In the past two months, the number of rape cases has increased dramatically in camps in the Somali town of Galkayo as a result of decreased security, a “culture of impunity,” and a rise in the number of attacks on internally displaced people (IDPs). Silje Heitmann, a gender-based violence specialist for Somalia at the United […]
On Thursday, California’s Supreme Court ruled that opponents of gay marriage are legally entitled to defend Proposition 8 in court, stating that Proposition 8 proponents have the legal authority to defend the measure. In September, the California Supreme Court heard arguments concerning whether ProtectMarriage, supporters of Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriage in California, have standing […]
Nishimoto Trading Company, an Asian food importer based in Southern California, has agreed to pay $400,000 to 71 women in conciliation settlement with the US Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which found the company had engaged in sex discrimination. OFCCP found that Tyson Fresh Meats violated Executive Order 11246 “by […]
First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chair of the 2012 “Women for Obama” initiative, which aims to gather support from women voters for the President’s bid for reelection next year. The initiative is a branch of the Obama campaign’s “Operation Vote,” focusing on targeting minority groups and other voters who traditionally align themselves […]
On Wednesday, the Massachusetts state Legislature passed a bill designed to prohibit discrimination against the state’s transgender population. The protects against employment, education, and housing discrimination and revises the state’s hate crimes law to protect against crimes targeting people based on their gender identity and gender expression. The state House approved the bill late Tuesday […]
Yesterday Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) introduced legislation to strengthen protections for victims of sexual assault in the military. The bill would transfer “the reporting, oversight, investigation, and victim care of sexual assaults out of the hands of the normal chain of command and place jurisdiction in the hands of an autonomous Sexual Assault Oversight and […]
By Joan Grey To my dear granddaughter Rachel, At less than a year old, you are a bit young to hear this message. The immediate challenges ahead of you include walking and talking. But this is one of those topics that there is never really a good time to discuss. While I hope you never […]
By Donna Addkison President/CEO Wider Opportunities for Women Women work. A lot of women work, making up 47% of the American workforce today. Two out three do so to provide the sole or a substantial part of a household income. Yet women in the workforce continue to be the targets of unwanted, unwelcome sexual harassment […]
Leaders of the District of Columbia rejected a legislative deal with Congress this morning that would have given DC autonomy over the city budget in exchange for a permanent measure that would ban the District from using its own funds for abortion services. The District is currently restricted by a congressionally imposed ban on DC […]
Georgia State Senator Barry Loudermilk (R) and State Representative Rick Crawford (D) announced plans yesterday to introduce so-called “personhood” amendments to the Georgia State Constitution that would grant full individual rights to fertilized eggs in next year’s General Assembly session. The Georgia State House of Representatives has one so-called “personhood” amendment that was introduced in […]
Welcome to the fifth #HERvotes blog carnival. This time we’re focusing on the need to keep strong the laws and public policies to end sex discrimination and sexual harassment in schools and in the workplace. HERvotes, a multi-organizational campaign launched in August 2011, advocates that women must use our voices and votes to stop the […]
Despite the defeat of Initiative 26, the so-called Personhood Amendment, by Mississippi voters last week, the group sponsoring the initiative, Personhood USA, has announced that they will attempt to place similar initiatives on the ballot in at least five states in 2012. Initiative 26, a state constitutional amendment, would have given full rights to fertilized […]
In its fifth blog carnival, HERvotes is taking on the need to keep the laws and public policies to end sex discrimination and sexual harassment in schools and at the workplace strong. HERvotes, a multi-organizational campaign launched in August 2011, advocates women must use our voices and votes to stop the attacks on the women’s […]
Amidst news of the Penn State abuse scandal, the Citadel, a South Carolina military academy, has released details of an alumnus and former camp counselor at the school who faces charges of criminal sexual conduct with a child. Louis Neal “Skip” ReVille is accused of attempting to perform lewd acts on a minor. The allegations […]
By duVergne Gaines I just returned from the front lines in Mississippi, where students on campuses across the state united and mobilized to defeat the so-called “personhood” amendment. In the beginning, many political pundits made it sound as though Initiative 26 was a fait accompli. From the day I landed in Jackson to stay […]
A report by the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) and Funders Concerned about AIDS (FCAA), in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), indicated that funding for AIDS-related work from US and European donors decreased by 7 percent, or approximately $44 million, between 2009 and 2010. Paul De Lay, Executive Director of […]
Last week, District Judge Stephen Tatum dismissed 23 felony charges against a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood and 26 misdemeanor charges in a case alleging that the clinic had falsified records and failed to maintain accurate records. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe called for 49 of the 107 charges against the Planned Parenthood Overland Park […]
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain indicated that he regrets calling US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “Princess Nancy.” Cain told CNBC, “That was a statement that I obviously should not have made, but I was trying to make a point.” During a Republican debate, Cain commented that “You didn’t hear about [an […]
On Tuesday, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the minimum coverage provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This provision requires that a person purchase minimum health coverage or face a modest monetary penalty beginning in 2011. The American Center for Law and Justice, founded by […]
A civil jury in Miami awarded a record $100 million to Andres Sousana, who alleged that he was drugged and raped by a Roman Catholic priest when he was 14 years old. Reverend Neil Doherty, who is currently retired, awaits a criminal trial in jail. Jeff Herman, Sousana’s attorney in the case stated, “It sets […]
