The Democratic women Senators and Members of the House held a rally today to support passage of fair pay legislation. The rally, organized by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), focused on two pay equity bills pending before Congress, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act blocked by a Republican filibuster in the Senate and the Paycheck Fairness […]
A memo released Tuesday outlines a Bush administration proposal that would drastically limit women’s access to abortion and contraception. The rule change would deny federal funding to medical providers who will not hire doctors or nurses that object to abortion. It significantly expands the definition of the procedure. The proposal radically redefines abortion as “any […]
Two Afghan women were killed last weekend outside Ghazni City for allegedly running a prostitution ring for US military personnel and foreign contractors. The women were allegedly killed by the Taliban. A spokesperson for the Ghazni governor described the women as “innocent local people” who were killed in an “undescribable and cruel way.” Nathan Perry, […]
Feminist groups immediately expressed outrage over the New Yorker’s cover for the July 21 issue that depicts a caricature of Michelle and Senator Barack Obama. Editor David Remnick Claims the Caricature is Satirical. The cover features Michelle and Barack Obama in what appears to be the oval office, with a portrait of Osama bin Laden […]
The Washington Times continued the sexist assault on Michelle Obama by trivializing a campaign event featuring her and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm as a “girlie show” and “as much estrogenfest as it was campaign rally.” The two appeared together in Pontiac, Michigan and spoke about the city’s struggling economy, parenting, and family. The article criticized […]
Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota, announced Monday on “Larry King Live” that he will not run against incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Democratic challenger Al Franken. Ventura cited the negative effect of increased media attention on his family as the primary reason for this decision according to The Star Tribune. Despite his resolution […]
Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was nominated by the Green Party to be its presidential candidate at the party’s convention in Chicago on Saturday. McKinney represented Dekalb County, Georgia’s 4th district, for six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. Journalist, activist and community organizer Rosa Clemente will be McKinney’s running mate. Clemente […]
The New York State Legislature passed the Fair Access to Family Court Bill last week, which will allow all victims of intimate partner violence to seek the protection of the courts. The bill will become law once signed by New York Governor David A. Paterson. New York’s current domestic violence law is one of the […]
John McCain held a ‘women only’ town hall meeting in Hudson, Wisconsin, Friday in an attempt to woo women voters. McCain focused on economics and women-owned businesses. He failed to address many issues that affect women including “children’s health care, early childhood education, unequal pensions and family medical leave” according to the Pioneer Press. In […]
Mehbooba Andyar, Afghan’s only female athlete scheduled to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, disappeared from her training facility in Formia, Italy, on July 4, just weeks before the opening ceremonies. According to Spiegel International, Andyar told her parents she is seeking political asylum in Europe due to death threats spread by extremists who […]
Anti-abortion measures will be on the state-wide November ballots in California, Colorado, and South Dakota. In California, a constitutional amendment will appear on the November ballot that, if passed, would require parental notification and a 48-hour waiting period before allowing a minor to obtain an abortion. Also in California, a second measure to amend the […]
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain resisted commenting on insurance companies that cover Viagra but not birth control Wednesday. McCain said “I certainly do not want to discuss that issue” when a reporter asked him about this coverage discrepancy on McCain’s campaign bus, the “Straight Talk Express.” This is not the first time McCain has […]
Sen Barack Obama focused on women yesterday and unleashed his economic plan for women. In New York, he attended a breakfast for women with Sen. Hillary Clinton before speaking at a town hall meeting in Fairfax County, VA. Obama’s economic plan for women includes increasing the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by 2011, giving […]
Senator Edward Kennedy returned to the Senate to cast a key vote to break a Republican filibuster of a vital Medicare bill on Wednesday. This was Kennedy’s first appearance in Congress since being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor two months ago. His return was greeted by a standing ovation by both Democrats and Republicans […]
Senator David Vitter (R-LA), has appealed to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) for authorization to use campaign funds to pay over $200,000 in legal and public relations fees stemming from his alleged involvement with the DC Madam scandal. His attorney Jan Baran claimed in a recent letter to the FEC that the fees are “the […]
University of Oregon athletic officials testified Monday afternoon that Federal Title IX gender equity provisions played no role in their decision to cut its men’s wrestling program. Allegations were made by numerous program supporters and wrestling alumni that Patrick Kilkenny, athletic director, and other Oregon administrators claimed that Title IX was the cause for cutting […]
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States. The Action Fund is the political arm of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. This is only the second time the Action Fund has endorsed a presidential candidate. This endorsement comes at the heels of Obama’s widely […]
United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, took on the practice of young boys being kept as sex slaves by powerful warlords. The practice is known as “bacha bazi,” which literally means “boy play.” Sex trafficking of both boys and girls has been an increasing concern in Afghanistan. General Asadollah Amarkhill, […]
Ballot initiatives to define marriage as between one man and one woman will be on the ballot in Arizona, California, and Florida in November. If passed, all of these referendums would result in amending individual state constitutions. Arizona’s State Senate recently approved a measure that will place a gay marriage referendum on the November ballot. […]
Henry Morgentaler, the former leader of Canada’s fight to legalize abortion, is receiving the highest civilian recognition in the nation, the Order of Canada. Jean said that Morgentaler was being recognized for “his commitment to increased health care options for women, his determined efforts to influence Canadian public policy and his leadership in humanist and […]
