Antonio Gutteres, former prime minister of Portugal and leader of the UN refugee agency, was elected UN Secretary General last week, a disappointing end to a formal campaign attempting to elect a woman as the next leader of the United Nations.
21 Schoolgirls Released After Negotiations with Boko Haram
Last week Boko Haram released 21 of the more than 200 schoolgirls they had kidnapped from a Christian boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria two and half years ago.
Documentary Film Producer Arrested at North Dakota Oil Protest
Documentary film producer, Deia Schlosberg, was arrested Tuesday in North Dakota for simply filming footage of a protest action for a new climate change documentary.
Transgender Rights under Attack in Minnesota, ACLU Seeks to Intervene
On Wednesday in Minnesota, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion to intervene in a case that was filed in an attempt to ban a transgender student from using the locker room matching her gender identity.
Justice Department Announces New Database for Tracking Fatalities in Police Custody
The Justice Department announced Thursday that it would start tracking nationwide data on fatal police shootings and other violent encounters between law enforcement and civilians, including natural deaths or suicides that occur while someone is in police custody.
Feminist Majority Foundation Releases Report on Title IX Coordinators
The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) released a multi-year report entitled Reinvigorating the Role of Title IX Coordinator: A Requirement and Resource.
Department of Justice Allocates $38 Million to Untested Rape Kits
The Department of Justice announced last month that it would allocate $38 million to state and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to address the extensive backlog of over 400,000 untested rape kits across the country.
CoverGirl Reveals Its First Male Spokesmodel
New York-based makeup artist and Youtuber James Charles just became CoverGirl’s first male spokes-model.
October 11th Marks International Day of the Girl
Today we celebrate International Day of the Girl, a 100% youth led movement fighting for social justice for the 1.1 billion girls around the world.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: LGBTQ Relationships
When picturing domestic violence, the common image features abuse between heterosexual partners, at the hands of a male perpetrator. Left out of common discourse is a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence between same-sex partners.
7th Grade Girl Invents Advanced Medical Band-Aid
13 year old Anushka Naikaware from Beaverton, Oregon recently placed in 8th in the international Google Science Fair, a program that challenges teenagers to create scientific and technological inventions.
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day
October 10th is a day of remembrance referred to by two different names that are fundamentally paradoxical in nature- the widely recognized national holiday that is Columbus Day and the growing movement to reclaim it as Indigenous Peoples Day.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Nuisance Ordinances
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.
Canadian Police Head Apologizes to Female Officers for Years of Harassment
Yesterday the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Bob Paulsen, issued a public apology to hundreds of women who had faced sexual harassment and discrimination while on the force.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks Newest Anti-Abortion Law
Tuesday marked a victory for reproductive rights in the state of Oklahoma, as the Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously voted to permanently block an anti-abortion law with numerous provisions, finding it in violation of the state constitution’s “single-subject rule” that restricts every bill before the legislature to one subject.
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.
Polish Protests Stop Proposal to Ban All Abortions, But Activists Look Ahead
Poland’s conservative leadership indicated that it would no longer support a total abortion ban after thousands of women took to the streets Monday, boycotting school and work to protest the proposed law.
Planned Parenthood Protected from Medicaid Restrictions in Arkansas
Reproductive health care was protected last week in Arkansas when a U.S. District Court Judge issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily prohibiting blocks on Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.