Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s first female president, begins her first official visit to the United States today. The New York Times reports that Bachelet will meet with President Bush and attend a dinner in her honor hosted by the White House Project and women politicians. She will also visit leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill […]
Ohio’s 2004 constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage makes a previous domestic violence statute unconstitutional under the amendment’s provisions, an Ohio appellate court ruled recently. The same-sex marriage amendment declares that the state cannot confer legal status on relationships of unmarried individuals. In late May, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Logan County struck […]
After some concern that the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS, held last week in New York City, would not address the importance of empowering women and girls in the fight to stem the AIDS pandemic, the Political Declaration agreed upon explicitly confronts the issue several times. Jan Eliasson, the Assembly President, stated during his […]
The US Senate is debating a constitutional amendment this week to prohibit gay and lesbian marriage, and the House is expected to consider the ban later this summer. It is unlikely that the amendment will pass and it has been widely acknowledged that the focus on this issue by the Bush Administration and conservative Republicans […]
Federal statistics on advanced education released on Thursday revealed that women are now earning the majority of undergraduate college degrees in traditionally male-dominated fields such as biology and business, as well as in education and the social sciences. Women earned advanced degrees in law and medicine in equal numbers with men, as well. The findings […]
A federal judge in Wisconsin dimissed a lawsuit by pharmacist Neil Noesen, who claimed Wal-Mart violated his First Amendment rights for firing him for refusing to refer customers seeking birth control prescriptions to other pharmacists. US District Judge John Shabaz ruled that Wal-Mart had adequately accomdated Noesen’s self-proclaimed religious opposition to birth control by always […]
With an 85-17 vote, the Louisiana House passed a ban on most abortions, with exceptions to save the life of the pregnant woman or prevent serious physical harm. The AP reports that doctors could face fines of $100,000 and incarceration up to 10 years if found guilty of performing illegal abortions. House members rejected an […]
The United States has asked the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution criticizing the ruling Burmese military junta for its continued violations of human rights, including the house arrest of pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. According to BBC, this is the first time that the Council has […]
Three progressive organizations held a press conference yesterday to announce the launch of a new website that tracks reproductive and sexual rights by state. Ipas, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective collaborated to create a database that evaluates states based on access to abortion and […]
A pregnant woman and her cousin were killed by gunfire from US forces in Iraq as they sped through an observation post to meet the waiting father-to-be at the hospital. Nabiha Nisaif Jassim, 35, a mother of two children, died as well as her 57-year old cousin, Saliha Mohammad Hassan. Jassim’s brother, who was driving […]
Activists in South Dakota filed their petition yesterday to repeal the state’s extreme abortion ban. The ban was signed into law in March, and prohibits all abortions in the state except to save the life of a woman. Activists quickly mounted a campaign against the law, collecting petition signatures to initiate a referendum on the […]
Afghanistan’s parliament rejected with a vote of 117 to 77 President Hamid Karzai’s reappointment of an extreme conservative for chief justice of the Supreme Court. Fazel Hagi Shinwari had held the post of chief justice since shortly after the Taliban fell. Shinwari was known for ruling against free speech, women’s rights, and human rights. “Shinwari […]
Three leading national women’s organizations sent a letter to ABC News President David Westin and ABC Network President Anne Sweeney protesting the apparent demotion of anchor Elizabeth Vargas. On Tuesday, Vargas, then-co-anchor of World News Tonight, read a statement announcing her departure from the show to “focus on anchoring Ô20/20′ and the arrival of [her] […]
Taliban militants killed three women working for Action Aid, a German-funded non-governmental organization, in the Jowzjan province today. Reuters reports that the three women were traveling a car when they were attacked by militants on motorcycles. Their driver also died in the attack. This attack comes following one of the most violent days since the […]
Despite opposition from Democrats, Brett Kavanaugh has been approved to a lifetime seat on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Kavanaugh is best known for his work with Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr during the Clinton presidency. He was nominated in 2003, despite his lack of judicial experience. Earlier this month, the […]
In a recent editorial, a leading international medical journal urged the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to maintain unbiased standards when determining the availability of emergency contraception for over-the-counter distribution. The Lancet article specifically calls for Andrew von Eschenbach, acting FDA commissioner, to issue an impartial decision regarding the drug, known as ‘Plan B,’ […]
Court transcripts released today indicate that the most recent Commissioners of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were unusually involved in decisions regarding the over-the-counter application for the emergency contraceptive Plan B. The Center for Reproductive (CRR) rights has filed suit against the FDA over the delay in a decision on the Plan B application […]
Robert Haddad, MD, the head of the Massachusetts Catholic hospital system Caritas, has been forced to resign after allegations surfaced that he has sexually harassed more than 14 women. Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley had at first decided to only privately reprimand Dr. Haddad after four women employees accused Haddad of sexual harassment, despite the recommendation […]
An anti-affirmative action bill that will likely appear on Michigan’s November 7 ballot is facing increasing opposition by individuals who feel they were duped into signing a petition in favor of the proposed initiative. Nearly 500,000 citizens signed the petition, according to WZZM 13, a Michigan affiliate of ABC, and many are now saying they […]
In a victory for international HIV/AIDS prevention work, two federal courts have ruled that the US government’s requirement that US groups condemn prostitution in order to receive US funds is a violation of the First Amendment. Groups were outraged at the requirement, as it prevented them from effectively working with prostitutes to curb HIV/AIDS infections, […]
