“The Women’s Equality Act, which I will introduce today, is designed to address gender inequality in our communities, and to restore New York as a leader in women’s rights.”
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Gender is Obstacle for Female Corporate Board Members
According to a new study released by the Harvard Business Review, women who are members of corporate boards face significant barriers in their positions because of their gender.
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Over 400 Garment Workers Fall Ill in Bangladesh
Between 450 and 600 garment factory workers in Gazipur near Dhaka, Bangladesh, were sent to the hospital on Wednesday after they became sick from suspected water contamination. Workers at the Starlight Sweater company began to experience stomach cramps and vomiting two hours into their shifts on Wednesday. Once at various local hospitals, they were given […]
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Women Senators Form Bipartisan Front on Military Sexual Assault
Yesterday Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the epidemic of sexual assault in the military demonstrated the role of the record number of women in the Senate. The seven women Members of the Committee, five Democrats and two Republicans, were united yesterday as they asked hard questions of the all-male military leadership. Senator Claire McCaskill […]
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Nationwide Abortion Ban Advances in Committee
A bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks nationwide was approved by the House Judiciary Subcommittee yesterday. The bill, sponsored by Trent Franks (R-AZ), who is also the chair of the subcommittee, originally applied only to the District of Columbia and would have banned abortion at 20 weeks gestation with exceptions only to save […]
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Congresswoman Jackie Speier Criticizes Marine Response to Offensive Facebook Page
Yesterday, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) issued a statement critical of the Marine Corp’s handling of her complaint regarding an offensive Facebook page posted by active-duty Marines threatening violence against women and the Congresswoman herself. The pages, which Speier reported to the Secretary of Defense in the beginning of May, featured degrading images and comments about […]
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Congressional Hearing on Military Sexual Assault Begins Today
Top Pentagon leaders will face scrutiny from members of Congress today as the first hearing on military sexual assault begins today. The hearing, hosted by the Senate Armed Services Committee, will feature testimony from victim-support organizations focused on the military and a wide variety of military officials and legal counsel on the issue. Many members […]
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Sound of Change Live Concert Highlights Women’s Rights Worldwide
On Saturday, the first Sound of Change Live concert highlighting women’s current struggles around the world was held in London, England. Featuring performances by big name artists such as Beyonce, Florence + The Machine, Jennifer Lopez, and John Legend, the Sound of Change Live charity concert shared stories of women who faced abuse, educational disparity, […]
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New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg Dies
New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) passed away this morning due to complications from viral pneumonia. The Senator was 89 years-old and was the oldest currently serving member of the Senate. He holds the record for most votes cast by a Senator from New Jersey and cast his 9,000th vote in December 2011. Lautenberg served five […]
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Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Bill Fails To Get Vote
A bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state of Illinois failed to gather enough support to pass before the end of the legislative session. The law would have redefined marriage as the legal union of two people, not specifically a man and a woman. It would also have converted civil unions to marriages within a year’s time. […]
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Beatriz Will Undergo C-Section To Save Her Life
Beatriz, a woman from El Salvador who was denied a lifesaving abortion by the Supreme Court, will undergo a C-Section to end the pregnancy that is threatening her life. Last week, the Supreme Court of El Salvador denied Beatriz’s appeal to undergo an abortion to save her life. Despite suffering multiple severe medical conditions and […]
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New Study Shows Immigrants Pay More Into Medicare Than They Take Out
A study released by the Harvard Medical School on Wednesday shows that immigrants as whole pay more into Medicare than they use, effectively subsidizing the program. The study found that in 2009 alone, immigrants created a $13.8 billion surplus for Medicare. From 2002 to 2009, immigrants paid a total of $115 billion more to the […]
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Transgender Veteran Has Military Records Corrected
A Navy veteran who has transitioned since her military career ended has successfully petitioned the Pentagon to have her military records reflect her correct gender. This is the first time the Pentagon has approved such a change. Autumn Sandeen was assigned male at birth but knew that she was female in her teen years. She […]
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Tunisian Feminist Fined for Carrying Pepper Spray, May Face Other Charges
On Tuesday, a court in the Tunisian city of Kairouan convicted a feminist activist with carrying a can of pepper spray given to her by a journalist. Amina Sboui, also known as Amina Tyler and a member of the feminist group Femen, was arrested on May 19 while staging a protest. She was charged with […]
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El Salvador Supreme Court Denies Life Saving Abortion
The Supreme Court of El Salvador ruled in a four to one decision to deny a life-saving abortion to a woman with an unviable pregnancy. “Beatriz”, who is currently 22 and is already the mother of a young infant, was diagnosed with multiple severe illnesses including kidney failure and lupus and is now 26 weeks […]
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Canadian Abortion Provider, Henry Morgentaler, Dies at 90
Henry Morgentaler, a lynchpin figure in the history of legal abortion in Canada, passed away on Tuesday from a heart attack. Dr. Morgentaler was 90 years old. Born in Poland and a Holocaust survivor, Dr. Morgentaler arrived in Canada in 1950. After graduating medical school and becoming a Canadian citizen, he opened Canada’s first independent […]
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Kenyan High Court Demands Police Investigate Rape Cases
In a landmark victory, the High Court in Meru, Kenya ruled Monday that local police had failed to properly investigate hundreds of rape cases over the past several years. In his ruling, Justice Makau ordered the Inspector General of Police, as well as their agents, delegates, and subordinates, to re-investigate multiple rape cases as part […]
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Facebook to Revise Harmful Content Policy After Social Media Campaign
Yesterday Facebook announced that it will revise its harmful content policy to include gender-based violence after a social media campaign pressured advertisers to pull their ads from the website. Last week Women, Action, & the Media (WAM), Everyday Sexism, and a coalition of other organizations and leaders launched the Twitter and email campaign #FBrape in […]
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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Planned Parenthood Defunding Case
On Tuesday the United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by the state of Indiana over the blocking of a law that would ban Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding. The Court dismissed the case without comment, allowing the lower court ruling to stand. Last July, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled […]
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Italy Passes European VAW Treaty
On Tuesday, Italy’s lower house of parliament unanimously approved a European treaty to end violence against women while the country mourned a 15-year-old victim of intimate partner violence. The lower house of parliament ratified the Council of Europe’s Istanbul convention, which would create and reinforce legal measures to prevent and prosecute gender-based violence. The treaty […]