On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood announced its’ plans to spend at least $45 million to support pro-choice candidates in local, state and national races. “This year what we’re finding is that people really understand exactly what’s at stake. The stakes are higher than ever, and our donors and our supporters understand that very clearly,” said Kelly […]
Nepal’s Parliament Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara Resigns after Rape Accusation
The speaker of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, stepped down from his position on Tuesday after a parliamentary employee accused him of raping her on Sunday in her own apartment. The lawmaker, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a prominent figure within the country’s governing Nepal Communist Party, denied assaulting the woman who accused him […]
Mayors Across the Country Condemn Trump Food Stamp Plan
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 […]
Trump Administration Instates Rules to Detain Migrant Children Indefinitely
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 […]
Philadelphia Mayor Makes Public Plea for Gun Control in Aftermath of Police Shooting
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 […]
Stacey Abrams Says She Won’t Run for President in 2020, Is Open to VP Nomination
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 […]
Women’s Rights: A Major Campaign Point in Afghanistan’s Presidential Elections
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 […]
Four Democratic Congresswomen Call Trump’s Racist Tweets a Distraction
Yesterday, four democratic congresswomen of color held a joint press conference to address a series of racist tweets made by President Trump in which he called for the women to “go back” to the countries they came from. The four women, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, condemned his words as […]
Black Maternal Health Caucus Holds Stakeholder Summit at the Capitol
Last Thursday afternoon, the Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC), composed of Congress members, such as co-founders Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Alma Adams (NC-12), Jackie Speier (CA-14), and Ilhan Omar (MN-5), gathered to hear the opinions of the stakeholders involved in developing a course of action to how to best deal with the issue of discrepancies […]
Virginia Governor Calls Special Session on Guns
Tuesday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam called a special session on guns in response to the May 31 Virginia Beach shooting; however, Republicans adjourned the legislature until November after 90 minutes in session. The Governor hoped to pass bills on gun control to prevent further mass shootings in a state with some of the weakest gun […]
Candidates Announce their Bids to Unseat Senator Susan Collins
Democrat Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, has announced that she is officially running to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins in 2020. Gideon has declared her bid amid a wave of several other Democratic, Republican, and Independent candidates announcing their campaigns. There are two other Democrats who have also launched their campaigns […]
North Carolina House of Representatives Failed to Overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s Veto of an Anti-abortion Bill
The North Carolina House of Representatives failed to overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of an anti-abortion bill that would have required physicians to treat any newborn delivered during an abortion and grant the infant the same protections guaranteed to other patients. Known as a “born-alive” bill, this abortion ban would have made it illegal for […]
U.S. House Holds First ERA Hearing in Over Three Decades
Last week, high profile women’s rights advocates and feminists gathered in Washington, D.C. for the first Congressional hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in over three decades. The ERA is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would specifically ban discrimination on the basis of sex.
Congress to Reintroduce Women’s Health Protection Act
On Tuesday, the Act for Women Campaign alongside Planned Parenthood, National Network of Abortion Funds, and Center of Reproductive Rights, held a briefing on two bills that aim to protect the constitutional and reproductive rights of women nationwide. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) protects abortion services against medically unnecessary restrictions, and the Equal Access […]
Lindsey Graham Holds Hearing on Dangerous Anti-Abortion Act
Today, Senator Lindsey Graham, the head of the Judicial Committee, is holding a hearing on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a dangerous bill based on “junk science” that would make abortion after 20 weeks illegal. This bill could have lethal consequences for women who “are faced with pregnancies complicated by severe birth defects that […]
Only 33 House Republicans Support the Violence Against Women Act
The House passed the Violence Against Women Act yesterday in a 263-158 vote, with 33 Republicans voting for the bill, and 157 voting against the re-authorization. The current law only bars gun ownership for convicted abusers who are married to their victim, live with their victim, or have a child with their victim. A new […]
Sen. Shaheen Invites Afghanistan Ambassador as NATO Joint Address Guest
Senator Shaheen (D-NH) brought Afghanistan Ambassador Roya Rahmani, the first female ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States, as her guest to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s Joint Address to Congress to highlight the need for women’s inclusion in all peace talks involving the U.S. and the Taliban. “I am thankful for Ambassador Rahmani’s willingness […]
Lori Lightfoot Elected as First Black Woman to Serve as Chicago Mayor
Lori Lightfoot won the Chicago Mayoral runoff Tuesday, defeating multiple career politicians and prominent local Democratic leaders. Lightfoot will be the first black woman to serve as Mayor in Chicago, as well as the first openly gay person. The race for Chicago Mayor started with over fourteen candidates. Lightfoot faced Preckwinkle in a historical election […]
Paycheck Fairness Act Passes U.S. House
On Wednesday, the Paycheck Fairness Act, also known as H.R. 7, passed the U.S. House of Representatives, with a final vote of 242-187 that included seven Republicans. The bill must pass the Senate and be signed by the President to become law. The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen protections against wage discrimination and amend […]
UN General Assembly Presidents States Regression in Women’s Political Power
U.N. President of the General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa addressed the Commission on Tuesday stating there has been a “serious regression” in women’s political power, pointing at the lack of progress for women in leaderships positions globally. In response to these obstacles Gabriela Cuevas Barron, The head of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, proposed increased affirmative action […]
