Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has promised to delay efforts to push through the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal until the Senate first deals with two stalled bills that may soon expire.
Report Released by Sen. Gillibrand Shows Underreporting of Military Sexual Assault
A new report released by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) this morning shows the Department of Defense (DOD) is grossly under-reporting the number of sexual assault crimes in the US military, particularly those occurring on military bases.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: Large Suffrage Parade Takes New York City
May 4, 1912: What a great day this has been for “Votes for Women” advocates!
Maryland State Prosecutor Promises Justice for Freddie Gray
The six police officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray of Baltimore, Maryland have been charged criminally with offenses ranging from manslaughter to false imprisonment.
House Reverses DC Law Banning Reproductive Health Discrimination by Employers
The US House of Representatives voted Thursday night to overturn a Washington, D.C., law that makes it illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who have premarital sex or who have an abortion.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: Suffragists Take Aim at Senator O’Gorman
April 30, 1915: There was a quite frustrating and somewhat heated exchange of views this afternoon as Inez Milholland Boissevain, Doris Stevens and several other members of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage met with U.S. Senator James O’Gorman, Democrat of New York.
400 Women and Children Have Been Rescued From Boko Haram in Nigeria
On Tuesday, Nigerian troops announced they rescued 200 girls and 93 women from Boko Haram – and today news has come out that troops rescued another 160 women and children.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: Women Teachers Mount Fight for Equal Pay
April 29, 1905: “Equal pay for equal work” is the demand of an insurgent group of women teachers led by Anna Louise Goessling of P.S. 44 in Brooklyn, New York.
Purvi Patel, Imprisoned for a Miscarriage in Indiana, Has Filed an Appeal
A Stanford law professor, Lawrence Marshall, is taking Patel’s case pro bono.
Uncategorized
Hillary Clinton Calls for Criminal Justice Reform and an End to Mass Incarceration
Hillary Clinton delivered the keynote address at the 18th Annual Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum today, addressing directly criminal justice reforms she would like to see to prevent another “incarceration generation.” “It’s time the end the era of mass incarceration,” Clinton declared to much applause, citing statistics about the disproportionately higher rate of incarceration […]
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: Fifth Annual League of Women Voters Convention Held in Critical Election Year
Founding Feminists is FMF’s daily herstory columnn. April 28, 1924: Though this is the fifth annual national convention of the League of Women Voters, it’s the first one to be held in a presidential election year since the battle for the suffrage amendment ended in victory on August 26, 1920, so it’s an especially exciting […]
North Carolina House Passes 72-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
The North Carolina state House last week passed a 72-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion care.
LGBT Rights Activists Applaud Bruce Jenner Coming Out As Trans
Bruce Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist and reality TV personality, recently came out as transgender in an interview with Diane Sawyer. LGBT activists around the world applaud the brave move, pointing out the added struggle of being trans while in constant public spotlight.
Human Rights Group Seeks Pardon for Salvadoran Women Imprisoned for Miscarriages
Human rights groups are calling for the pardon of 15 women imprisoned in El Salvador for suffering a miscarriage.
The Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments Tomorrow in Long-Awaited Marriage Equality Case
The case, Obergfell v. Hodges, will look at whether the 14th Amendment requires the state to allow and license a marriage for same-sex couples, and will address whether the Amendment requires the state to recognize the marriage of same-sex couples when their marriage was licensed out-of-state.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: New York Will No Longer Enforce Prohibition on Married Teachers
April 27, 1904: A victory today for female teachers who wish to marry, and for women’s rights in general.
BREAKING: The Senate Just Confirmed Loretta Lynch for Attorney General After a Five-Month Delay
The amount of time she has been waiting to be confirmed totals the wait time of the last seven attorney general nominees combined.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Endorses Family Planning Information Being Widely Available
April 23, 1963: A major advance today in the fight for birth control, as the prestigious American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists officially endorsed giving contraceptive information to those who want it.
Uncategorized
Today in Herstory: It’s Official! Suffrage Will Be on the PA Ballot in the 1921 Election
April 22, 1919: Pennsylvania suffragists have never lacked determination and today their persistence paid off, as the House passed a bill – by an almost two-to-one margin – to put a suffrage referendum on the State ballot in 1921.
We Need to Talk About Gender On Earth Day
As climate change becomes increasingly an important issue, it’s also crucial to discuss how climate change disproportionately affects women.