A parental notification ballot measure was certified last week for the California state ballot in November. The measure (PDF) would amend the California constitution to require parental notification and a 48-hour waiting period before allowing a minor to obtain an abortion. Similar ballot initiatives were rejected by California voters in 2005 and again in 2006, […]
The Third US Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in a case of first impression that a woman cannot be fired for obtaining an abortion. The unanimous three-judge panel ruled that a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy is protected under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act. “The plain language of the statute, together with the […]
Iran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Amir Yaghoub-Ali, a 22 year old student, to a one year prison term this week. Ali was convicted for petitioning for the One Million Signatures Campaign for women’s rights, according to the Associated Press. The One Million Signatures Campaign is part of Change for Equality’s program for revising Iranian law to […]
The National Abstinence Education Association launched a nationwide campaign against comprehensive sexuality education last week. Participants will be encouraged to lobby schools to implement abstinence-only programs and to support political candidates who support such failed programs, according to the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report. “It’s a classic fear and smear campaign. It’s absolutely misleading,” said […]
The Vatican last week reaffirmed its stance against allowing women to be ordained as priests. The Catholic Church warned that it will automatically excommunicate anyone involved in the ordination of a woman as a Catholic priest, according to the New York Times. The Church acted in response to a number of what a Vatican aide […]
An afghan appeals court transferred journalism student Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh to a hospital for tests on Sunday after he said he was tortured by security forces. The 23-year-old student was sentenced to death in January for distributing information regarding the role of women in Islam. A three judge panel in Mazar-i- Sharif found Kambakhsh guilty […]
As a result of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s charges that the Bush Administration’s intentionally deceived US citizens leading up to the war in Iraq, journalists are speaking out about the top-down pressure they experienced to promote the war. Jessica Yellin, a CNN journalist, admitted this week to being pressured by corporate executives […]
The National Center for Education Statistics released its 2008 “Condition of Education” report this week. Among statistical trends in student performance, public and private school funding, and teacher turnover, the Center’s report offers a look at the state of education for women in particular. Key findings include: Women earned 58% of all bachelor’s degrees awarded […]
The Feminist News Wire has recently noticed an increase in news stories about the killing of women accused of witchcraft in Asia and Africa. While many consider ‘witch hunts’ a historical matter, they continue to affect women today. According to Reuters-India, every year dozens of Indian women are killed for being witches or practicing “black […]
Health group Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition (IMCHC) will launch a campaign this fall to reduce racial disparities in maternal health. Women’s eNews reports that 5.9 white women died because of childbirth for every 100,000 live births in Illinois in 2004 , compared to 14.8 African American women. IMCHC‘s goal is to cut the […]
The Food and Drug Administration proposed changes to drug labels warning about the effects of the drug for pregnant and breastfeeding women this week. The current system of coded letters (A, B, C, D and X with A meaning extremely low risk to a fetus or infant and X meaning high risk) has been deemed […]
The Michigan House passed legislation on Tuesday that would ban a specific late term abortion procedure that is already banned by the federal government. The bill, which is similar to one that was passed by the Michigan state Senate in January (see PDF), would criminalize abortion providers for performing the procedure, but offers no exception […]
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland appointed Nancy Rogers to serve as attorney general until elections in November. She is replacing Marc Dann who resigned as a result of a sexual harassment scandal. Rogers was the dean of Ohio State University’s law school for seven years before accepting the governor’s appointment, reports the Columbus Dispatch. Dann resigned […]
A report released Tuesday by Save the Children UK states that children living in conflict-effected zones are being sexually abused by international humanitarian aid workers and UN peacekeepers. The report’s researchers interviewed hundreds of children, and found instances of rape, child prostitution, pornography, sexual assault and trafficking of children for sex, reports CNN. Most cases […]
California county clerks will be authorized to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as early as June 14 of this year. The date is exactly 30 days after the California Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage, which is the time required for the Court’s decisions to take effect, barring further legal action, according to the […]
The US House passed a resolution last week recognizing maternal health and child survival as fundamental to the well-being of families and societies, and to global development and prosperity. It requires a greater commitment to reducing maternal mortality both in the US and abroad. The resolution, H. Res. 1022, states that 536,000 women die every […]
A parliamentary committee in India debated a bill on Tuesday, proposing that 33 percent of seats in the legislature be reserved for women. According to Thaindian News, the Women’s Reservation Bill is supported by India’s Congress and one of its major political parties. However, passage of the bill has been pending for 12 years. The […]
The US Senate passed a supplemental war spending bill on Thursday, which included a provision to restore government subsidies for birth control pills sold at university and low-income health centers. Advocated by the Feminist Majority and other pro-choice organizations, the measure passed 75-22. For almost 20 years, pharmaceutical companies provided college health centers and clinics […]
Susan Orr, President Bush’s controversial appointee to head the Office of Population Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), resigned this week after less than a year in the position. Orr’s appointment was criticized from the beginning by lawmakers and women’s rights groups because of Orr’s long history as an opponent of […]
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas (R) signed a bill this week requiring insurance companies to help cover the cost mammograms. Under the new law, companies will be able to charge a maximum $25 co-payment, according to the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report. “Studies suggest cost is a factor in whether women seek and receive mammography services,” […]
