Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged that the United States will not abandon Afghan women and girls today as Afghan President Hamid Karzai is visiting the United States. According to the Associated Press, Clinton told three senior women Afghan officials who were traveling with Karzai that “We will not abandon you, we will stand with […]
Earlier this month, Timor-Leste approved its first domestic violence law, eight years after it was initially drafted. The legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of the law, with 30 votes in favor and three abstentions. Domestic violence is widespread in Timor-Leste, but is severely underreported. Most cases of domestic violence are resolved through traditional practices like […]
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill Tuesday that bans ethnic studies classes in the state’s public schools. The new law (see PDF) bans classes that “promote the overthrow of the United States government,” “promote resentment toward a race or class of people,” “are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group,” or “advocate […]
Congress held a hearing yesterday on the “Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act,” which would require a one-to-one ratio for toilets in women and men’s bathroom facilities in federal buildings. The bill, sponsored by Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY), requires any buildings constructed, undergoing major renovations, or leased, to be constructed “in such a way […]
The Oklahoma state Senate voted 32 to 11 today in favor of legislation that would require doctors to report detailed information about patients seeking abortions to the government. This information would be posted online. In March, the state House voted 85 to 8 in favor of the legislation, which now goes to Governor Brad Henry […]
Two suspected gas attacks on Afghan schoolgirls sickened dozens of girls from the northern Kunduz Province and at least six from Kabul yesterday. According to Reuters, one of the students sickened in Kunduz, Farzana, reported seeing a man whose mouth and nose were covered throw a bottle near the school. In Kabul, a student named […]
Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) introduced the Improving Global Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes while Maximizing Successes Act (Global MOMS Act) yesterday. The bill aims to reduce maternal mortality and promote maternal health worldwide by increasing access to education resources, family planning, post-partum care, and preventive healthcare. The bill would also require the Obama Administration’s Global […]
A Washington Post poll released today and conducted between May 3rd and 6th shows increased support for same-sex marriage by Maryland voters. 46 percent of respondents favored same-sex marriage, 44 percent opposed, and 10 percent had no opinion, according to the Washington Post. An identical poll question in 2007 found 44 percent in support and […]
The French Parliament adopted a non-binding formal resolution today against the burqa, a head-to-toe garment worn by some Muslim women. The Parliament will reportedly consider a law in July that will outlaw both the burqa and the niqab, a similar garment that has an opening for the eyes. According to the Telegraph UK, the resolution […]
President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court this morning. If confirmed, Kagan would be the fourth woman Supreme Court Justice and would fill the seat vacated by Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced his retirement last month. “I am very excited at the prospect of 33 percent […]
Connie Saltonstall (D), a candidate for Representative Bart Stupak’s (D-MI) seat in Congress, announced today that she is withdrawing from the Democratic primary for the seat. Saltonstall is the Commissioner of Charlevoix County, Michigan, and had first announced in March that she would challenge Stupak in the primary because of his positions on abortion in […]
By Congresswoman Lois Capps As we celebrate Mother’s Day with our mothers, daughters, and sisters, it is important that we remember the mothers around the world we have lost. Every single year several hundred thousand girls and women across the world die from pregnancy-related causes. Ninety nine percent of deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth […]
US District Court judge Joseph Tauro heard arguments in a challenge of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) yesterday. The case, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, was filed on behalf of seven gay and lesbian married couples and three widowers by the Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAAD). According to the Christian Science […]
The University of Wisconsin Medical Center (MSC)released a statement Wednesday refuting reports that it no longer plans to offer late abortions up to the 22nd week of pregnancy. According to the Badger Herald, Wisconsin’s Assistant Attorney General Kevin Potter wrote a letter that indicated his belief that the medical center was no longer planning to […]
The Kansas state Senate failed yesterday to override Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson’s (D) veto on an anti-choice bill that would have altered the definition of a viable fetus and required medical documentation for a late-term abortion if enacted. According to the Kansas City Star, the Senate voted 26 to 14 in favor of the veto, […]
On May 4, at a dinner event in Los Angeles, the Feminist Majority Foundation gave its sixth annual Eleanor Roosevelt awards to three women and one man who have distinguished themselves in service of global women’s rights. The awardees were novelist/activist Khaled Hosseini, feminist and labor organizer Dolores Huerta, formerly imprisoned Iranian graduate student activist […]
Two women Secretaries of State, both feminists, put in strong performances in the first Democratic primaries of the election season for US Senate. The races resulted in a runoff election on June 22 for Elaine Marshall (D) in North Carolina and the loss of Jennifer Brunner (D) in Ohio in her primary. Marshall failed to […]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended Iran’s election to the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women yesterday as feminists worldwide remain outraged by the country’s appointment to the council. Iran’s election to the council, was formally announced by the UN on April 23. According to The Hindu, Ahmadinejad claims that women and girls […]
Oklahoma state Attorney General agreed yesterday to a state judge’s order to temporarily block enforcement of a new anti-choice state law for 45 days. The law in question requires medical professionals to show women the ultrasound image and give women a detailed description of the fetus prior to performing an abortion procedure. Oklahoma state law […]
The Kansas state House voted yesterday to override Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson’s (D) veto on an anti-choice bill that would alter the definition of a viable fetus and require medical documentation for a late-term abortion if enacted. The state House had initially failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to override the veto by just […]
