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.

Appeals Court Rules that Trump’s Family Planning Restrictions can take Effect Immediately

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Last week, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a family planning “gag rule,” which would strip federal Title X funding from any clinic that provides abortions or abortion referrals, could go into effect immediately. The new rules ban Title X funded-clinics—which serve approximately 4 million low-income Americans—from both making abortion referrals and sharing office space with abortion providers, effectively forcing numerous clinics to find new locations, undergo expensive remodels, or shut-down all together.

The court ruled that parts of the new rule, such as no longer being able to provide abortion referrals, could go into effect immediately. Other requirements, such as the physical separation of abortion services from non-abortion services must be completed by March 4, 2020.

Provider groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have labeled these rules as a “gag rule”, warning that it will undermine the patient-provider relationship and interfere with sensitive conversations between doctors and patients.

President of Planned Parenthood Dr. Leana Wen argued in a written statement that this rule is “unethical, illegal, and harmful to public health.” She additionally stated that the news is “devasting for the millions of people who rely on Title X health centers for cancer screenings, HIV tests, affordable birth control, and other critical primary and preventative care.”

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, nearly 60% of women across the U.S rely on Title X supported organizations for vital health services. Emily Nestler, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights argued that “clinics will be forced to stop providing abortion services…and that will make it nearly impossible for thousands of women, especially in lower-income, scarcely populated areas, to get any care at all.”

However, state attorneys general from California, Oregon, and Washington say they’ll continue to fight these rules. Dr. Wen further stated that “Planned Parenthood will not let the government censor our doctors and nurses from informing patients where and how they can access health care.”

 

Media Resources: Politico 6/20/19; Buzzfeed News 6/20/19; Washington Post 6/20/19; CBS News 6/20/19

New York Strengthens Sexual Harassment Laws

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On Wednesday, the New York state legislature passed landmark legislation that provide stronger protections for survivors of sexual harassment, making it easier to bring sexual harassment claims forward. Governor Cuomo has promised to sign both bills into law.

The first of the two bills removes the standard that harassment in the workplace must be “severe or pervasive” in order for an individual to take legal action. Those lobbying for the bill explained that eliminating this standard will require judges to hear all types of sexual harassment claims, including those involving inappropriate language and groping, which judges have overwhelmingly dismissed under the established standard.

The bill also bans the use of nondisclosure agreements, extends the statute of limitations for sexual harassment claims to three years, requires that sexual harassment training be available in any employee’s primary language, and directs the commissioner of labor to study existing labor law and identify where improvements can be made to combat workplace harassment and discrimination.

The second bill passed on Wednesday prolongs the statute of limitations for second and third-degree rape from five years to twenty and ten years, respectively. Members of the Time’s Up movement have been particularly vocal on the passage of this bill as it was this statute of limitations that prevented many women from pressing charges against Hollywood movie executive Harvey Weinstein.

The Sexual Harassment Working Group was another passionate group advocating for the passage of both bills. The Group consists of seven women who have worked in the New York legislature and who experienced workplace sexual harassment themselves. They were instrumental in pushing for a public hearing on sexual harassment in the legislature in February. They were ultimately successful as New York held its first public hearing on sexual harassment in over thirty years.

 

Media Resources: The New York Times 6/20/19, The Hill 6/20/19, New York Senate 6/19/19, The Huffington Post 6/19/19, The New York Times 2/12/19, Feminist Newswire 10/11/17

Last Remaining Abortion Clinic in Missouri Denied License Renewal

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The sole remaining abortion clinic in the state of Missouri is waiting on a further decision from the circuit court after the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) declined to renew their license last Friday, citing concerns for patients and perceived regulatory violations that were not fixed after an inspection.

With the license renewal came another announcement by the DHSS on pelvic exams. The clinic will no longer be required to conduct the medically unnecessary exams as a part of the process of informed consent in which physicians are required to read prepared literature and discuss the possible dangers of the abortion procedure.

Last week, the Planned Parenthood clinic sent the DHSS a plan to correct the perceived violations. The alleged concerns were described in a statement provided by the Department earlier that week depicting thirty issues they found at the clinic. The violations surrounded “failed” abortion procedures that were not reported correctly.

