The YWCA released a new survey today entitled: “What Women Want: A National Survey of Priorities and Concerns.” According to their press release, the survey (see PDF) interviewed 1,000 women between 18 and 70 years old by phone nationwide. The findings indicate generational differences between younger women (18-29) and older women, namely that younger women […]
Pre-trial hearings took place last week in the case against abortion provider Dr. George Tiller demonstrated the weakness of the prosecution’s case against Tiller. Tiller’s attorneys filed a motion in September asking the court to either suppress evidence or dismiss the charges against Tiller because of alleged “outrageous” misconduct of the preliminary investigation into Tiller’s […]
Last week Brazilian police continued to investigate over 1,000 women suspected of having abortions, which are illegal in Brazil. According to BBC News, 150 women have already been charged and 30 sentenced to community service in connection to a family planning clinic in Campo Grande, a southwestern city. The clinic, which closed in 2007, operated […]
Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation yesterday that would prevent a Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) rule from limiting women’s access to proper reproductive care. The proposed regulation would threaten women’s access to contraception and health care because federally-funded health care providers, based on their personal views, would be […]
A lawsuit that charged online matchmaking service eHarmony with discriminating against gay and lesbian individuals was settled yesterday. As part of the settlement, eHarmony will release a new website, Compatible Partners, an online dating service specifically for same-sex couples, according to The Wall Street Journal. The suit was originally filed by a gay individual who […]
A family planning bill currently moving through the Philippine legislature that would promote sex education and contraceptive use is expected to be defeated. This outcome is expected largely because of the Philippine Congress’s strong support of the Roman Catholic Church. According to Agence France Presse, only 99 members out of the 238 member House of […]
California’s Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will consider the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which eliminated same sex marriage in the state earlier this month. The proposition, which passed 52 percent to 48, overturned a May ruling of the state Supreme Court that legalized same sex marriage. According to the New York Times, the Supreme […]
Today is the tenth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors those of the transgender community lost to violence. Several recent incidents of violence against transgender individuals makes the day more poignant. Yesterday, a former Memphis police office pleaded not guilty in the beating of a transwoman, Duanna Johnson, according to the Associated Press. The […]
A wide gender gap played a key role in Anchorage mayor Mark Begich’s victory over Republican incumbent Ted Stevens, who has served six terms in the Senate. Though Begich won this razor-close race by less than 4,000 votes, the gender gap is around 16 points. Exit polls showed that 55% of women and 39% of […]
The American Civil Liberties Union requested documents from the federal government Monday on current US policy that limits teenage refugees’ access to reproductive care. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) initiated a policy earlier this year that limits reproductive health services for undocumented teenagers, including access to contraceptives […]
Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-based Christian non-profit group, will eliminate 202 jobs this week. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the decision to cut jobs was made after Focus’ chief operating officer determined that the organization will not receive enough income from donations this year to sustain the costs of their workforce. Focus […]
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alabama sent a letter last week to the Mobile County School System, the largest school system in Alabama, warning that mandatory sex segregation policies are illegal. Hankins Middle School, one of the system’s schools, was segregated by sex for the 2008-2009 school year and currently has […]
Sixteen-year-old pitcher Eri Yoshida became the first woman to be drafted by a professional Japanese baseball league this week. Negotiations are still being made, but Yoshida could become the first woman to share the field with professional male players, breaking a huge barrier for female athletes. According to Fox News, Yoshida, who began playing baseball […]
Lieutenant General Ann E. Dunwoody became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of a four-star general on Friday. According to CNN, Dunwoody became a three-star general in 2005, which made her the highest ranking woman in the Army at the time. According to MSNBC News, the Army promoted its first woman one-star […]
Arzigul Tursun, pregnant with her third child, is hospitalized under orders by Chinese officials who plan to forcibly terminate her pregnancy. China has a one-child-per-family rule. Tursun is allowed to have two children because she belongs to the Uighur minority group. Local officials determined she should undergo an abortion when she became pregnant with her […]
Ten members of an internet-based sex trafficking network were sentenced last week in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to money laundering and prostitution charges. The group was arrested earlier this year following raids on brothels in Surrey and Central London. According to the Norwich Evening News, 40 women were recovered during the raids, many […]
The United Nations Population Fund released its annual State of the World Population Report this week. The report (see PDF) focuses on cultural politics and development, examining gender inequality and cultural differences in regards to reproductive health rights. The report argues for an approach that modifies development programs so that they are compatible with local […]
Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez vetoed legislation Thursday that would have legalized abortion in the first trimester. The bill was passed in the Senate earlier this week and would have allowed women to end a pregnancy in the first 12 weeks due to hardship on the basis of economics, family, age, health, or risk to the […]
Sex selection practices are gaining increased visibility and criticism in India, where the sex ratio has declined significantly. According to The Telegraph the national ratio is 927 women to 1000 men and in some states is as low as about 800 women to 1000 men. According to the Hindu News, organizations such as the United […]
A temporary injunction has prevented an Oklahoma anti-abortion law from going into effect November 1. The law, Senate Bill 1878, would have required doctors to perform an ultrasound and provide a woman with a detailed description of her fetus an hour prior to receiving an abortion, according to The Edmond Sun. Nova Health Systems, parent […]
