Local laws known as nuisance ordinances have been popping up in hundreds of towns and cities across the country, marketed as a way to deter criminal activity by fining landlords whose properties are frequented by the police. In reality, they punish victims of domestic violence by forcing them to choose between their personal safety and the risk of homelessness.
President Signs Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights
Today, President Obama signed into law the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act, establishing a set of guidelines for the federal government handles forensic evidence gathered after a person reports a sexual assault, otherwise known as a rape kit.
Pakistan Tightens Law on “Honor” Killings
Today Pakistani lawmakers passed a law that will mandate a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for those convicted of honor killings.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Guns in Abusive Homes
The chance of a woman in an abusive household being killed by her partner quintuples when a gun is in the home.
California Terminates Statute of Limitations in Wake of Cosby Allegations
Last week California Gov. Jerry Brown approved the Justice for Victims Act, which will eliminate the state’s statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.
California Enacts New Protections for Child Sex Trafficking Victims
More than half a dozen bills protecting child victims of sex trafficking were signed into law on Monday by California Governor Jerry Brown, including one that ensures minors cannot be criminally charged with prostitution.
Obama Administration Issues Title IX Guidance to K-12 Schools
Today the Obama administration released notices to K-12 schools concerning their obligations to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault under Title IX.
Congress Passes Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights
On Tuesday Congress unanimously passed the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, which ensures that victims do not bear the financial cost of their own rape kits and that they will be appropriately informed of that kit’s results and legal status.
California Works to Close Rape Law Loophole
This week the California Assembly unanimously passed a bill that would establish a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison for anyone convicted of raping an unconscious person.
Another Light Sentence for a White Male Athlete Who Raped Two Classmates
Another judge has handed down a light sentence to a young man charged with two counts of rape and one count of indecent battery and assault after raping two of his high school classmates.
California Assembly Passes Bill to Eliminate Statute of Limitations for Felony Sex Crimes
The California Assembly unanimously passed a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.
Stanford’s Ban on Hard Alcohol Sends the Wrong Message About Sexual Assault
This past Monday, Stanford University banned hard alcohol from undergraduate parties and residences in the wake of the national outrage following the Brock Turner sexual assault case.
Baltimore Police Completely Neglected Rape Victims According to Department of Justice Report
The scathing report on the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) issued by the Department of Justice last week highlights victims of police misconduct not typically discussed: sexual assault survivors.
US Policy on Abortion for Women and Girls Raped in Conflict at Odds with International Law
On the 67th anniversary of the adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, a series of treaties concerning the rights and protections of noncombatants, prisoners, and those injured during armed conflict, the United States continues to overlook one of its most important protections: the right of the “wounded and sick” to non-discriminatory medical care .
Feminist Leaders Marched the Olympic Torch through Brazil
The 2016 Olympic Summer Games began with the traditional parading of the torch throughout the country, including in Fortaleza, where two leaders of Brazil’s feminist movement led the march through the northeastern city.
Canada Forms Commission to Investigate Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women
Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, announced new details concerning a highly-anticipated national inquiry into the disproportionate rate of murders and abductions of indigenous women in Canada.
Thousands of Yazidis Remain Enslaved Two Years after Capture
Today is the second anniversary of the violent attack on the Yazidis of Sinjar by ISIS fighters, resulting in the death, kidnapping, or enslavement of an estimated 10,000 Yazidis.
Domestic Violence Victims Now Protected From Housing Discrimination in New York
The New York City Council voted on legislation that updates and strengthens the New York City Human Rights Law on July 26, which will protect domestic violence victims from housing discrimination.
Retaliation Gang Rape in India amid Widespread Sexual Violence
A 21-year-old student in India is recovering after she was abducted, drugged and raped by five men, two of whom are currently out on bail awaiting trial for gang raping the same woman in 2013.
Pakistani Feminist Killed by Brother
A Pakistani celebrity, Qandeel Baloch, was violently strangled to death by her brother last week, in what he referred to as an “honor killing.”