Former Vice President and current chief of staff to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie has called for instituting more rights for women in Iran. Rahim-Mashaie has been under relentless criticism from the extreme right since Ahmadinejad’s re-election last year, reports Reuters. “Today women play an important role in our society and the current situation of […]
Supporters of a Colorado ballot initiative that could ban abortion statewide filed a lawsuit last week alleging that the state’s legislative guide is providing voters with biased and incorrect information about the initiative. According to United Press International, Personhood Colorado, a group that aims to pass the so-called “personhood” ballot initiative called Amendment 62, claims […]
Dr. William Harrison, 75, an Arkansas abortion provider for over 30 years, passed away on Friday. Harrison was diagnosed with leukemia in May and closed his clinic over the summer, according to the Arkansas Times. The New York Times reports that the obstetrician provided 20,000 abortions during his career, despite being frequently targeted by anti-abortion […]
After almost a month of inquiry into allegations of sexting his clients, the District Attorney of Calumet County, Ken Kratz, stated yesterday that he intends to resign. The Associated Press said Kratz made the announcement in the midst of movement by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle to have him removed from office. Kratz’s Attorney Robert Craanen […]
Tomorrow is the ten-year anniversary of the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, also known as RU-486 or the “abortion pill.” Marketed as Mifeprex in the United States, the pill, which is used to terminate a pregnancy in its early stages, has garnered new attention as abortion providers across the country consider establishing […]
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled on Friday that Texas abortion facilities may no longer use prerecorded phone messages to inform women about the risks of abortion prior to the procedure, a practice that formerly complied with state law. According to the Examiner Houston, Abbott also ruled that Texas law does not require a doctor […]
The Florida 3rd District Court of Appeals upheld a circuit court ruling Wednesday that found a law banning gay and lesbian people from adopting children in Florida is unconstitutional. After the ruling, Florida Governor Charlie Crist immediately announced that the state would stop enforcing the law. District Court Judge Gerald Cope wrote in the decision, […]
Today is a key day for the implementation of many new features of health care reform under the Affordable Care Act that will affect women and families. There are new limitations on health insurers, and new rights for consumers. As of today, September 23, if you buy or join a new health plan: – The […]
Today, the first class of women officers in decades graduated from a class of new recruits in the Afghanistan National Army (ANA). The NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan states the ANA Female Officers Candidate School, which opened in April, was a joint effort between NATO and the Afghan Ministry of Defense. In total, 29 women […]
A state court ruled on Tuesday that an abortion clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana, will remain open until legal proceedings regarding its license suspension have concluded. The Shreveport Times reports that the Hope Medical Group for Women’s license was suspended on September 3 after a Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) inspection found violations at the […]
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said that the US Constitution does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation during a speech at the University of California Hastings College of the Law on Friday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Scalia told the audience that “If the current society wants to outlaw […]
President Obama called the Seattle Storm yesterday to applaud them on winning their second WNBA title. According to a White House press release, the President said he also commended the team’s success during the regular season and their undefeated playoff run. The Storm went undefeated in the three-game playoffs against the Atlanta Dream last week. […]
Senate Republicans blocked a cloture vote of a defense spending bill that includes an amendment that would repeal the military’s so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy today, preventing the bill from going to the Senate floor for debate. According to CNN, the cloture vote failed on a 56 to 43 vote. Sixty votes are […]
US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Lilly Ledbetter are working to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and held a webcast on the subject today. Ledbetter was the plaintiff in a discrimination case against the Goodyear Tire Company, where the Supreme Court ruling gutted the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination. Equal […]
The New Jersey Senate failed today to override Governor Chris Christie’s July 24 veto of a bill that would have allocated over $7 million to New Jersey’s family planning clinics. According to the Star-Ledger the state Senate voted 23 to 17 to override the governor’s veto, but did not achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to […]
According to a new study released by the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law Friday, the proportion of women and minorities discharged from the United States military as a result of its so-called “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy has increased since 1997. The study (see […]
News reports indicate that at least 15 people died during election-related violence in Afghanistan on Saturday, where parliamentary elections were held. The Governor of Kandahar Province narrowly escaped a roadside bomb attack while traveling between polling locations, reported the Los Angeles Times. Throughout the country, dozens of rocket attacks targeted the polls. Turn-out was relatively […]
A hearing was held Wednesday by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security that addressed sex trafficking of domestic minors within the United States. Currently, the committee is considering the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Witnesses at the […]
According to an analysis of 2009 Census data released by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) yesterday, the poverty rate for women rose to 13.9 percent last year, the highest rate in 15 years. The data shows that over 16.4 million women were living in poverty in 2009, including nearly 7 million women in extreme […]
Saturday, Afghanistan will hold their second parliamentary elections since the Taliban lost power. Low turn-out is expected as Taliban violence towards candidates and campaign workers has been lethal in recent months. The Taliban have also reportedly made repeated threats to attack during the election. According to Reuters, the Independent Election Commission has reported that 1,019 […]
