Today is the 37th anniversary of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all levels of education. The law, which was originally passed in 1972, reads: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected […]
In a speech to a joint session of the French Parliament yesterday, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced his opposition to the burqa, the head-to-toe garment worn by some Islamic women. “The burqa is not welcome in French territory,” said President Sarkozy. “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off […]
A bomb destroyed a girls’ primary school early Sunday in Pakistan. The school is located east of Peshawar city in northern Pakistan. The building was empty at the time of the attack, so there were no casualties at the school, which was completely destroyed. Two nearby houses were also destroyed in the blast, reported CNN. […]
The National Organization for Women (NOW) elected Terry O’Neill to be its next President in a tight race this past weekend at their national conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. O’Neill, formerly a law professor at Tulane University and a Membership Vice President of National NOW under Kim Gandy’s first term in office, is currently Chief of […]
Teen contraceptive use is declining, according to a study released last week by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Guttmacher Institute. The study (see PDF) found a ten percent drop in teen contraceptive use between 2003 and 2007. Rates of sexual activity among teenagers remain unchanged, and the birth rate has […]
Iranian human rights leader Shirin Ebadi is calling for the Iranian government to void the presidential election results and hold a new vote overseen by international watchdogs. In a article, Ebadi argues that the government should release individuals who were arrested for objecting to the election results, cease police violence towards protesters, pay compensation to […]
A 16-year-old Peruvian rape survivor filed a petition with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) against Peru yesterday. While abortion is legal in Peru in case of risk to a woman’s health or life, the petition alleges that the failure of the Peruvian government to adequately enforce existing laws […]
According to a survey by the Medical Research foundation (MRC), one in four men in South Africa have admitted to committing rape. Of these, almost half claim that they have assaulted more than one individual. Seventy-three percent said they carried out an attack before the age of 20. In a statement to the BBC, Professor […]
A court in the Hubei Province of China ruled this week against penalizing 21-year-old Deng Yujiao, a waitress who fatally stabbed a Communist Party official who was attempting to rape her. According to CNN, Deng was released because she acted in self-defense, surrendered to police, and had limited criminal responsibility due to manic depression. The […]
President Obama signed a presidential memorandum yesterday expanding benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers. According to CNN, civil service employees can now take leave to tend to sick partners, add them to a long-term care program, and including the partners of Foreign Service workers in housing assignments and medical evaluations. “Many of our government’s […]
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) will collectively receive the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) introduced legislation that sought to honor the pilots, which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives Tuesday. The WASP pilots have not previously been acknowledged for their service in the US military […]
The House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday approved the single largest increase ever in funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs. The subcommittee approved $648 million for these programs in the 2010 fiscal year appropriations bill. If enacted, this appropriation would represent a 9 percent increase above […]
The Washington, DC Board of Elections and Ethics rejected a proposed referendum Monday that would have allowed voters to decide whether the District will recognize same-sex marriages performed out-of-state. The board’s ruling (see PDF), found that the proposed referendum “would authorize discrimination prohibited by the Human Rights Act” and would “strip same-sex couples of the […]
The Egyptian parliament passed a law Sunday adding 64 seats reserved for women to the lower house of the legislature. The quota creates 32 new constituencies with two seats each for women candidates only. It will take effect during next year’s elections and raises the number of seats in the People’s Assembly from 454 to […]
After the State Department issued the 2009 Human Trafficking Report yesterday, the Obama administration also released a watchlist of countries that are not taking appropriate measures to reduce and end human trafficking. The 52 country list is 30 percent larger than the 2008 list. Countries added include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, and the Phillipines. […]
Operation Rescue announced yesterday that they will continue to target Leroy Carhart, MD, a Nebraska abortion provider. Operation Rescue plans to seek an investigation of Dr. Carhart’s Bellevue, Nebraska, clinic by the state Attorney General, Jon Bruning. Dr. Carhart was a close friend and colleague of Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered May 31st at […]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued the ninth annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report today. The report outlined major forms of human trafficking including forced labor, bonded labor, debt bondage among migrant laborers, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, child soldiers, sex trafficking, and child sex trafficking and related abuses. The report found […]
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is seeking class action status for a 2006 federal lawsuit that accuses drug manufacturer Eli Lilly of discrimination against African-American employees. The plaintiffs include nine current and former employees who allege that the drug manufacturer engaged in pay and promotion discrimination on the basis of […]
Virginia’s largest women’s correctional facility allegedly segregated inmates on the basis of actual or assumed sexual orientation over the past year. Women presumed to be gay were housed in a separate wing, 5D, referred to as the “little boys wing” or “butch wing” by guards at Fluvanna Correctional Women’s Facility, reported the Advocate. The inmates […]
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) may face a Title IX lawsuit in response to its plan to save school districts money by reducing the number of scheduled games. In April, the FHSAA passed a resolution called Policy 6, which would cut varsity games by 20 percent and junior varsity games by 40 percent. […]