The clinic will continue to be able to provide abortion care pending a further decision by the court. The denial is mostly symbolic at this time due to a preliminary injunction issued by the circuit court on June 11. The ruling stated that the Department of Health and Senior Services had to either deny or renew the clinic’s license and could not let it run out without taking any specific actions. The injunction will continue to remain in effect until another ruling from the court is issued in response to the license denial.

Surrounding states have been preparing for the possible closing of this clinic since May when Governor Mike Parson signed a bill criminalizing abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy. A nearby clinic in Granite, Illinois has been hiring more staff and readying their services for an influx of patients coming in if the Missouri clinic is fully shut down. There are currently six states with only one clinic remaining.

 

Media Resources: Newswire 6/11/19; New York Times 6/21/19; The Wall Street Journal 6/21/19; Feminist The Hill 6/22/19;

The Safety of Refugee Girls in Lebanon is in Crisis

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A recent survey of 400 refugee girls at the age of 10-19 in Lebanon showed that 70% of them feel frighten traveling during the day by themselves, whereas 90% of them reported that they feel unsafe at night. These young girls talked about how men are attacking them, and how they fear being raped.

“We’re afraid [to go out alone]. There are always drunk men who harass us and even the ones who aren’t drunk harass us,” said an 18 year old refugee from Burj al-Barajneh, in Beirut suburbs.

Parents are forcing their daughters marry young, because of poverty and concerns for their daughters’ safety. Child marriage is four times higher for Syrian refugees than it was for Syrian girls before the war. Many young girls marry to financially support their single mothers.

However, these young girls are still hopeful for their futures. They want to continue their education; become lawyers, teachers, and doctors; and support the next generation of women.

Media Resources: Aljazeera 06/18/2019, United Nations Population Fund, 01/31/2017, Feminist Newswire 06/30/2016

Trump Administration hosts Concentration Camps at the Texas Border

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This week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a link to an Esquire article titled “An Expert on Concentration Camps Says That’s Exactly What the U.S. Is Running at the Border” which sparked controversy over the Trump administration’s handling of refugees. AOC captioned her tweet “This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying. This is not a hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis.”

In the past week, there has been a resurgence of attention on the southern border due to new information regarding the conditions of the concentration camps in Texas. Clara Long, a researcher for Human Rights Watch described the environment as “The kids had colds and were sick and said they didn’t have access to soap to wash their hands. It was an alcohol-based cleanser. Some kids who were detained for 2-3 weeks had only one or two opportunities to shower.”

A team of lawyers, doctors, and advocates noted that children are being held past the legal time limit, people are going weeks without showering or changing clothes, poor quality food with little to no variation, most of the refugees they interacted with are sick, and young children are not being looked after, forcing migrant youth to care for the babies. AP reported that the young migrant girls stated that “a Border Patrol agent came in our room with a 2-year-old boy and asked us, ‘Who wants to take care of this little boy?’ Another girl said she would take care of him, but she lost interest after a few hours and so I started taking care of him yesterday.”

Feminists have been speaking out about the crisis of immigration since Trump initiated his zero tolerance seperation policy which separated thousands of families in hopes of forcefully scaring away more asylum seekers. Refugee families who fled to America in hopes of temporary safety from their homelands are still recovering from these seperation polices that have created a Caribbean diaspora.

Last year, over 30,000 people gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House to protest Trump’s policy of family separation and indefinite detention at the southern border. Hundreds of thousands of people marched nationwide in sister marches in over 700 different cities. Protesters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House, demanding that Trump reunite the families he separated. They then marched around the Justice Department, leaving signs in front of the building. Feminist Majority attended the protest and was led by President Eleanor Smeal.

Media Resources: CNN Politics 6/21/29; AP 6/21/19; CBS News 6/21/19; Bustle 6/20/19; CBS NEWS 6/18/19; VOX 6/20/19; Feminist Newswire 7/9/18

U.N. Security Council Meeting on Afghanistan “Cautiously” Optimistic

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U.N. Security Council on June 19 held a briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. Officials urged for the inclusion of Afghan government in peace negotiations, human rights protection, and a credible and timely presidential election. Tadamichi Yamamoto, U.N. Special Representative to Afghanistan, said that there is reason for “cautious” optimism.

During his briefing, Yamamoto, who is also the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stressed the need for formal negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Yamamoto told the Security Council that Afghans are focused on the need to reach a negotiated settlement. He said that “all such efforts must aim towards one common objective:  the start of formal negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.” He continued that “the common message to the Taliban is clear:  come to the table and negotiate directly with the Afghan Government.” He also said that he’s encouraged by increasing support for a political settlement and called on countries “with direct contacts and with influence over the Taliban to intensify their efforts toward this goal.”

