will file a lawsuit on behalf of two accusers against Epstein’s estate. “The victims are entitled for compensation for the anguish he put them through over so many years.”

Accusers and survivors are “hopeful that other victims may be relieved of some of the fear that has prevented them from coming forward while Epstein was still alive,” according to Florida lawyer Jack Scarola.

In July, federal prosecutors charged Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier, on sex crimes, including allegation that he ran a sex-trafficking ring that involved underage girls as young as 14.

Multiple women came forward accusing Epstein of sexual assault and abuse. Prosecutors say that “thousands of sexually suggestive pictures of young women and girls seized in his Manhattan home demonstrate the predatory attitude that Mr. Epstein continues to have towards young women.”

Recent accusations of sexual assault have revived the decade old case of sex trafficking against him that was settled in 2008 after a plea deal was struck. Epstein was accused of assembling a massive cult-like network of underage girls with the help of female recruiters that coerced young women into sexual acts almost three times a day. The extraordinary plea deal struck between Epstein’s lawyers and the defense in 2007 registered him as a sex offender, gave him only 13 months in jail, and concealed the deal from the victims. This rendered the abuse inflicted on the victims invisible, ensuring that Epstein’s future would be protected.

About 80 women came forward to say that they were molested or sexually abused by Epstein from 2001 to 2006. Courtney Wild, who was 14 when she met Epstein, explains how “Jeffrey preyed on girls who were in a bad way, girls who were basically homeless. He went after girls who he thought no one would listen to and he was right.” Not only did he abuse young girls but he also forced them to go out and recruit other young girls.

 

Media Resources: Feminist NewsWire 07/10/2019, Miami Herald 10/28/2018, NYT 06/08/2019, 06/09/2019, 8/12/19

 

 

Independence Day Afghan Women’s Handicraft Exhibition Uplifts Communities

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This week, a three-day long exhibition of handicrafts made by Afghan women was showcased in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, to celebrate the country’s 100th independence day. The handicraft exhibition was a part of several other upcoming programs focused on celebrating Afghan culture, people, and history.

Women from the capital and neighboring provinces were able to put their products on display and up for sale in their individual stalls. There were over 50 stalls in the exhibition. The exhibition included things such as handicrafts, edibles, jewelries, clothes and many other domestic items. While the exhibition proved to be a great program to celebrate Afghanistan’s independence, it was also an amazing opportunity for Afghan women.

The exhibition provided a financially independent space for Afghan women looking to support their families and uplift their communities. The expo was also aimed at finding a market for the products made by Afghan women. Spozhmai Wardak, deputy of women’s affairs minister, who attended the exhibition said that “organizing such programs are the best way to empower women in the country. Afghan women are skillful and they could become a good income source for their families.”

Historic strides have been made in recent years especially in women’s’ rights in the country. Afghan women and the society have changed significantly for the better with the emergence of female entrepreneurs, political leaders, and even nightly news anchors.

 

Media Resources: Tolo News 08/05/19, Outlook Afghanistan 06/08/19

United Nations Report Demonstrates Urgency of Climate Change Policies

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Early today, a United Nations (U.N.) report composed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released in Geneva, Switzerland, detailing the fast approaching effects of climate change and their impact on global food security.

The report examined the correlations between various measures such as rising earth temperatures, soil degradation, and carbon dioxide emissions to analyze the future of food security worldwide. Soil is being lost significantly faster than it is forming which is made worse by the weather effects of global warming such as flooding, wildfires, and droughts. In an effort to create more usable soil, many countries are draining wetlands, a process that, for every 2.5 acres drained, produces the equivalent amount of Carbon Dioxide as burning 6,000 gallons of gasoline. Others are clearing forests to make room for livestock, which every year releases an emissions level equal to driving 600 million cars.

All of these statistics are just a part of the broader narrative on food security. By 2050, the population is estimated to reach almost 10 billion people. With ten percent of the population already undernourished, humans currently taking up over 70 percent of ice-free land, and the amount of viable soil shrinking rapidly, the world is set up to experience a major food shortage very soon. Earlier this month, Liu Zhenmin, the U.N. undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, stated that “there’s been no good progress” on ending hunger, which he called “a tragedy for the international community.”

