A controversial movement within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to remove women from leadership positions has resulted in the expulsion of five female-led churches from the denomination. Among them is the Saddleback Church of California — one of the largest megachurches in the country, with about 30,000 people attending church services weekly. Saddleback Church was […]
The Taliban Enforces Strict Ban on Music in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s religious police have issued an order to wedding hall owners in Kabul to refrain from playing music or engaging in activities that contradict their interpretation of Islamic teachings. Although this rule was announced verbally last year, it was not enforced strictly across the country. During their first regime from 1996-2001, the Taliban imposed […]
Supreme Court Rules to Protect the Voting Rights Act
In a surprising win for voting rights and racial justice, the Supreme Court voted last week to reaffirm a decades old precedent prohibiting racial gerrymandering. The decision centered around Alabama’s legislative districts, where a Republican led redistricting plan would result in White voters becoming the majority in six out of seven districts, even though one […]
UN Report: Acute Starvation Grips Afghanistan, Affecting Women and Children
Food insecurity, acute starvation, and hunger continue to plague numerous regions worldwide, with Afghanistan ranking among the most affected countries. U.N. agencies have sounded the alarm about the risk of starvation in eight nations, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and […]
UN Report Highlights Taliban’s “Exclusionary” Regime and Failure to Fulfill Counter-Terrorism Commitments
A recent UN report sheds light on the Taliban regime, labeling it as “exclusionary” and highlighting its failure to deliver on counter-terrorism promises. The report emphasizes the restrictive nature of the Taliban’s governance, which marginalizes many of the ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan. The UN Security Council report states that the Taliban regime’s return […]
Taliban Orders International Organizations to Stop all Education Programs in Afghanistan
A new order from the Taliban demands that all international organizations providing education in Afghanistan stop their activities in a month and hand them over to local groups. A WhatsApp voice note began circulating among the Afghan networks on Wednesday, in which the official, purportedly a senior education official of the Taliban in Kabul, demands […]
Afghan Women Tell Special Envoys Not to Recognize the Taliban and “Refrain from Compromising our Rights.”
In a meeting with some special envoys of a few countries for Afghanistan, Afghan women emphasized that Taliban recognition should not be up for debate and that anything about Afghanistan should be consulted with Afghan women. Over 60 Afghan women representing diverse advocacy groups and coalitions met with the special envoys from Qatar, United Arab […]
Afghan Women Leaders Ask the UN Not to Recognize the Taliban
In an open letter to the United Nations leadership, UN Security Council, and member states, Afghan women demand that they stand “firm on their commitment” to not recognizing the Taliban as the official rulers of Afghanistan. The Taliban took power by force on August 15, 2021, and since their return, they have systematically violated the […]
Taliban barred women from working with the UN in Afghanistan. UN condemns and reviews its presence in Afghanistan.
The United Nations announced today in a statement that it is reviewing its “operational presence” in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred its women staff from working at the agency. The UN unequivocally condemns the decision, calling it “unacceptable” and “unlawful.” Last week, the Taliban authorities informed the UN that women employees of the UN would […]
Protect Choice Ohio Coalition Pushes for Ballot Initiative on Abortion
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade last summer, abortion access in Ohio has been hanging in the balance. After the Supreme Court decision, a 6 week ban on abortion went into immediate effect throughout the state. The ban is currently on hold by an Ohio judge and pro-choice groups are working to protect abortion […]
Record Breaking Audience for Women’s NCAA Championship
Earlier this week, LSU and Iowa’s women’s basketball teams drew a record number of viewers as they competed for the collegiate championship. With 9.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2, the game became the most-viewed NCAA women’s basketball game in history. Basketball fans across the country tuned in for the game. At its peak, the […]
Taliban Arrests Prominent Education Activist
This week the new academic year began in Afghanistan, and girls were once again denied their fundamental right to education. Schools only reopened for boys. The Taliban also arrested a long-time respected education activist for all kids across Afghanistan. Matiullah Wesa has spent years traveling to some of the most remote areas, promoting education for […]
Afghan women demand that the world listens to them and does not forget them.
As people worldwide reflect on the achievements of women this International Women’s Day, millions of Afghan women and girls are mourning the loss of their basic human rights and freedoms. They call on the world to listen to them and give them a central role in any discussion about their country. Since the Taliban took […]
International Women’s Day 2023: An update on reproductive freedom
As we celebrate this International Women’s Day, it is important that we take time to reflect on the rapidly changing status of reproductive freedom in our country following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Yesterday, Florida Republicans introduced an extreme 6-week abortion ban in the state legislature, with the Republican supermajority making it almost certain […]
Taliban Bans the Selling of Contraceptives in Afghanistan
In the latest attack on women, the Taliban has ordered pharmacies in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif to stop selling any form of contraceptives. The Taliban has called family planning and the use of contraception “Western” and “forbidden” in their interpretation of Sharia law. Mazar-e-Sharif is the largest city in northern Afghanistan, where many family planning programs […]
Midterm elections deliver major victories for abortion rights
While votes continue to be tallied following yesterday’s midterm election, results show resounding support for abortion rights across the country. Five states had reproductive freedom directly on their ballots, and polls demonstrated that abortion rights were a major concern for many voters, especially young women, on either side of the political spectrum as they entered […]
New Survey: Concern Over Abortion and Equal Rights Top Inflationby 22 Points as Main Drivers of Young Women’s Vote in Battleground States
A new Ms. magazine and Feminist Majority Foundation poll by Lake Research Partners across nine battleground states* finds that among young women voters, ages 18-29, abortion and women’s rights are the most important and highly motivating issues in determining their vote. And among women voters of all ages in battleground states, abortion and women’s rights […]
Iranian Women Leading Unprecedented Protests
“Woman. Life. Freedom.” This is the chant that has been heard around the world as Iranian women lead an unprecedented revolution for freedom in their country. The nationwide protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the morality police after she was arrested for not properly wearing […]
Increased Attacks against Hazaras in Afghanistan; Mostly Girls and Women Killed and Wounded
Since the Taliban takeover, Human Rights Watch has documented 16 attacks against Hazaras that have killed and wounded at least 700 people. The September 30th attack on an educational center in a predominantly Hazara neighborhood of Kabul killed 53 and injured more than 110 people, all of whom were recent high school graduates. Girls and […]
Biden Moves to Reduce Student Debt
Student loan debt disproportionately affect students of color and women. On August 24th, President Biden announced new student loan debt relief. The relief is up to $10,000 for individuals earning less than $125,000 per year and for households earning less than $250,000 a year. Those that received Pell grants for low-income students can have $20,000 […]