Yamamoto addressed Afghanistan’s upcoming presidential election which is scheduled for September 28, 2019. He said that this election “will be a key moment to reaffirm the legitimacy of Afghanistan’s democratic political structure and there are significant operational and technical challenges to be overcome.”  Yamamoto also showed concern over the civilian casualties stating that “the first quarter of 2019 saw almost 1,800 civilians killed or injured — fewer than in previous quarters but still far too many.” He insisted that, “the targeting of civilians by anti-government elements is a war crime and must stop.”

Adela Raz, Afghanistan’s first woman Ambassador to the U.N. said that “the Government of National Unity has long believed that peace can only be achieved through a process supported by all Afghans.” She continued that, “protecting the essence of the Constitution, especially equal rights, reflects the strong desire of the Afghan public — and as such, the outcome of any agreement should retain, expand and enhance women’s rights.”  Speaking about Afghan security forces, Raz said that they “have prevented the Taliban from capturing territory, stressing that 85 to 90 percent of productive territory is under government control.

Leading Afghan women including Raz, Dr. Sima Samar Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and representatives from Afghan Women Network, Afghan female journalists participated in the meeting. Dr. Samar conveyed to the Security Council the demand of Afghan women to make women and human rights a non-negotiable element in the peace negotiation with the Taliban. She also raised her concern by saying that although “hope and optimism for protecting human rights has never been higher in Afghanistan, fear of returning to a time when people — especially women and minorities — were denied their freedoms has never been greater.” Dr. Samar also called for international community to support the upcoming presidential election. According to Samar, a free and fair election is critical to ensuring stability and security in Afghanistan.

 

Media Resources: UN 6/19/19, 6/19/19

AWCCI takes win in World Chambers Congress and Competition

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The Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), a group dedicated to highlighting Afghan women entrepreneurs, recently participated in the World Chambers Congress and Competition for the 11th anniversary of the competition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This competition, held every two years, focuses on entrepreneurship and achievements by businesses in the sector.

The competition is broken down into three categories: Best Education and Training Project; Best Unconventional Project; and Entrepreneurship Development Project. The AWCCI competed and won in Best Small and Medium Enterprise Development and Entrepreneurship Development.

Afghan businesswomen have shown their entrepreneurship through AWCCI in bringing in 200 women-owned businesses in 31 events in the business sector. Over the past year AWCCI states that “more than 500 women [attended]… legal awareness and advocacy training” ranging from all parts of Afghanistan including Mazar, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, and Jelalabad, increasing women’s education and self-efficacy in the business sector.

AWCCI shows a well-deserved victory in this competition and is projected to keep gaining traction with female-led entrepreneurship.

 

Media Resources: AWCCI 6/17/19

Rhode Island Codifies Rights Granted under Roe v. Wade

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Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo signed the Reproductive Privacy Act (RPA) into law, a monumental moment for the protection of abortion rights in the state. The bill codifies the privacy rights that were established in Roe v. Wade, meaning that if Roe were to be overturned on the federal level, citizens of Rhode Island would still have their right to abortion protected. The passage of the bill comes six months after the bill was introduced at the beginning of this year by District 9 Representative Anastasia Williams.

The bill passed in the Senate 21-17 minutes before it was signed into law, and initially passed the House several months ago 44-30. The bill’s components includes the decriminalization of abortions, the extension of maternity care to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it, and the allowance for health insurance to cover abortions, though that provision does not extend to employees of the state.

The passage of this bill places Rhode Island alongside New York as one of the states who have recently codified the rights granted by Roe v. Wade. The RPA took effect immediately after its passage and will safeguard abortion rights in the state. The RPA’s passage is a change from the restrictive abortion laws that have been passed earlier this year throughout the country.

 

Media Resources: Providence Local (WJAR) 6/19/19; The Reproductive Privacy Act 6/19/19; Uprise RI 3/08/19; CNN 1/23/19

Alabama Legislature passes Equal Pay Act

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Last week, the Alabama legislature passed HB225, prohibiting employers from having discrepancies in pay among employees that do equal work. The law will go into place in August 2019, to ensure equal pay excluding seniority and merit, to all working citizens of Alabama.