The report did outline ways to correct the damage done; however, action must be taken immediately. Researchers called for a re-evaluation of land use and human behavior surrounding agriculture and food products. Lowering the amount of food waste will have an immediate impact on the amount of land required for the agriculture industry, decreasing the need to employ practices that produce a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions and slowing the rate of deforestation.

While issues of food security are heavily concentrated in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, the United States is heavily impacted as well. In Texas, a state which recently ended a program that helped low-income families pay their electric bills, one in six families are forced to choose between putting food on the table and financing other expenses. Those most at risk of food insecurity are African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, single-parent households and households in rural communities.

 

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 9/12/16; AP News 7/10/19; IPCC 8/8/19; UN News 8/8/19; New York Times 8/8/19

680 Arrested in Largest Recorded ICE Raid

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This ongoing debate on immigration reform in the United States reached a new tipping point yesterday after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents invaded a food production plant in Morton, Mississippi, arresting 680 undocumented workers who were unable to provide identification. This is believed to be the largest single-state immigration arrest in the history of the country.

Video shows family members crying as 600 agents got off buses in mass to interrogate and arrest the plant workers. Many children returned from their first days of school to discover that they could not get into their homes as their parents had been detained. Some children without available legal guardians have been sent to family members, with many others being kept in a local gym, supported by donations from community members.

Democratic candidates continue to speak out on the need for immigration reform as the Trump administration increases its enforcement of strict immigration laws. Presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris tweeted this morning that “ICE raids are designed to tear families apart, spread fear, and terrorize communities” and fellow Senator and 2020 candidate Cory Booker wrote “The moral vandalism of this administration has no end – how is traumatizing these kids, abandoning them, making anyone any safer?”

Throughout the last few months, the administration has been increasing the number of scheduled ICE raids as part of their crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Between May 13 and June 11 of this year, ICE arrested almost 900 adults. 130,432 people were deported within the first two quarters of the 2019 fiscal year.

This raid comes amid increasing reports of abuse by ICE officials, especially at the border. The policy of separating families resulted from the announcement of Trump’s “zero-tolerance” border policy in April, which aimed to prosecute as many border-crossers as possible – even those who turned themselves over to Border Patrol seeking asylum. Under this policy, parents were immediately sent into criminal custody, while children were classified as “unaccompanied alien children.” This classification used to only apply to minors crossing the border without an adult relative. It allowed Border Patrol to forcefully separate the children from their parents.

 

Media Resources: New York Times 7/23/19; Feminist Newswire 7/31/18; The Hill 8/7/19; BBC News 8/8/19

Cyntoia Brown, Victim of Sex Trafficking, Released from Prison after 15 Years

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Wednesday morning, Cyntoia Brown was released from jail after being sentenced to life in prison for killing a man responsible for sex trafficking her when she was only 16. She was granted clemency in January by then Tennessee Governor Haslam.

Her clemency came after high-profile advocates and popular celebrities highlighted the injustice she had faced. Years after her sentencing, her case sparked widespread discussion across social media inspiring the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown. Her case was also brought to the world’s attention through filmmaker Dan Birman’s documentary that filmed her case from trial to her incarceration. Celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian took her case to their millions of followers around the world explaining the horrible injustice she was facing as she suffered in prison. Kim Kardashian even called her personal attorneys to work Cyntoia Brown’s case.

Brown was tried as an adult at the age of 16 and convicted of first-degree murder for killing a 43-year old man. She had testified that she was forced into prostitution by a pimp and then solicited for sex to Johnny Mitchel Allen who she then later shot and killed. She claimed that she resisted Allen and killed him in self-defense in the hope that she could escape the horrifying abuse.

Advocates have highlighted how institutional racism and discrepancies in the criminal justice system criminalize black and brown girls by labeling them as prostitutes when they are victims of sex trafficking. According to the Bureau of Justice, more than 1,000 children are arrested for prostitution every year in the United States. Many have also argued that cases like Brown’s should be reconsidered under the new “safe harbor” laws that protect minors that are trafficked into sex slavery from criminal charges.

