New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman introduced the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act of 2015 last week to enhance the availability of contraception for New Yorkers.
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Today in Herstory: Man Sentenced to Three Months in Prison For Distributing Contraception
May 19, 1969: In what seemed like a courtroom scene from another era, Bill Baird was sentenced to three months in prison today for distributing a contraceptive device to an unmarried woman.
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Today in Herstory: Jacqueline Cochran Breaks Boundaries in Aviation
May 18, 1953: Jacqueline Cochran has just become the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound – and that wasn’t the end of her record-breaking day.
The ACLU Takes on Gender Discrimination in Hollywood
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a complaint last week asking for federal and state civil rights agencies to investigate massive gender discrepancies at all levels of the film and television industry.
House Passes 20-Week Abortion Ban Limiting Access for Rape Survivors
The House passed a 20-week abortion bill yesterday, making it plain that House Republicans feel that denying women access to abortion care is one of their top three priorities.
Members of Congress Renew the Fight for the Equal Rights Amendment
Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) re-introduced the Equal Rights Amendment yesterday in a bipartisan effort to put women in the United States Constitution.
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Today in Herstory: Suffragists Stage Open-Air Rally in Manhattan
May 13, 1909: Clearly not reluctant to venture into hostile territory in search of converts, Edith Bailey, Harriot Stanton Blatch and several other suffragists held a rally today near the church of militant anti-suffragist Rev. Dr. Charles Henry Parkhurst on Manhattan’s Madison Square.
Facebook Just Improved Wages and Benefits for Contracted Employees
Facebook Incorporated Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced today that the social media powerhouse will be requiring improved benefits from its contractors, including higher pay, paid leave, and a $4,000 new child benefit.
The House is Voting on a 20-Week Abortion Ban with Burdensome Rape Requirements Today
House Bill 36 is a restrictive 20-week abortion ban that would force rape survivors seeking abortion care to either report the crime or seek medical care or counseling at least 48 hours prior to having an abortion.
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Today in Herstory: Congress Approves the Creation of a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
May 12, 1942: Legislation to establish a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) got final Congressional approval today with a Senate vote of 38 to 27.
Governor Cuomo Issues Emergency Orders to Protect Nail Salon Workers
Cuomo’s actions fall in the wake of a New York Times exposé on the lives of manicurists in New York City detailing 10- to 12-hour shifts, poor conditions, health risks, low wages, and other exploitation.
Pregnant Women Left Vulnerable After Devastating Nepal Earthquake
About 14,000 women are expected to give birth in the coming weeks, and thousands of them are at risk of complications that require emergency care.
Obama Administration Clarifies ACA Birth Control Benefit After Reports of Conflicting Policies
The Obama administration announced yesterday in new guidance to health insurance companies that insurers are obligated to cover all forms of birth control under the Affordable Care Act.
Afghan Girls Win Gold at International Science Competition
Three schoolgirls from Afghanistan won gold in biology at an international science competition hosted in Kenya last week.
The ERA Was Just Re-Introduced in the Senate for Ratification
Just in time for Mother’s Day, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) re-introduced yesterday a joint resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S Constitution. S.J. Res. 15 was introduced with 26 original cosponsors including Senator Mark Kirk (R-Il). The resolution would remove the deadline set by congress for ratification of the ERA.
It’s Been a Month: Purvi Patel is Still in Prison for a Miscarriage
Purvi Patel, a 33-year-old Indian-American who was convicted in Indiana for what she continually asserts was a miscarriage, has now been in prison for more than 30 days.
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Today in Herstory: Mass Meeting Held to Edit the US Constitution to Give Women the Vote
Founding Feminists is FMF’s daily herstory column. May 7, 1894: A lively and well-attended mass meeting was held at Cooper Union in Manhattan earlier this evening, and there certainly seemed to be plenty of people willing to do whatever it takes to remove a single word from the New York State Constitution, which presently grants […]
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Today in Herstory: The Suffrage Parade is Bigger Than Ever
Founding Feminists is FMF’s daily herstory column. May 6, 1911: Anyone who still doubts that the woman suffrage movement is rapidly gaining support must have been a long way from New York’s Fifth Avenue earlier today. The turnout for this year’s annual suffrage parade was unprecedented, with at last 3,000 marching from 57th Street to […]
Four Sentenced to Death, Eight to Prison for Brutal Murder of Afghan Woman
The verdict for the 49 men charged with the murder of 27-year- old Farkhunda came yesterday, following a highly publicized and televised week-long trial and public outrage for violence against women in Afghanistan.
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Today in Herstory: Rose Pastor Stokes Causes Sensation By Distributing Birth Control Information
May 5, 1916: Rose Pastor Stokes has caused a sensation in Carnegie Hall by distributing small slips of paper containing birth control information, a clear violation of Section 1142 of the New York State Penal Code. She took this step at a mass meeting called to celebrate Emma Goldman’s release from prison, where she had just served two weeks in the workhouse for the same offense.