A report released over the weekend reveals that Ethiopian women who migrated to Israel were given contraceptive injections without their consent. Haaretz, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported that the director general of the Health Ministry of Israel has indirectly acknowledged that Ethiopian immigrants were given Depo-Provera, a contraceptive injection that lasts three months, while in […]
The 60-day public comment period on Virginia’s strict TRAP laws begins today. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell certified the new heavily-debated TRAP laws on Friday, December 28, 2012. The harsh TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) law requires abortion clinics in the state of Virginia to meet the same building regulations as new hospitals. TRAP laws […]
On Monday, a bipartisan group of US Senators unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform the current United States immigration system. The immigration blueprint calls for a path to citizenship for those who are currently residing illegally in the U.S., but with the caveat that the U.S. borders be strengthened. The plan would also make it […]
A Juvenile Justice Board in New Delhi has ruled that a sixth attacker in the fatal rape of a medical student on a bus in December was 17 at the time of the attack. As a result he will be tried in juvenile court separately from the other five alleged attackers, all of whom are […]
Under a proposed law in the New Mexico state House of Representative, a woman who has an abortion after being raped could face felony criminal charges. New Mexico House Bill 206, proposed by state Representative Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad), would classify terminating a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest as tampering with evidence. The text of […]
A Colorado Catholic hospital defended itself against a wrongful death suit by claiming that the hospital failed to perform an emergency c-section to save the lives of twin fetuses in court by arguing that fetuses are not people. In 2006, Lori Stodghill was seven months pregnant with twins when she arrived at St. Thomas More […]
A new bill that would ban “gay propaganda” from being directed towards minors passed its first reading in the Russian Lower House today. The bill states that children need to be protected from “homosexual propaganda” and that “this propaganda goes through the mass media and public events that propagate homosexuality as normal behavior.” This could […]
The Feminist Majority Foundation applauds the long awaited decision to remove the combat restriction on women in the military. This is a historic milestone in the fight for women’s equality. The combat restriction has been a sham. Women have been and are currently serving in combat positions, but have received neither the recognition nor the […]
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 […]