 

Media Resources: U.S Department of Justice 10/2012, The Root 11/21/17, NPR 12/01/17, CNN 08/07/19

Ohio Governor Releases Gun Reform Policies in Response to Mass Shootings

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This Tuesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released a series of policy proposals aimed at reducing gun violence statewide. He addressed the issue from both major perspectives, outlining ideas to ensure better mental healthcare services and to implement gun control reform legislation.

The legislative reforms are broad in scope and include many policies that the federal government has been unable to implement up to this point. Within the 17-point plan released by the Governor’s office, he called for required background checks, increased penalties for possessing a firearm, and a safety protection order, often known as a red flag law, which takes away weapons from any individual who is deemed potentially dangerous.

The announcement from the governor followed a series of mass shootings over the weekend, including in Dayton, Ohio where ten people were killed and twenty-seven were injured within thirty seconds by an automatic weapon. In addition to the Governor’s response, many Democratic legislators and activists demand comprehensive gun reform, with many calling for the Senate to return to session to vote on gun control legislation.

Governor DeWine’s response differed from many other prominent Republican figures that have mostly focused on the personal aspects of the shootings and resisted any calls for legislation to help prevent further horrendous attacks. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy blamed video games for the mass shootings, mirroring President Trump’s response to the shooting in Parkland, Florida last spring when he sought out anti-video game advocates to blame the horrendous violence on a game. Republican commentator Sean Hannity suggested an increase in guns, proposing placing armed guards throughout public places.

Many states have already implemented gun control legislation similar to DeWine’s proposal. Just one week after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Oregon lawmakers passed a new gun control bill that bans domestic abusers from purchasing or owning firearms. Women’s rights advocates claimed the bill as a victory since more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will be the victim of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The chance of a woman in an abusive household being killed by her partner quintuples when a gun is in the home.

 

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 3/1/18; Vox 8/4/18; The Hill 8/4/19; Washington Post 8/6/18; Governor Mike DeWine 8/6/19

Women’s Rights: A Major Campaign Point in Afghanistan’s Presidential Elections

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Afghanistan’s presidential candidates have officially launched their campaigns and candidates are vowing to protect and advance women’s rights in the hope of winning women’s votes.

During their public gatherings, two front runners Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah promised to advance the status of women and girls in Afghanistan and that they will include women in all peace negotiations with the Taliban. Both candidates spoke in Kabul on Monday about the importance of women in Afghanistan’s future. Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah proclaimed boldly that “women in Afghanistan should be given a role in the peace process.” In conjunction, Presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani swore  that he “will establish a women’s council which will have similar authorities to the National Security Council if [he] gets re-elected.” He continued his statements by saying that “we will support women empowerment through domestic resources, not through foreign charity.” Both candidates have demonstrated their allegiance to advancing women’s rights in the past, and many of the women who attended these gatherings feel confident in plans proposed to keep Afghani Women at the negation table. Prominent women’s rights activist Arifa Paikan stated at the gathering “On behalf of women in this hall, I call for a large presence of women in future government and in the election.”

The Afghan people have the opportunity to elect a pro-women’s rights candidate come September 28th. There are 18 individuals competing to become the president of Afghanistan and six of them have launched their campaigns at the end of July.

Elections in Afghanistan are one of the major success stories to come out of the international involvement in Afghanistan for the past 18 years. People risk their lives to cast their votes in some of the most insecure areas of the country. Women, once excluded from a decision making process, are now one of the most important voices in the elections.

The UN, EU, US, and other international allies have backed elections since the beginning of their involvement in Afghanistan. The UN continues to be one of the major supporters of the process. Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto said that “there are 43 international and 134 national election support project experts from the United Nations working in the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) as well as advisers in all provinces and these people provide technical assistance and advice.” IEC chief Hawa Alam Nuristani also said that “the leadership of the independent election commission has done its best to ensure transparency of the election by considering the principles of fairness, transparency, and safety of the process without considering any pressure from anyone.”

