Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) re-introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which addresses the wage gap between men and women, in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, S. 84 seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and require employers to prove that differences in wage are the result of differences […]
The trial of five men accused of brutally gang raping a 23 year old medical student, who later died of her injuries, on a bus in New Delhi, India, began today. Those accused face charges of murder, rape and kidnapping and could receive the death penalty if convicted. The judge hearing the cases has barred […]
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli likened his fight against birth control coverage without copays to the civil rights struggles led by Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday. On a conservative radio show, Cuccinelli claimed that his campaign against birth control was actually a fight to defend religious liberty comparable to the fight by Martin Luther […]
On Tuesday, Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reintroduced a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The version of the bill they introduced is the same version that passed in the Senate during the last legislative session. Additionally, Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced a reauthorization bill that is […]
The Moroccan government earlier this week, announced plans to change a law that allows rapists to avoid prosecution by marrying their victim if she is underage. On Monday, Justice Minister Mustapha Ramid announced that the ministry of justice supported a proposal to change the outdated law and to consider tougher sentences for rapists. The current […]
The landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, Roe v. Wade was handed down 40 years ago today. While Roe v. Wade established that abortion is a private matter between a woman and her doctor, politicians and anti-choice extremists across the country have worked to restrict abortion access since even before this historic ruling. 2012 […]
Yesterday, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. Vice President Joe Biden also took the oath of office alongside the president. In his inauguration speech, President Obama called for a progressive platform that featured climate change, women’s rights, LBGTQ rights, immigration reform, protection of voter rights, […]
While public attention was focused on the inauguration of President Obama, the Virginia state Senate quickly passed a redistricting measure that could give Republicans a majority in the state senate in 2015. The measure was passed on a 20 to 19 party-line vote while one Democratic state senator was in Washington, D.C., for the Inauguration […]
Rush Limbaugh responded to a caller who brought up abortion during a conversation about gun control by saying, “You know how to stop abortion? Require that each one occur with a gun.” during his show on Wednesday. Rush Limbaugh is known for his inflammatory and ultra-conservative comments. Last year, Limbaugh entered the birth control debate […]
A Virginia State Senate committee blocked a bill that would have repealed two anti-abortion laws Thursday on a party line vote. In a vote of 8 – 7, the Senate Health and Education Committee struck down an attempt to repeal a law requiring mandatory ultrasounds before having an abortion as well as a TRAP law […]
Pauline Friedman Phillips, the original writer for the advice column “Dear Abby” and a fierce women’s rights activist, died on Wednesday in Minneapolis. The popular columnist was 94 years old. Pauline Friedman Phillips started her career by helping her twin sister respond to letters for an advice column in Chicago Sun-Times. In 1956, Phillips started […]
A new public opinion poll released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday found that the majority of Americans believe that the historic Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, Roe v.Wade, should not be overturned. The poll conducted [PDF] between January 9th and January 13th of 2013, found that 63% of those interviewed believed that […]
Yesterday, President Barack Obama publicly announced a comprehensive plan for addressing gun violence in the United States. In a press conference, President Obama announced that he will use the full extent of his executive power to curb gun violence in the United States, and called on Congress to take legislative action increasing gun control. In […]
The case of five men accused of the brutal rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student in New Delhi has been moved to a special “fast-track” court, an Indian magistrate declared on Thursday. The first hearing will be held on Monday, January 21st. On Thursday Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal dealt with various procedural […]
Yesterday, the state of New York passed the first piece of gun control legislation since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law. The New York legislation is considered one of the strictest gun control measures in the country. The new legislation expands the […]
In addition to restricting reproductive health care access, anti-choice legislation has been increasingly used to deny pregnant women of their rights including the right to physical liberty, according to a new study released in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law on Tuesday. The study “Arrests of and Forced Interventions on Pregnant Women in […]
On Monday, a candidate for the Indonesian Supreme Court joked before the parliamentary selection panel that women who were raped may have enjoyed it. Muhammad Daming Sanusi made the comment when he asked whether he considered the death penalty to be a reasonable punishment for rape. He responded “Consideration needs to be taken thoroughly for […]
Conservative Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), along with 16 other representatives, have co-sponsored the “Sanctity of Human Life Act,” which would give full person rights to a human embryo. The “Sanctity of Human Life Act” was originally introduced in 2011 by Representative Paul Broun (R-GA). Broun reintroduced the bill early in the new congressional session. The […]
On Monday, President Barack Obama announced that he will be revealing a proposal of new gun control policies and is willing to take executive actions if necessary. Currently, the President is considering up to 19 different executive orders that he could take to effect stricter gun control without having to wait for approval from Congress. […]
A Texas judge denied Planned Parenthood’s request to be included in the state’s new women’s health program on Friday. The program, now known as the Texas Women’s Health Program, provides funding for preventive health care services for low-income women. Previously, the program was a Medicaid program in which the federal government had provided 90% of […]