The democratic representative, Rep. Adline Clake, was inspired to write the bill after reading Lilly Ledbetter’s book “Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond.” Ledbetter, also an Alabama Native, inspired this act as well as others such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. Although this bill guarantees equal pay for equal work, it does not extend to different salaries, and makes it hard to report a discrepancy by only allotting 180 days to file a claim.

Although the pay gap is still in effect, both representative Clarke and Ledbetter have paved ways in the fight for equal pay and for highlighting this national issue. National Equal Pay day this year was on April 2nd, 2019, the day into 2019 that women on average have to work until to earn the same amount earned by their male counterparts in 2018 alone.

The 2018 statistics on the wage gap found that women in part-time and full-time positions made 85% of their male co-workers, meaning that women have to work an extra 39 days into 2019 to match what men made in 2018. However, this statistic represents the average for all women regardless of race. Black Women’s equal pay day isn’t until August 22nd, Native American Women’s payday isn’t until September 23rd and Latin American women’s equal pay day isn’t until November 20th. These statistics showcase the real disparities that exist among all women, as Equal Pay Day alone does not tell the whole story.

This day is highlighted by the National Committee on Pay Equity to put pay inequality in the limelight and expose the remaining two states, North Carolina and Mississippi, who have no equal pay protection on the state level.

 

Media Resources: Al.com 6/12/19, Feminist Newswire 4/2/19

First Female President to Lead the U.S. Naval War College Announced

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Last week, Rear Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was appointed as the first female president of the U.S. Naval War College, 135 years after the opening of the Navy institution. Rear Admiral Chatfield, 53, is currently serving as Commander, Joint Region Marianas, Guam and previously served as a Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander in Farah province, Afghanistan, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

The announcement came after the Associated Press published a report that there is a current military investigation against the previous NWC president Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley. He has been accused of abusing his authority in regards to hiring, inappropriately spending the institution’s money, and for personal behavioral issues, which led to his resignation.

Originally from Garden Grove, California, Chatfield’s appointment was called “a historic choice” by the Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer. Chatfield, who also has a doctorate in Education, will lead the college as the 58th president since its establishment in 1884.

 

Media Resources: NPR 6/14/19, Navy 6/14/19, APNEWS 6/7/19

Health and Human Services Defends Attack on Title X

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On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce met to discuss the Department of Health and Human Services new Title X regulation, dubbed as the ‘gag-rule’, that would ‘gag’ health care providers who are Title X funded from telling their patients how and where they can safely and legally access abortions; would prevent patients from getting full and accurate information on all their options; and would block patients, especially those in low-income and rural areas, from accessing the full spectrum of reproductive health care.

Diane Foley, the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Population Affairs Director, Office of Adolescent Health was the main witness during the congressional hearing today and was asked to explain and defend HHS’s new regulation in front of the committee. When prompted on the ‘gag-rule’, Dr. Foley denied it being such a thing, despite numerous repeating of the fact that the new regulation would block health providers from speaking on abortion as an option. When prompted to respond to why HHS created this new regulation, she cited unfounded but heavy concerns on possible co-mingling of funds from clinics that are Title X funded and those that are not. Many of the committee members brought to Dr. Foley’s attention the lack of proper evidence that would support these concerns raised by the HHS and mentioned the 19 national health associations that have spoken out against this new regulation. Dr. Foley, and by extension the HHS, refused to acknowledge this.

What this administration and HHS has done with this new regulation is turn the conversation and the funding from Title X onto abortion, when in reality Title X is about giving women choices in their reproductive health. Title X provides grants to clinics that deal with family planning issues. Since its creation in the 70s, it has been explicit in the statutory laws that Title X grant money cannot go towards abortions. In the 50 years since the passing of Title X, there has never been a single case, or any evidence of the grant money being used towards abortions. Despite this, the current administration has implemented new regulations to Title X.

In 2016 alone, health centers used Title X funding to provide 720,000 Pap tests, more than four million STD tests (including HIV tests) and nearly one million breast exams. According to the Center for American Progress, women’s health centers that receive money from Title X prevent 1 million unintended pregnancies each year that would have resulted in 501,000 unplanned births and 345,000 abortions. By passing this measure, the Senate is once again opening the doors to allow states to bar women’s healthcare providers from funds that pay for STI/STD treatments and birth control, not because they are unqualified providers, but because they also happen to offer abortion services through non-governmental funding.