 

Media Resources: Reuters 3/20/19; Tolo News 8/5/19

Mexican Government Plans to Investigate El Paso Shooter as a Terrorist against Latinx People

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On Sunday evening following the El Paso terrorist attack the Mexican government issued statements denouncing the actions of the shooter who attacked Latinx people in El Paso, killing 22 people in a Walmart. Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebraud is evaluating if the Mexican government can charge the shooter on terrorism charges and investigate the seller of the automatic weapon; he stated Sunday “We consider this to be an act of terrorism against Mexican American community and Mexican nationals in the US.”

Martha Barcena, Mexico’s ambassador to Washington, tweeted “The intentionality of the attack against the Mexicans and the Latino community in El Paso is frightening/ NO to hate speech. NO to xenophobic discourse” The assailant has been linked to anti-immigrant, specifically Hispanic, hate messages and authored a manifesto which spews rants against immigrants. NBC News stressed that the assailant went out of his way to target El Paso, which is more than 80% Hispanic or Latino and is located adjacent to Ciudad Juárez.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebraud concluded “But we are not proposing to meet hate with hate. We will act with reason and within the law, but with firmness” and he also assured that Mexico will attempt to work in union with the US government to collect information about the origin of the gun and “promote legal actions against whoever turns out to be responsible for the sale of the assault weapon.”

The United States has experienced a slew of mass shootings since 2016 and the concurrent rise of fascism in the US; yet still struggles to pass federal legislation to address the crisis due to Mitch McConnell’s blockade of the Republican-held Senate. In 2018 the American College of Physicians’ released New Gun violence Reduction Recommendations after the Tree of Life Synagogue attack in Pittsburgh which recommended stricter gun regulations and the [enactment] of legislation to ban the sale, transfer and subsequent ownership of assault weapons, emphasizing that less firearms reduces gun-related injuries and deaths.

 

Media Resources: Washington Post 8/5/19; NBC News 8/4/19; Law & Crime 8/4/19; Vox 8/6/19; Feminist Newswire 10/31/18

New Zealand Bill Aims to Decriminalize Abortions

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The debate in New Zealand surrounding the legalization of abortion has erupted today in response to the New Zealand government introducing a bill that would decriminalize abortions nationwide, giving people the option to terminate a pregnancy up to twenty weeks. The bill was a significant part of Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s campaign agenda, which was driven by largely feminist ideals.

The 1960s Crime Act in New Zealand criminalized abortion, making it extremely difficult for an individual to get an abortion. Current law requires that, in order to get an abortion approved, two doctors certify that the pregnancy would endanger the physical or mental health of the mother if it was not terminated.

Despite the major changes from current law that the bill proposes, abortion rights activists have been dissatisfied with the bill. Groups such as the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand and Family Planning have criticized the legislation for the twenty-week limit. Family Planning chief executive Jackie Edmond called the bill “a missed opportunity to put all women front and centre of the process.”

New Zealand’s restrictive abortion laws often lack international coverage due to the contrasts between the law and what occurs in society. Many individuals end up lying about their physical or mental health in order to get a medical professional to sign off on obtaining the procedure. It is much more difficult for people outside of the major cities to get around the law due to the significantly fewer amount of available doctors who will agree to sign off on an abortion. Over 2,500 abortion requests have been rejected in the last decade due to a lack of significant justification.

The United Nations considers legal abortion to be a human right, declaring in a 2016 joint statement that the “criminalization of abortion and failure to provide adequate access to services for termination of an unwanted pregnancy are forms of discrimination based on sex.” Around the world, approximately 50,000 women a year die because they are forced into unsafe abortions, making it one of the leading causes of maternal death.

 

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 8/8/17; Stuff 4/16/19; New Zealand Herald 8/5/19; New York Time 8/5/19; BBC 8/15/19

Congressional Report Claims that Olympic Organizations and the FBI Failed to Protect Athletes from Nassar’s Abuse

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Last Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection released a report condemning multiple organizations including the U.S Olympic Committee (USOC), the FBI, USA Gymnastics (USAG), and Michigan State University (MSU) for failing to stop Larry Nassar’s abuse, despite receiving multiple reports and allegations. The report concludes that each of these organizations “had opportunities to stop Nassar but failed to do so.”

