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.
President Reallocates Funding in Wake of Zika Crisis
In the wake of Congress’ refusal to pass a Zika funding bill before their five-week August recess, President Obama announced last week the administration’s intent to reallocate $81 million from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help combat the Zika virus.
New Boko Haram Video Reignites International Concern over Reproductive Health of Rape Victims
On Sunday, Boko Haram released a video reporting the alleged status of hundreds of girls held hostage by the militant group, including the over 250 schoolgirls that were abducted in 2014.
Department of Justice Sues Mississippi for Failing to Provide Adequate Mental Health Care
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Mississippi for failing to provide adults with mental illness appropriate access to healthcare, a violation of their civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA).
India’s Only Newspaper Run Entirely by Women Goes Digital
India’s only newspaper produced exclusively by women, Khabar Lahariya (New Waves), continues to break down barriers by going digital, posting video reports and instant updates on WhatsApp and Facebook.
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 .
Judge Rules Planned Parenthood Shooter is Still Not Competent to Stand Trial
A Colorado judge today ruled that Robert Dear, the man who has admitted to carrying out the 2015 shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, remains mentally incompetent to stand trial.
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.
Department of Justice Report Finds Baltimore Police Department Saturated with Civil Rights Violations
The Justice Department has issued a scathing 163-page report finding that the policies and practices of the Baltimore Police Department systematically violate the civil rights of black residents.
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.
Obama Shortens Sentence of 214 Federal Inmates
President Obama shortened the sentences of 214 federal inmates last week, the largest number of commutations granted on a single day in more than a hundred years.
Ibtihaj Muhammad Is the First American to Compete in the Olympics Wearing a Hijab
This summer Ibtihaj Muhammad is the first American to compete in the Olympics while sporting the hijab, a headscarf some Muslim women choose to wear.
Reproductive Health Care Providers Prevail in Spite of Anti-Abortion Protests
National anti-abortion extremist groups attempted to intimidate and harass abortion providers and patients in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Wichita this July.
We Must #SayHerName: Korryn Gaines
Korryn Gaines, a 23-year-old African American woman, was shot and killed in her home by Baltimore County police officers on Monday afternoon.
Peru Fails to Prosecute Former President for Mass Forced Sterilizations
Peru’s public prosecutor Marcelia Gutiérrez declined to prosecute former president Alberto Fujimori and his health ministers for the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people in the late 1990s.
Moderate Republicans Sweep Kansas State Legislature and Senate, Ousting Conservative Incumbents
On Tuesday, moderates swept the Republican primary races in Kansas, ousting 14 conservative state legislator incumbents, and ushering another 7 moderates into open seats, a sign that many Kansans are not happy with Governor Sam Brownback’s slashes to government services.
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.
An Important Precedent Set in the Case of Purvi Patel
Last month, a state appeals court overturned Indiana woman Purvi Patel’s feticide conviction, finding that the “Indiana legislature did not intended for the feticide statute to apply to illegal abortions or to be used to prosecute women for their own abortions.”
Olympic Refugee Team Shines Spotlight on Global Crisis
The Summer Olympic Games are set to launch in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, and for the first time ever there will be a team composed entirely of refugees, shining a light on the global refugee crisis and providing hope for displaced people.
North Dakota Voter ID Law Blocked
Continuing a pattern of recent federal court decisions in favor of voting rights, Judge Daniel L. Hovland of the U.S. District Court for North Dakota yesterday blocked enforcement of the state’s strict voter ID law.