Media Resources: House of Representatives 6/19/19; Health and Human Services, 2014, 2016, 6/19/19; Planned Parenthood 3/7/19; Feminist News Wire 3/31/17

NASA Announces First Woman on the Moon in 2024

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NASA announced this week that they are sending the first woman to the moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis mission. The Artemis mission aims to create the first sustainable human presence on the moon by 2028.

Although the first astronauts landed on the moon 45 years ago, no female astronaut has actually been to the moon. Sally Ride, the first female astronaut, was sent into space in 1983 as part of the STS-7 mission, but never landed on the moon itself. Multiple men, however, have landed on the moon during the Apollo missions from the 1960s-the early 1970s.

This announcement comes after NASA received backlash for cancelling the historic all-women spacewalk due to a lack of spacesuits in March. NASA claims only one correctly sized spacesuit will be accessible for when the walk was scheduled. Anne McClain, one of the two women set for the mission, was forced to forfeit her place to a male colleague.

A plethora of people questioned NASA over their limited number of suit sizes. NASA’s lack of smaller suit sizes disproportionately affects women, who tend to be smaller than their male counterparts. NASA did an analysis of spacesuit sizing in 2003, and found that spacesuits did not limit men, while a third of the women could not fit into the suits, limiting their ability to spacewalk.

 

Media Resources: CBS 6/16/19; Feminist Newswire 3/27/19; NPR 3/26/19

Boston Public Schools to Provide Free Menstrual Products to Students

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Yesterday, Boston Public Schools announced that they will invest $100,000 to begin a test pilot program that will provide free menstrual products to students in the 6th to 12th grades. The menstrual supplies will be available in the offices of school nurses and selected teachers as a part of the school district’s initiative to ensure that students aren’t missing school because of limited access to tampons and pads.

In May, Brookline, Massachusetts became the first municipality in the country to provide free menstrual products in all city-owned buildings’ bathrooms. Tampons and pads are available in all bathrooms to ensure that anyone who has a period⁠—regardless of their gender⁠—has access to free and accessible menstrual products. The program began after the Brookline High School student, Sarah Groustra, sparked a discussion around menstrual inequity and period shame in her article in the school newspaper. However, tampons and pads are still not available in the public schools of the town.

Lack of accessibility to menstrual products and the stigma around periods are a global issue that greatly affects the education of students. There have been initiatives across the world to provide free menstrual products and normalize periods. A recent campaign was highlighted in the award-winning film “Period End of Sentence.” tells the story of women in a small village outside of Delhi, India who are leading a quiet revolution against the deeply rooted stigma surrounding menstruation.

This new policy comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to end the sales tax on tampons. Tampons are taxed as a luxury item, which is a higher tax than other comparable medical necessities. However, this plan does not include  free menstrual products in schools, which limits the accessibility of medical products for young people, causing economic hardship and, at times, causing students to miss school.

Sources: Patch 6/18/19, NPR 6/9/19, Feminist Newswire 2/26/19, The Sagamore 4/26/18

Supreme Court Upholds Virginia Redistricting

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On Monday, June 17th,  the Supreme Court decided to uphold district re-drawings in spite of republican’s challenge to reverse racially gerrymandered districts.

Written by Justice Ginsburg, majority 5-4 decision states Virginia preferred to “stop than fight on,” illuminating that they are ready for an election with these already redrawn districts.

These districts were originally drawn then were taken to supreme court by Virginia House Republicans, upset with the new districts and hoping to secure their positions in the upcoming election.

This decision could lead to the passage of the ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment would only need one more state for its ratification to the US Constitution. The last ratification was in Nevada on March 21st 2017; making Virginians and activists eager to get on the campaign trail and elect ERA supporting candidates.

The ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment has been long awaited. With its conception in 1923 after the ratification of the 19th amendment, Alice Paul wrote the amendment to guarantee  constitutional protection beyond the “due process” clause of the 14th amendment.

This amendment is designed to explicitly protect that rights “shall not be denied or abridged… on the account of sex.” This amendment would be precedent in future Supreme Court cases, establishing equality of sec as the law of the land.

 

Media Resources: NPR 6/17/19, The Washington Post 6/17/19, Feminist Newswire 5/6/19

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Emphasizes the Inclusion of Women in Peace and Security Talks

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Last Thursday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to discuss the importance of women in building a long lasting peace in post-conflict societies, emphasizing women’s role in peace efforts and calling for the inclusion of women in its efforts of conflict resolution overseas.