The 235-page report summarizes and outlines the key findings of an 18-month congressional investigation into the handling of Nassar’s abuse. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee, described the actions of each of these organizations as a “cover-up.”

In addition to the release of the report, the senators introduced the “Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019,” which seeks to implement requirements to promote a culture of greater transparency and accountability within sports. This bill would give athletes an increased voice in the governance of the USOC and calls for 20 million dollars in annual funding to the US Center for SafeSport, the agency that oversees sexual misconduct and abuse allegations.

The report claims that Nassar was able to sexually abuse more than 300 athletes over two decades after ineffective oversight by USAG, the USOC, and MSU who all received reports about Nassar’s abuse years before action was taken. While working at MSU, Nassar treated athletes for decades; yet, MSU failed to thoroughly investigate the multitude of abuse claims against Nassar. In January of 2018, the state’s attorney general investigated the university’s handling of the sexual misconduct reports and found 13 instances, dating back to 1997, were young women reported Nassar’s abuse to school officials. The university only formally investigated one claim.

The congressional report also found that the FBI’s 2015 investigation into Nassar “did not stop Nassar from seeing patients or protect those in harm’s way”. The investigation “dragged on” for more than a year as it was shuffled between different field offices, and there was a 400-day gap between when the FBI first learned of the abuse allegations and Nassar’s arrest by local law enforcement.

In January of 2018, Nassar was finally sentenced in Ingham County, Michigan to 40-175 years in prison for sexually abusing girls who sought medical treatment from him. That July, he was further indicted by a grand jury in Texas with six additional counts of sexual assault that occurred at the Karolyi Ranch.

In the summer of 2015, after USAG under then-head Steve Penny determined that Nassar had sexually abused gymnasts, Penny allowed Nassar to retire via a Facebook post without any indication of misconduct. USAG further failed to tell MSU or any other member organization why Nassar was retiring. From the summer of 2015 to September 2016, both the USOC and USAG hid the extent of Nassar’s crimes from the public and athletic community “to the detriment of dozens of women and girls who were sexually abused during this period of concealment.” Penny was later arrested in October 2018 and indicted on federal charges of tampering with evidence, after asking an employee to move documents, including athlete medical waivers with Nassar’s name, from the Karolyi Ranch training center in Texas to USAG’s headquarters in Indiana.

“Larry Nassar … was far from a lone wolf,” Blumenthal said. “He was enabled by others and if they lied about it and if they obstructed the investigation, if they destroyed documents then they should be held accountable.”

 

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 7/5/18, NBC News 7/30/19, Buzzfeed News 7/30/19, CNN 7/31/19

Saudi Arabia Ordered a Series of Reforms aimed at Women’s Rights

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The Saudi Arabian government announced last week a series of reforms aimed at expanding women’s civil rights including allowing Saudi women over the age of 21 to travel abroad alone and allowing women to file for birth certificates, marriage, and divorce. The new laws require equal employment regulations and criminalize discrimination based on gender, disability or race.  However, these changes do not dismantle the male guardianship system in the country.

Saudi Ambassador, Princess Reema bint Bandar, the first woman ambassador from the Kingdom to U.S., welcomed the changes. In a series of tweets, she wrote, “These new regulations are history in the making. They call for the equal engagement of women and men in our society. It is a holistic approach to gender equality that will unquestionably create real change for Saudi women.”

Last year, women were granted the right to drive and were for the first time allowed to watch live sports   events in the stadiums. Women were also given the right to vote on local issues in 2015 and are now allowed to run for elections in for local council positions.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia observes a strict brand of Islamic law, known as Wahhabism. The law does not allow women and men to be together and requires women to wear veil that must fully cover them. It is also in the Saudi law that every woman should have a male guardian, often a father, brother, husband, or a close male relative. It is not known when these changes will take effect.

 

Media Resources: BBC 8/2/19; France 24 8/2/19

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