Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner will soon sign a bill eliminating a two-year civil statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases. The bill, which is described as the strongest of its kind in the nation, passed through the Delaware House and Senate last month on a unanimous vote, reports The News Journal, a Wilmington […]
On Saturday, the Live Earth concerts rocked seven continents for 24 hours to raise awareness about global warming and inspire individuals around the world to join the movement to stop global warming. The concerts were sponsored by the Alliance for Climate Protection, chaired by former Vice President Al Gore, as well as the Climate Group […]
The US Department of Education has released an 18-page report confirming that Eastern Michigan University (EMU) mishandled student Laura Dickinson’s rape and murder case in December 2006. The report accuses EMU of violating the Clery Act — a federal law that requires universities to report campus crimes to the community. EMU could face up to […]
In the largest in a series of recent discrimination cases against the Los Angeles Fire Department, a jury sided with a woman firefighter who said she endured harassment on account of her gender, race, and sexual orientation. In addition to her $6.2 million award, Brenda Lee also won $2,500 in punitive damages by the same […]
Two women presidential scholars involved in the drafting and delivery of a letter to President Bush urging him to end US-sanctioned torture spoke about the experience recently with Amy Goodman on her Democracy Now! radio program. Mari Oye, the granddaughter of Japanese-Americans who were detained by the US during World War II, and Leah Anthony […]
In order to bring attention to the importance of, and lack of, diversity in mainstream media, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) sponsored a town hall meeting in Washington, DC last Friday. Moderated by Tavis Smiley, panelists for the forum, called “Why Media Diversity Matters,” included FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Industry Ears, Inc. Co-Founder […]
Women’s Health Care Services in Wichita, Kansas, one of the few women’s health clinics in the US that provides later-term abortions, was attacked in the middle of the night on July 4. Unidentified vandals cut a hole in the roof of the clinic, inserted a garden hose, and flooded a room in the clinic with […]
An Iranian women’s rights activist was sentenced on Monday to 10 lashes and nearly three years in prison for her participation in a 2006 protest at Tehran Square. Delaram Ali, 24, along with nearly 70 others, was detained for several days after being arrested for protesting Iran”s discriminatory laws against women. Among other demands, the […]
Twelve thousand activists assembled in Atlanta from June 27 to July 1 under the banner “Another World is Possible; Another US Is Necessary” for the first-ever United States Social Forum. The Forum featured over 900 workshops, a film festival, and multiple plenary sessions organized around six core areas including women’s rights. Feminist Majority Foundation and […]
First Lady Laura Bush revealed recently that, while she believes that abstinence education is an important component of HIV prevention efforts, she would be supportive of waiving the earmark mandating that 33 percent of US prevention funds be spent of abstinence-only programs. In an interview with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux during a trip through several African […]
Thousands of women rallied in the southeast city of Chennai to launch the campaign of Pratibha Patil, who hopes to become India’s first woman president. Patil, who is backed by India’s ruling party, the United Progressive Alliance, will run against current Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, an independent. On July 19, members of Parliament will […]
Women’s rights activists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have galvanized over the recent promotion of three police officers with histories of domestic violence. Despite admitting that he was aware of one of the promoted officers’ violent record, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced on Friday that he will not demote any of the three officers. Women’s rights groups, […]
Political leaders of 10 African countries this week called for the legalization of safe abortion procedures in an effort to curb maternal mortality among African women. “It is sad to learn that 68,000 women die of unsafe abortion each year and out of these, 30,000 are in Africa,” said Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori at […]
Morning-after pills will be included in Brazil’s newly expanded birth control program, a health official announced Monday. Last month, President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva’s announced that the government will also provide low-priced birth control pills at drug stores, in order to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions. Abortion is only legal […]
David McMenemy, 46, was sentenced Friday to 5 years in prison for attempting to burn down a Davenport, Iowa women’s health clinic on September 11, 2006. McMenemy, a Detroit native, crashed his car into a building that he believed to be an abortion clinic and lit a bottle filled with gasoline before surrendering to firefighters. […]
Governor John Lynch signed legislation on Friday making New Hampshire the first state to repeal a law requiring minors to notify their parents before receiving an abortion. The 2003 New Hampshire law, which required abortion providers to notify at least one parent 48 hours prior to performing an abortion on a minor, was never enforced […]
Women’s rights activists in Israel are expressing outrage at a plea bargain that will exempt President Moshe Katsav from going to prison for sexual harassment and rape. In January, Attorney General Manchem Mazuz announced plans to indict Katsav after ten women complained that he sexually harassed them, and one accused him of raping her repeatedly […]
Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison (D) filed 19 charges yesterday against one of the few providers of later term abortions in the US. Citing a 1998 state law that requires physicians to secure a second opinion that a continued pregnancy will cause death or harm to a “major bodily function” before performing an abortion after […]
In a straight party-line vote, the House Committee on Education and Labor voted on Tuesday to send the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the House floor for a vote. The purpose of the Act, which was introduced by Committee Chair George Miller (D-CA), would be to correct the recent Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter […]
Egypt’s health ministry announced yesterday that it would close a legal loophole allowing female genital mutilation (FGM), days after a 12-year-old girl died from the procedure. Although FGM was officially banned in Egypt in 1997, the practice was still legal when deemed medically necessary by a doctor and has continued largely unimpeded throughout the country. […]
