Yesterday, Alabama’s female Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive and cruel anti-abortion legislation in the United States, legislation that female Representative Terry Collins introduced in the state house to challenge Roe v. Wade. This past week both Georgia and Alabama have passed extreme anti-abortion legislation, revealing the conservative agenda to overturn Roe […]
UN Passes Anti-War Rape Resolution Despite US Opposition
On Tuesday, the United Nations amended resolution aimed at ending sexual violence in war passed 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining. This was after the United States threatened to use their veto power to demand that all references to sexual and reproductive health be cut out. The Trump administration called for this change because they claim the resolution “implies support for abortion.”
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 […]
Bipartisan Senators Introduce Legislation on Violence Against Native Women
Today, Senators Lisa Murkowski, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Jon Tester announced bipartisan legislation called the Not Invisible Act to address violence against Native American women and outline a federal strategy to reduce the skyrocketing rates of murdered, missing, and trafficked indigenous women in the United States. The Not Invisible Act would create an advisory committee, […]
House to Vote on the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization
The House is set to vote on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act tomorrow. The law expired in February during the government shutdown. A new provision in the bill will prevent convicted stalkers or dating partners convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun. The current law only prevents those convicted of abuse and […]
President of the Philippines under Fire for Sexist Comments
*********trigger warning: sexual assault and violence************** On Monday, the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte spoke at an event for the country’s National Women’s Month, that was meant to honor outstanding women in law enforcement and national security, but in his speech, Duterte referred to the women as “crazy” and “bitches” that deprive him of the “freedom” […]
Senator McSally Speaks out Against Sexual Assault in the Military
On Wednesday in a Senate Armed Services subcommittee, Senator Martha McSally, a veteran of the Air Force and the first woman to fly in combat after the ban on women was lifted, revealed that she is a rape survivor and that the rape occurred while actively serving in the military. In an emotional speech, she […]
Shannon Goessling Nominated to Head the Office of Violence Against Women
On March 5, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a nomination hearing for Shannon Lee Goessling, Trump’s pick to head the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) at the Department of Justice. Women’s rights and anti-violence activists have raised serious concerns over the nominee’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, anti-racial justice history, noting that combating intimate partner violence requires an intersectional perspective that understands the vulnerability of respective communities.
Violence Against Native American Women
Savanna’s Act, a bill that calls for the standardization of protocols for law enforcement agencies and for updating data for federal databases relevant to missing or murdered Native American women, was re-introduced to the floor on Monday by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Savanna’s Act is named in honor of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a pregnant Spirit Lake […]
Pope Admits Reports of Clerics Sexually Abusing Nuns
During a trip to the Middle East, Pope Francis admitted that some clerics were sexually abusing nuns, stating that the sexual abuse of nuns has been an ongoing problem that the church is working on and that many clerics have been suspended. In two weeks, Pope Francis will be hosting a gathering of bishops and […]
Four Women Are Killed Everyday in Brazil
Since the beginning of 2019, on average, four women per day have been killed in Brazil and 126 women have been killed so far this year, causing increased pressure on the government to crack down on femicide cases. There have been an additional 64 attempted murders recorded. The high rate of women being killed is […]
New Brazilian Gun Laws May Pose Risk to Domestic Violence Victims
New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree to loosen gun laws throughout the country, despite public safety experts concern, a decree that makes it easier for Brazilians to have guns in their homes, as well as waives old standing safety checks such as federal police approval. In addition, Bolsonaro increased the validity period […]
Afghan Women Athletes Report Assault
Women athletes on the Afghanistan national football team have come out with serious allegations of sexual and physical assault against leaders of the Football Federation of Afghanistan (AFF), an affiliate of FIFA, including its president Keramuudin Karim.
Child Sex-Trafficking Survivor Cyntoia Brown To Be Released From Prison
On Monday morning Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted executive clemency to 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown—a survivor of child sex trafficking who was convicted in 2004 of first degree murder after killing a 43-year-old man who had purchased her for sex. Brown, who at 16-years-old was sentenced to life in prison, is now scheduled to be released on August 7, 2019.
Judge Allows Alleged Baylor Rapist to Serve no Time
Former Baylor University fraternity president, Jacob Anderson, will not serve jail time or be put on the sex offender registry even though he allegedly raped a fellow Baylor student in 2016 at his fraternity’s, Phi Delta Theta, party. Anderson was initially charged with four counts of sexual assault but will only have to pay a […]
Tennessee Supreme Court: Cyntoia Brown Must Serve 51 Years Before Eligible for Parole
On Thursday, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Cyntoia Brown–a sex-trafficking victim who at 16 was sentenced to life in prison for killing a 43-year-old Nashville man who bought her for sex–will have to serve at least 51 years in prison before being eligible for release.
US Border Patrol Agent Indicted on Capital Murder Charge
Juan David Ortiz, A US border patrol agent, was indicted on capital murder charge for killing four women and kidnapping one woman. Ortiz was also indicted on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of unlawful restraint with reckless exposure to serious bodily injury, and evading arrest. His charges make him […]
Russian Official Calls for New Laws to Combat Domestic Violence, Regrets Decriminalization
Today, Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova admitted that she regrets Russia’s decision to decriminalize domestic abuse last year and called for new laws to protect women and children from domestic violence. Moskalkova stated today that she “believes that decriminalization was a mistake and we need to adopt a law to combat domestic abuse.” She […]
UN Report Finds Majority of Female Homicide Victims are Killed by Partners or Family
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a report this week that found that more than half of all female homicides were caused by intimate partners or relatives, depicting the home as one of the most dangerous places for women. The report also found that legal efforts to decrease these homicides and protect […]
Democratic Women’s Working Group and Representatives Condemn New Title IX Rules
Yesterday, the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG), along with Representatives Jackie Speier, Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Annie Kuster and 77 House members, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to retract her recently proposed rules for Title IX. In the letter, the representatives denounce the proposed rules, calling the rules a […]