As a result of Congress’ failure to reauthorize the funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) budget, the FAA has been shut down since last Friday, leaving approximately 4,000 FAA employees furloughed and 70,000 likely to lose their jobs as a result of all construction jobs at airports coming to a stop. Although airports and […]
The House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee voted to cut IFP funding by $154 million for FY2010 and expand the Global Gag Rule, banning funding for family planning programs in developing countries that counsel or provide information to women or advocate on a full range of options, including abortion. The ban would be an […]
By Eleanor Smeal I was distraught to learn last night of the unexpected death of Richard Estrada Chavez, the life partner of my dear friend Dolores Huerta, who serves on the Feminist Majority Foundation board of directors. Richard was the younger brother of Cesar Chavez, who cofounded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Dolores. Richard […]
On Tuesday, the North Carolina House voted 72-48 to override Governor Beverly Perdue’s (D-NC) veto of an abortion bill (HB 845) that would require women seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours after mandatory counseling and obtain an ultrasound. It is estimated that if passed, the new requirements would lead to around 2,900 additional births […]
Sexual assault screening should be a routine part of a woman’s healthcare, according to a new Committee Opinion of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Doctors “can be instrumental in stopping the cycle of abuse,” Dr. Veronica Gillispie, a co-author of the Committee Opinion in the Journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, stated. More than 300,000 […]
Hundreds of Roman Catholic priests from all over the world are challenging the Vatican to rethink all-male celibate priesthood and ordain women priests. In the United States, 157 Roman Catholic priests signed a statement in support Roy Bourgeois, a member of the Maryknoll religious order and priest who faces dismissal for taking part in a […]
Fourteen women US senators sent a letter to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday asking him to lift the country’s ban on women drivers. “As you know, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world with such a ban on women driving,” the senators wrote, “and maintaining such a restriction stands in stark […]
Iranian women’s rights activist Maryam Bigdeli was arrested for the second time in two years. Bigdeli was picked up by authorities in Qom last week to finish serving a 2009 sentence for campaigning to reform laws that discriminate against women, according to Radio Zamaneh, an Iranian news service based in the Netherlands. Bigdeli and fellow […]
A study based on a circumcision program conducted in Orange Farm, South Africa revealed that circumcising adult males is effective in preventing the spread of HIV. The study “resulted in a 55% reduction in HIV prevalence and a 76% reduction in HIV incidence in circumcised men.” This study is the first to link an increased […]
On Sunday, hundreds of same-sex couples officially married in New York as the state’s Marriage Equality Act went into effect. Same-sex couples in New York can now enjoy the rights, benefits and protections attached to marriage, such as the right to visit a partner in the hospital and the right to make decisions about the […]
President Obama announced that the US ban on gays serving openly in the military will be lifted on September 20, bringing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy to an end. The President met with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen to certify that the armed forces […]
Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) signed a bill into law that will restrict abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy unless a doctor determines the fetus is not viable or if the woman’s life is endangered. The bill does not include an exception for instances of rape and incest. Doctors who break this law could […]
By Jessica Stites It’s been a refreshing week of sanity around birth control. First the Institute of Medicine announced that birth control should count as “preventive care” and be covered by insurance at no cost. And now, in response to a Good Morning America segment on the “debate” about whether mothers should let their teen […]
By Christie Thompson The weeklong Operation Rescue/Operation Save America (OR/OSA) “siege” of Orlando has just two days left, and area women’s health care providers have successfully remained open and operating throughout. The anti-abortion extremist group targeted seven different clinics over the course of the week, surrounding offices and harassing both staff and patients. Organizers from […]
By Annie Shields Nearly 100,000 people have signed onto the Ms. and Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) campaign to change the FBI’s definition of “forcible” rape. After a Ms. investigative report found that the FBI’s fundamentally flawed definition excludes hundreds of thousands of rapes from the yearly Uniform Crime Report, Ms. and FMF started a Change.org […]
Asha Osman Aqiil, Somalia’s new minister for women and family affairs, was abducted by Islamist rebels late Wednesday night, the day after her appointment was announced. The abduction occurred while Aqiil was on her way to her first cabinet meeting. She was travelling in an area controlled by al Shabaab militants. Aqiil is the only […]
A new study has found that the method of abortion through telemedicine is just as effective and safe for patients as the face-to-face method. Telemedicine allows physicians to remotely counsel each patient and to supervise administration of the drug mifepristone as the nurse dispenses the medication. The study is among the first reports on telemedicine […]
Democrat Dave Hansen won in the first of nine recall elections in Wisconsin this week, easily defending his seat in the state Senate from a Republican challenger. Hansen garnered 66 percent of the vote to defeat David Vanderleest. Hansen was one of three Democrats facing a recall effort after fleeing the state for nearly a […]
The House Foreign Relations Committee voted Thursday to reinstate and expand a ban on funding for family planning programs in developing countries that counsel or provide information to women or advocate on a full range of options, including abortion. The ban would be an expansion of the policy, eliminating all funding for family planning programs […]
By Kari Paul In a huge victory for women’s health, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report today advised that birth control and seven other women’s health services should be considered “preventive care” and be covered by health insurance with no co-pay. The institute’s recommendations for no-cost coverage also include yearly preventative-care visits; lactation counseling and […]