The committee created a goal to ensure that Afghan women participate meaningfully in the ongoing peace talks in Afghanistan amidst debate of US’s withdrawal of troops. The Senators demanded the inclusion of women in the ongoing peace talks in Afghanistan under the guidelines of the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017 and the Administration’s following strategy.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the only woman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has led recent efforts in Congress to fight for women’s inclusion in Afghan peace talks. Earlier last week, the White House launched the first national strategy on women, peace and security.

The strategy is mandated by the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017 which focuses on preventing and resolving conflict through increasing women’s participation in the mediation process.

Research on peace talks finds that when women participate, meaningfully, in peace negotiations, the peace agreements are 64 percent less likely to fail and 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years. Specifically in conflict zones, women are successful in mediating conflict, violence, and extremism, and are successful in stabilizing communities and peacekeeping efforts. Many Afghan women have resolved rising issues between civilians and the Taliban and hold a crucial role in creating a sustainable and prosperous peace in the country.

 

Media Resources: Politico 02/05/2019, Diplomatic Courier 2/27/19, Feminist NewsWire 02/28/19

Swiss Women Protest Gender Inequality

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On Friday, thousands of women took to the streets of Switzerland to protest gender disparities both at home and in the workplace. The protestors marched through some of Switzerland’s largest and most populous cities including Geneva, Zurich, and Bern, as well as smaller towns throughout the country.

A large group of demonstrators amassed outside of the Federal Assembly in Bern, the home of the federal legislature, and at 3:24 pm, the average time at which women stop being paid while men continue earning money for their work based on average measures of pay inequality, a nationwide walkout took place. Even female members of the Swiss Federal Council left their desks to join the march.

A manifesto released by the organizers of the protest stated that “[o]n June 14, we strike. A paid work strike, a domestic work strike, a care strike, a school strike and a consumer strike. So that our work becomes visible, so that our demands are understood, so that the public sphere becomes something for all women.” Women at the protest also called for more paid family leave as well as an expansion of protections for immigrant women, members of the LGBTQ community, and survivors of domestic violence.

The protests are a testament to the progress that still has to be done in Switzerland to achieve gender parity. The annual Global Gender Pay Gap study conducted by the World Economic Forum revealed the disturbing reality that in wage equality for similar work, Switzerland ranks 44th in the world. In addition, the Swiss government did not provide women with paid maternity leave until 2005 and it still does not recognize paid paternity leave.

Friday’s protest took place on the 28th anniversary of the first workers’ strike by Swiss women. At the time, the 1991 strike was the largest workers’ strike in Switzerland with roughly 500,000 people present. The organizers of Friday’s protest hope to keep the momentum going by continuing the strike next year as well.

 

Media Resources: The New York Times 6/14/19, NPR 6/14/19, CNN 6/14/19, Feminist Newsire 10/19/15, World Economic Forum 2018

New York City Announces $250,000 of Funding towards Abortion Services

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On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced a budget deal for the next fiscal year that would allocate $250,000 to fund reproductive care for those seeking abortions.

The money will go to the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF), an organization that works to make abortion services more accessible by mitigating financial and logistical obstacles that make seeking an abortion more difficult for low-income individuals. NYAAF will directly pay the bills for those seeking abortion services in New York City who reach out to the fund. Based on the average cost of abortion care services, this new funding is estimated to provide 500 abortions to those who are not covered by insurance or Medicaid.

This marks the first time that any city has allocated money to directly fund abortion. New York City has funded general reproductive care through Planned Parenthood in the past; however, this funding will be allocated exclusively for abortion services.

Though 500 patients makes up a small portion of those seeking abortions in New York City, the funding announcement is a symbolic and tangible move by the city’s leadership amidst a nationwide increase in the passage of restrictive abortion laws. With an increasingly divisive rhetoric in the United States surrounding reproductive rights, the actions of Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson reflect the strength of the reproductive rights movement in its work to ensure that individuals have access to reproductive healthcare.

The state of New York is a pioneer in the area of reproducitve rights: one of the most progressive abortion laws in the nation, the Reproductive Health Act, was signed into law in January by Governor Andrew Cuomo. This law codified the right to an abortion in New York, securing reproductive rights in the state if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Reproductive Health Act expands the criteria for receiving an abortion, expands the availability of reproductive care, and protects individuals who have received an abortion from any prosecution.

