A federal district court permanently blocked a 2011 North Carolina law that required abortion providers to perform an ultrasound and describe the images to the patient, even if the woman objected.
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First Woman Nominated to Lead Global US HIV/AIDS Programs
President Obama has nominated Dr. Deborah Birx to become the next leader of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which funds HIV/AIDS programs and prevention efforts around the world. Once confirmed, Dr. Birx will be the first woman to serve as the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally. “The […]
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Founding Feminists: January 17, 1916
Margaret Sanger is going on trial tomorrow. But she’s not backing down.
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First Afghan Women Police Chief Appointed in Kabul
Colonel Jamila Bayaz, a 50-year-old mother of five, this week became the first women to be appointed police chief in Afghanistan.
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Report: Burma Army Uses Rape as Weapon of War
The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) released a report on Tuesday revealing the Burmese Army’s continued, systematic rape of girls and women since the country’s 2010 elections. The Thailand-based group documented over 100 rapes in its report, Same Impunity, Same Patterns, but believes these are only a small fraction of the rapes and that there […]
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Founding Feminists: January 16, 1957
The Equal Rights Amendment got a major boost today when President Eisenhower became the first Chief Executive to include a call for its passage in a Presidential message to Congress.
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Trans* Activist CeCe McDonald Released Early From Men’s Prison
CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 41 months in a men’s prison in July 2012 for defending herself from a hate crime. On Monday, she was released early.
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Founding Feminists: January 15, 1917
Expanded picket lines require more banners, so four more have been added. All the banners ask one of two questions: “MR. PRESIDENT, HOW LONG MUST WOMEN WAIT FOR LIBERTY?” and “MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE?”
Oklahoma Same-Sex Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
A federal judge ruled late yesterday that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages violates the US constitution.
More Than A Buffer Zone: Extremists Are Chipping Away At Reproductive Rights
This case is not about free speech. It is about protecting women and reproductive health clinic doctors and staff from anti-abortion extremists who are willing to resort to violence and murder.
Over 2 Million Americans Enrolled For Insurance Through ACA
Over 2 million of Americans have enrolled in health insurance plans offered through state marketplaces. According to a report released yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), almost 2.2 million people selected marketplace plans from October 1, when enrollment started, through December 28. A surge in enrollment took place in December before the deadline […]
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Senate Confirms Robert Wilkins to DC Circuit Court of Appeals
The Senate confirmed United States District Judge Robert Wilkins to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yesterday with a vote of 55-43. Wilkins has worked as both a public defender and a private attorney and has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2011. “In 2010, […]
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Marissa Alexander Remains Free on Bail
Marissa Alexander, the African-American Florida woman sentenced to 20 years for firing a “warning shot” at her abusive husband, will not return to jail for violating bail, a judge ruled Friday. Alexander is currently awaiting retrial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In 2010, she was sentenced to 20 years under the state’s mandatory […]
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Founding Feminists: January 13, 1917
“MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE?”
All-Male Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on Restricting Abortions
“Less than ten days into the New Year and House Republicans are at it again – renewing their assault on women’s reproductive rights.”
US Government Will Recognize Utah Same-Sex Marriages
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it will recognize the approximately 1,300 marriages of same-sex couples who married in Utah in the past few weeks. The legal battle over same-sex marriage has been progressing quickly in Utah after US District Judge Robert Shelby ruled on December 20 that Utah’s ban on […]
Supreme Court Declines Review of Decision Blocking Abortion Ban
The Supreme Court decided today to reject a case that would have been a direct assault on Roe v. Wade.
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Shriver Report: Close Wage Gap, Provide Paid Leave to Improve Women’s Financial Security
Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress released a joint report yesterday detailing the status of American women living in poverty, suggesting policies that would help millions of women become financially secure, and calling on the United States to “modernize its relationship with women in order not only to strengthen our economy, but also to make it work better for everyone.”
Lawmakers In Three States Introduce Pro-Woman Legislation
State lawmakers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania legislatures have introduced pro-woman bills since the new year started, a positive change from the increasing attacks on women’s rights and access to abortion around the United States.
California Bill Would Change Reporting Requirements for Rapes on College Campuses
“We want to make sure administrations can’t keep stuff hush hush in hopes of making it seem like a school is safe than it really is.”