Mary Thom, one of the longest serving editors of Ms. Magazine, died in a motorcycle crash over the weekend. Thom was the Editor in Chief of the Women’s Media Center. Thom joined Ms. Magazine in 1972 as a researcher and stayed with the magazine for twenty years as executive editor. In 1992, Thom wrote Inside […]
Quinnipiac University has agreed to keep women’s volley ball as a varsity sport, increase scholarships for female athletes and expand opportunities for women as part of a Title IX legal settlement. The case against Quinnipiac began in 2009 when the university made an announcement that the school was cutting women’s volleyball, men’s golf, and men’s […]
Six days after the deadly building collapse outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, rescuers are still working to recover any remaining survivors and locate bodies of the deceased. 385 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the collapse. 2,437 have been rescued alive. Efforts were delayed on Sunday when a spark from a metal grinder […]
New national guidelines on forensic medical examination in sexual assault cases were released by the Department of Justice this Wednesday. In addition to focusing on the victim’s emotional and physical wellbeing during medical examinations, the guidelines also clearly state a recommendation that sexual assault victims are offered emergency contraception. In the case that the medical […]
On Thursday, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill that would extend insurance coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest to Peace Corps volunteers. Currently only paid Peace Corps staff have this coverage, forcing Peace Corps volunteers who are assaulted to pay for abortion procedures out of pocket. The bill, titled the “Peace […]
Late last night, Congress approved the nomination of Jenny Yang as a commissioner to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In her role as partner in the class action law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, Yang was responsible for some of the biggest sex discrimination cases in recent years. Yang was one of the lawyers […]
The death toll from a building collapse in Bangladesh on Wednesday has now climbed over 300 as many others are still trapped beneath the wreckage of what used to be garment factories and a shopping center. Shahinur Islam, a Bangladesh Army spokesperson on the collapse, told reporters that the number of people confirmed dead has […]
A woman who faces a life-threatening, non-viable pregnancy may have to choose between saving her life or going to jail in El Salvador. “Beatriz”, who is currently 22 and already a mother of a young infant, was diagnosed with multiple severe illness and is 18 weeks pregnant. In addition, the fetus will not survive more […]
Female police officers in Afghanistan are fighting harassment in co-ed changing facilities and restrooms at the hands of male colleagues, according to a recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW). In the story, released today, HRW found that women in the Afghan police force face sexual harassment, assault, and even rape from male colleagues. […]
At least 228 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of a building collapse in Bangladesh. The collapse happened yesterday morning in the suburb of Savar, outside the capital of Dhaka. The building housed five garment factories as well as a shopping center. Officials say that while 228 are confirmed dead, they fear the […]
An eight story building in Bangladesh collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least over 100 people. The death toll is still rising. The building in the suburb of Savar, outside of the capital Dhaka housed five garment factories as well as a shopping center. An official appointed to give information about those missing or hurt […]
Eden Foods, a popular supplier of organic food items, has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The Michigan-based company says that the contraception clause of the Affordable Care Act violates religious freedom. In the words of Eden’s lawsuit, the clause “attacks and desecrates a foremost tenet […]
Both the House and the Senate are expected to reintroduce The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this Thursday. In the House, ENDA will be introduced by Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), an openly gay member of the House. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will be introducing the Senate version of ENDA. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would ban discrimination […]
On Friday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (R) signed an anti-abortion bill into law that defines life as beginning at fertilization. The measure requires that abortion providers supply women with a list of organizations that provide abortion alternatives, prevents any abortion facility from receiving state funding or tax credits, and requires doctors to provide patients with […]
The Boy Scouts of America have proposed to partially lift the ban that excludes gay members from service. The proposal would admit gay youth, but would still continue to bar adult troop leaders. It is a revision to a BSA proposal made in January that would have allowed local troops to decide whether to accept […]
A group of women opposition activists from Cuba called the Ladies in White will be in Brussels to collect the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought today. The women were awarded the prize in 2005 for their efforts to raise awareness of the treatment of dissenters in Cuba, but were not permitted to leave the […]
Today French lawmakers voted to legalize same sex marriage and adoption in the country. In a vote of 331 to 225, the National Assembly approved the “Marriage for All” law after reviewing amendments made by the upper-house Senate. President Francois Hollande, who included same-sex marriage and adoption rights in his platform during the French presidential […]
An Afghan rapper. The founder of the first primary school for girls in a Kenyan village. A trailblazing member of Congress who fights to create an AIDS-free generation. An advocate for women’s and children’s rights and empowerment. Tonite in Los Angeles, the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.) will award these four women with its […]
The Florida House of Representatives passed an abortion measure last Thursday that would outlaw abortion based on the sex or race of the fetus. HB 845, “Termination of Pregnancy Based on Sex or Race of Unborn Child,” passed on what anti-choice activists have declared “Right to Life” day on a vote of 71 to 44. […]
Two men thought to have played a part in the abduction and rape of a five year old girl in New Delhi are now in custody. One suspect was taken in by police on Saturday, when he alleged the involvement of a second man. That second man was taken into custody today. As for the […]