 

Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 1/24/19; New York Times 6/14/19; CNN 6/15/19; Think Progress 6/15/19

More Women are becoming Sharia Judges in India

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Women are now being trained as “qazis,” or Islamic judges who rule over marriage, divorce, and other relationship issues in India, allowing Indian brides to find justice within the Muslim community. The female qazis, unlike male qazis, listen to both individuals that are involved in the relationship and provide women information regarding their legal rights.

However, the existence of the female qazis are in question in the male dominated society. Many people believe that rituals done by the female qazis are not legit or authentic. Despite that the prophet’s wife Sayyida Aisha was a qazis and she formalized multiple marriages in her time.

The increasing number of women in the sharia judges is teaching women feminist perspectives of Islam. The new class of female qazis in India is also empowering women to become more involved with other leadership roles within the Muslim community as well.

 

Media Resources: Aljazeera 6/14/19, Daily Beast 04/13/17, Feminist Newswire 4/27/12

D.C. Appeals Court Blocks Policy that Prevents Undocumented Minors from Seeking Abortions

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Today, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a Trump administration policy barring undocumented minors held in federal custody from obtaining an abortion. In their opinion, the Circuit Court judges wrote that “a person has a constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy” and “the government accepts the applicability of that settled framework to unaccompanied alien children in its custody.”

Last year, the district court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the Trump administration from hindering undocumented teenagers’ abilities to get an abortion or seek counseling. Today’s ruling provides an even stronger protection for young migrants against those who wish to limit their access to abortion.

The case involved multiple plaintiffs who attempted to obtain abortions while in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). One of the young female plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe, was raped in her country of origin when she was just 17 years old. She did not realize that she was pregnant until she arrived in the United States at a Texas ORR facility. While in government custody, she asked multiple times for an abortion, but was repeatedly denied. Another young woman involved was 17 when she was raped and discovered she was pregnant. Despite her need for an abortion procedure, she was told she could not receive one due to the government’s policy. The two young women were eventually able to receive an abortion only after the court granted both of them a temporary restraining order over the government’s opposition.

The Trump administration’s 2017 policy acted as a complete ban on abortion for any undocumented person under the age of 18 being held in custody. The policy prevented undocumented minors from receiving an abortion, regardless of laws in the state where the minor was being held. The policy also notably did not contain exceptions for rape or incest.

The issue of abortion access for migrant youth has arisen in conjunction with rising complaints of sexual abuse from thousands of migrants held in youth detention centers. These disturbing reports are just one of the many reasons why ensuring that young undocumented people have access to safe abortions is so vital.

 

Media Resources: The Hill 6/14/18, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit 6/14/19, Feminist Newswire 2/19/19

Elizabeth Lederer Resigns from Columbia Law Following Release of “When They See Us”

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

On Wednesday evening Elizabeth Lederer, a Columbia law professor known for her involvement as a prosecutor in the Central Park Five case, resigned from her position on Columbia’s faculty, citing the resurgence of publicity surrounding the case due to the Netflix limited series “When They See Us,” which portrayed Lederer as an aggressive prosecutor who wrongfully convicted five Black and Latinx teenagers for the sexual assault and rape of Trisha Meili.

In a letter shared on Twitter Tuesday, the Black Law Students Association at Columbia Law called for Lederer’s departure as well as anti-racist training for all Columbia Law professors. Earlier, a petition started by Columbia’s Black Student Organization was circulated around the campus calling for Lederer’s resignation; the petition received over 10,000 signatures.

In 2013, a similar petition demanding Lederer’s departure gained traction after the release of The Central Park Five (2012), a documentary detailing the events of the case. While the petition had over 5,000 signatures, Columbia University took no action, instead choosing to remove all mentions the case from her faculty biography.

Lederer’s resignation comes after Linda Fairstein stepped down from Vassar College’s Board of Trustees due to her involvement in the case. Ava DuVernay’s work in directing “When They See Us” has opened up many conversations about race in our justice system, and shows the cruelties faced by people of color in a system that seeks to paint them as criminals.

 

Media Resources: The New York Times, 6/12/19; The Black Law Students Association at Columbia University, 6/11/19; Columbia Black Student Organization, 6/4/19; The New York Times, 5/2/13; Feminist Newswire 6/10/19

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