On Friday, Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, in collaboration with other Puerto Rican Feminist groups, organized a sit-in (un plantón) in front of La Fortaleza, Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s residence, to protest the killing of a woman by her husband, a police officer. During the protests, the Puerto Rican police peppered sprayed the protestors and videos surfaced […]
Judge Rules US Ban on Female Genital Mutilation Unconstitutional
This week a judge ruled that the U.S. federal female genital mutilation law is unconstitutional, dismissing charges against a Michigan doctor accused of performing female genital mutilation on at least nine young girls between the ages of 8 and 13. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was charged with performing female genital mutilation at least nine times from […]
Facebook under Scrutiny for Allowing Child Bride Auction
Facebook is currently under scrutiny for allowing a child bride auction of a 16-year- old South Sudanese child girl on its platform. The online auction held on Facebook asked people to bid on the minor’s dowry for her hand in marriage. According to Plan International, five men bid on the 16-year-old girl, including high-ranking South […]
Protests Erupt across Ireland after Underwear is used as Evidence of Consent
Women across Ireland are protesting how rape trials conduct after a recent trial used a woman’s underwear as evidence of consent, leading to a man being acquitted of rape. Protesters this week in Ireland, and abroad, are using the hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent and sharing photos of women’s underwear. A social media movement began when people started […]
Harsh Anti-Abortion Laws in El Salvador Criminalize Survivors
On Monday, a criminal trial against Imelda Cortez, a 20-year-old woman charged with attempted murder after she gave birth to her abuser’s baby in El Salvador, began. Cortez has been in custody since April 2017 and may face up to 20 years in jail because doctors believe she attempted an abortion. The court ruling is […]
Russian Authorities Refusing Investigations into Domestic Violence
A Human Rights Watch report found that Russian authorities do not investigate women’s claims of domestic violence and abuses because domestic violence is decriminalized in Russia. Instead, police recommend that women return to their abusers, leaving women with virtually no protection from intimate partner violence. Further, the report discovered that women are often blamed for […]
Kavanaugh Accused of Sexual Assault
California professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school in the early 1980s.
Denying Justice to Campus Sexual Assault Survivors Saves Colleges Money
“The Trump administration is sending us back to an ugly time when rape victims suffered in silence in our schools, and perpetrators were able to assault multiple women with impunity.”
6 Year Old Sexually Abused in Immigration Detention Told to Stay Away from Assailant
After a 6-year-old girl was sexually abused in an immigrant detainment center in Arizona, she was forced to sign a document saying it was her responsibility to stay away from her abuser. The girl was residing in the detention facility after being forcibly separated from her parents at the southern border. Her abuser is an older child staying in the same center, Casa Glendale.
Victory in the Fight to End Virginity Testing in Afghanistan
A major breakthrough was secured for Afghan women last week following a new policy that aims to prohibit virgin testing across health care facilities.
Larry Nassar Faces Additional Charges
A grand jury in Texas has charged former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics Team Doctor Larry Nassar with six additional counts of sexual assault for attacks that allegedly occurred at the famed Karoyli Ranch, a gymnastics training center for budding Olympians. The Karoyli Ranch near Houston is run by the notoriously abusive gymnastic coaches Martha and Bele Karoyli. County prosecutors have declined to file charges against the couple.
Judge Who Gave Light Rape Sentence Recalled
Aaron Persky, the judge who sparked national outrage after granting a light jail sentence to Stanford rapist Brock Turner, was recalled by California voters in their June 5 primary. It is very rare for a judge to be recalled: since 1911 when recalls were first legalized, only four attempts have been successful; the last was in 1932.
Sessions Reverses Asylum Protection for Immigrants Fleeing Domestic and Gang Violence
On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that a 2014 Board of Immigration Appeals decision protecting victims of gang or domestic violence was “wrongly decided.” “Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum,” Sessions wrote. “The applicant must show that the government condoned […]
When Misogyny Kills
More than half of mass shootings have been committed by gunmen with a history of violence against women.
Federal Appeals Court Hears Title IX Complaint Brought by Feminist Majority Foundation
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard oral arguments in a Title IX sex discrimination complaint brought by the Feminist Majority Foundation against the University of Mary Washington and UMW’s former president Richard Hurley.
Women’s and Labor Rights Advocates hold Enough is Enough Summit on Sex Harassment
Last week the Enough is Enough Summit and Briefing on Capitol Hill harnessed the momentum of the #MeToo movement to bring together a diverse group of lawyers, activists, and policy makers to think through comprehensive survivor-centered policy solutions to the sexual harassment and violence epidemic in workplaces and schools.
Oregon Legislature Passes Strict Gun Law
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.
House Passes Unanimous, Bipartisan Bill to Address Sexual Harassment on Capitol Hill
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill last week that reforms the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, which provides the current guidelines for how sexual harassment, discrimination and other related claims are handled on Capitol Hill. The new reform bill awaits a vote in the Senate.
Congress Passes Bill to Protect Young Athletes from Sexual Abuse
Last week, the House and Senate passed the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act that makes it mandatory for sports organizations to report the sexual abuse of athletes to law enforcement or social services within 24 hours. The bill is now waiting to be signed into law by the President.
Congressional Leaders Request Review of Climate Surveys on Campus Sexual Violence
United States Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Susan Davis (D-CA) requested Monday that the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of past and existing campus climate surveys used to collect data on the incidence of sexual violence on college campuses in order to provide recommendations to Congress for developing a standard, nationwide survey.