The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009, an initiative to end child marriage in developing countries, passed in the House of Representatives on a 235-187 vote last week as part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. According to Betty McCollum (D-MN), author of the original bill, the legislation affirms that “child […]
The House Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing yesterday on the Healthy Families Act. The bill would require businesses with 15 or more employees to give workers seven paid sick days per year, which could be used to recover from illness, care for ill family members or to receive services related to domestic violence. The […]
The Arizona state Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee recommended that the full Senate pass two anti-choice bills Wednesday. The bill would allow pharmacists to refuse to honor prescriptions for emergency contraceptives due to moral objections. It also would require minors to receive notarized parental consent prior to an abortion, a 24-hour waiting period […]
Women’s rights have emerged as an important issue in Iran’s presidential race to be held Friday. Women make up half of the Iranian electorate and candidates have been courting their votes. While incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has the support of some women, many are excited by the campaign of his strongest challenger, reformist Mir Hossein […]
The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC remains closed today after a gunman fired shots, which resulted in the death of Stephan Tyrone Johns, a security guard at the museum. Suspect James Von Brunn is a Holocaust denier and white supremacist. After the incident, police found anti-Semitic writings at Von Brunn’s residence in Annapolis, Maryland. […]
The family of Dr George Tiller announced yesterday that the Women’s Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kansas will be permanently closed, effective immediately. Dr. Tiller, who was medical director of the clinic, was assassinated May 31st at his church. He was one of the few late abortion providers in the country. His colleague, Dr. […]
Virginia’s Democratic primary election yesterday resulted in the nomination of two pro-choice candidates, Creigh Deeds for governor and Jody Wagner for lieutenant governor. Deeds’ victory was a surprise upset over candidates Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe, whose campaigns were both better funded. Deeds received 50 percent of the vote, McAuliffe received 26 percent, and Moran […]
The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum presented Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with its Alice Award yesterday, honoring her for putting “eighteen million cracks in the glass ceiling.” The museum also recognized Clinton’s support for the establishment of the Save America’s Treasures program in the 1990s, which designated the Sewall-Belmont House as one of four national […]
Harvard University announced the formation of the first endowed and named chair of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) studies in the nation last week. The F.O. Matthiessen Visiting Professorship of Gender and Sexuality will be funded by a $1.5 million gift from the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus, reported the New York Times. The […]
Noura al-Faiz, Saudi Arabia’s first woman cabinet minister, told a newspaper that she will not appear on television unless she has permission to do so. She told the Shamss newspaper “I don’t take my veil off and I will not appear on television unless it is allowed for us to do so,” reported the Washington […]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation of possible federal crimes associated with the murder of George Tiller, MD, Friday. The DOJ will investigate possible violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act or other federal laws in connection with the case. The federal government has also convened a meeting of the […]
The Supreme Court announced today that they will not hear a case that challenges the constitutionality of the federal government’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The suit alleged that the policy violates the rights to equal protection and due process as well protection under the first amendment, according to the ABA Journal. Former Army Captain […]
The number of rapes reported in Sud-Kivu, an eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the last three months was more than half the total number of incidents reported there last year. The attacks are primarily by the Democratic Forces of the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan Hutu rebel group, reported […]
The US House of Representatives approved the Federal Paid Parental Leave Act last night on a 258 to 154 vote. The bill would provide 4 weeks of paid parental leave to Federal Employees after the birth or adoption of a child. If the Senate approves the legislation, President Obama is expected to sign the bill. […]
Indian President Pratibha Patil announced an initiative to pass legislation reserving a proportion of seats in the legislature for women yesterday. According to the plan Patil announced, one third of the seats in the national and state legislatures would be reserved for women and half of the seats in local governments would be reserved, reported […]
New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed legislation yesterday that legalizes same sex marriage in the state. Despite passage in the state House in March and Senate in April, it had been unclear whether Governor Lynch would sign such a bill given his past opposition to same sex marriage. Lynch signed the legislation after a compromise […]
The US Senate Judiciary Committee held the first-ever congressional hearing yesterday on immigration rights for gay and lesbian couples. The hearing focused on the Uniting American Families Act, which seeks “to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent […]
President Barack Obama addressed global women’s rights in a speech he gave this morning in Cairo, Egypt. The speech (see PDF), entitled A New Beginning, focused on the tensions between the United States and Muslims in relation to a number of areas including violent extremism, the Israeli-Palistinian conflict, nuclear weapons, democracy, religious freedom, and economic […]
Scott Roeder, who allegedly fatally shot George Tiller, MD on Sunday, was formally charged with first degree murder yesterday. Roeder also faces two counts of aggravated assault for threatening two people who attempted to intervene Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Roeder is being held without bond and a protective order has been issued barring […]
Several recent polls suggest that the public supports Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. A USA Today/Gallup Poll released Monday found that 54% of respondents are in favor of Sotomayor’s confirmation, 28% are not in favor, and 19% have no opinion. Also released this week, an Associated Press/GfK poll (see PDF), found […]
