Boston University’s Women’s Resource Center opened Saturday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks from members of the University community. According to the Daily Free Press, a student newspaper, it has taken more than thirty years for the Center to acquire its own space on campus. In a press release, the center’s mission is described […]
An internal memo from Sanford Health System lawyers indicating that the proposed abortion ban in South Dakota could have serious legal implications for hospitals was leaked on Wednesday. The abortion ban initiative, Measure 11 (see PDF), would amend the state constitution, “prohibiting abortions except in cases where the mother’s life or health is at risk, […]
A local ordinance that would restrict protestors from picketing individuals within 75 feet of their home is proposed in Bellevue, Nebraska. Protestors from Rescue the Heartland, an anti-abortion group, told the Bellevue Leader that they have been protesting at the homes of abortion clinic staff for more than 15 years. Clinic nurse Margie Hover told […]
A class action lawsuit that alleges sex discrimination in promotions and salaries was filed recently against Sterling Jewelers, the largest retail jeweler in the US. The suit (see PDF) is filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and alleges that female retail employees were “denied promotional opportunities for which they were […]
The Women on Waves ship will arrive in the harbor of Valencia in southern Spain today where it will remain through October 21. According to their Web site, the Dutch non-profit organization Women on Waves was invited by over 30 Spanish organizations in light of confusing, yet strict, Spanish abortion laws. According to the Times […]
An Indiana anti-abortion organization recently drafted an anti-abortion ordinance as part an effort to pass like-minded legislation at the county level that was previously rejected by the statewide legislature. The ordinance (see PDF) would require doctors who perform abortions to have hospital admittance privileges. County Commissioner Nelson Peters told the News-Sentinel that a vote on […]
The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) held a press conference today in Rome in support of full inclusion of women in the Catholic Church. The WOC seeks for the Church to fully allow women to serve as bishops, deacons and priests and to increase women’s representation in the ‘Synod of Bishops.’ In a statement WOC Executive […]
Illinois Medicaid coverage will now include genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer. The change was announced last week and will cover testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 in women who are at high risk for developing cancer based on their family history and other factors, according to the Chicago Sun Times. According to the National […]
In Australia, the state Parliament of Victoria voted Friday to decriminalize abortion. The bill was subject to lengthy debate before it passed with a 23-17 vote. While the legislation is not a national mandate, Victoria is one of the most populated Australian states. As a result of this vote, Victorian women will have access to […]
The Connecticut State Supreme Court ruled Friday that banning same-sex marriage violates the state constitution. Connecticut is the third state to legalize same-sex marriage. “Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner […]
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit late last week against an Oklahoma abortion law that requires doctors to perform an ultrasound and describe the image to a woman before she can have an abortion. The lawsuit addresses provisions of the law that prevent a patient from suing if a doctor withholds information about […]
A newly released study from a team of organizations suggests high-tech birthing procedures including cesarean sections have led to an unnecessary increase in hospital charges. The report (see PDF), released by Childbirth Connection, Reforming States Group, and the Milbank Memorial Foundation, details how birthing costs are increasing by billions of dollars annually. The report states, […]
Dr. Henry Morgentaler, a Canadian abortion rights leader, will receive the Order of Canada today in Quebec. The Order of Canada is the country’s highest civilian honor. A press release from the Canadian Governor General’s office cites Morgentaler as putting “himself at risk in his determined drive to increase health care options for Canadian women […]
A West Virginia law regarding political advertising law was challenged last week by an anti-abortion group. The group, West Virginians for Life sought an injunction, barring the laws impact on their proposed campaign, reported the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report. The group seeks to advertise a 1993 Medicaid decision by Margaret Workman, a candidate for […]
Parents of a young woman who was 14 years old when she received an abortion in 2004 are suing Planned Parenthood for allegedly ignoring evidence of statutory rape. Their daughter, “Jane Roe”, was accompanied by an unrelated 21-year-old man, who claimed to be her step-brother, when she sought an abortion without parental consent. The parents […]
As voter registration in Colorado closed on Monday, state officials noted that thousands of the new Colorado voter registration forms were completed incorrectly. Many of the errors are related to a box left unchecked in the form’s identification section, related to holding a state driver’s license or ID number, according to the Rocky Mountain News. […]
Recent polls of California voters show a shift toward voting ‘Yes’ on Proposition 8, which seeks to ban same-sex marriage by constitutionally defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Internal polling from Equality California, which opposes Proposition 8 indicates that supporters of the initiative are leading by 47 percent to 42 percent, according […]
Yesterday the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the state of Missouri regarding a woman’s right to abortion in prison. The original case against the state, Crawford v. Roe, stemmed from a 2005 incident where Missouri prison officials denied a female inmate transportation to an abortion facility. ACLU sued on behalf of the […]
The 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded yesterday to three scientists working with HIV and HPV. Two French researchers, Francois Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier, were reworded for their work discovering the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). German scientist, Dr. Harald zur Hausen, was also honored for his work demonstrating the link between two strains of […]
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal in the case of American Coalition of Life Activists (ACLA) v. Planned Parenthood for the third time today. The appeal sought to question whether lower courts properly interpreted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) (see PDF) by rewarding monetary damages. The case comes out of a […]
