Five female firefighters in conjunction with the Fairfax County Women Firefighters’ Association filed a lawsuit against Fairfax County, in the US District Court of Alexandria, VA, charging the fire department with a pattern of discrimination in its promotion, hiring, and housing dealings. The lawsuit reported substandard facilities for the female firefighters, according to the Washington […]
Chinese lawmakers have submitted a draft amendment to the country’s Law on Women’s Rights Protection, first passed in 1992, to strengthen its equality provisions for women. If passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the amendment will make women’s rights part of state policy for the first time in China, reports the […]
A fire that started late Monday night has forced the Presidential Women’s Clinic in West Palm Beach, Florida to close due to damage. There were no injuries, and the clinic hopes to reopen within a week, according to the Palm Beach Post. Suspicions were raised because of evidence that lighter fluid or another substance was […]
With Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s resignation, Senators on both sides have begun to discuss the potential impact of the so-called “nuclear option” and the deal that took it off the table in May. The deal struck by seven Democratic and seven Republican Senators preserved the use of the filibuster to block judicial nominees […]
In an initiative aimed at recognizing the efforts of women from around the world, 1,000 women have been jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, founder and President of the organization that made possible the joint nomination—1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005—said in an editorial that “Everywhere I meet women who […]
Feminist leaders and activists rallied in Tennessee over the weekend declaring a state of emergency for women’s rights with the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In the midst of the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) national conference, the announcement of O’Connor’s resignation changed the agenda dramatically. Activists marched on the Tennessee state […]
When Sandra Day O’Connor was confirmed as the first female Supreme Court Justice in 1981, there were only 48 women among the 700 active federal judges (6 percent). Today, that number has quadrupled to 201 women among 823 active federal judges, meaning that women now make up 24 percent of the federal judiciary, according to […]
This morning, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced her retirement through a letter delivered to President Bush. O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981, and was a critical swing vote on issues of civil rights and abortion. Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal says “Make no mistake about it: Sandra […]
Coleen Rowley, a 2002 Ms Magazine Woman of the Year, plans to run for Congress in 2006. Rowley will run as a Democrat in the 2nd Congressional District of Minnesota in a bid to upset current Representative John Kline (R-MN). In an interview with the Associated Press, Rowley said she is “concerned about the direction […]
Spain’s Parliament approved a bill this week legalizing same-sex marriage. The bill not only guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry but also includes the right to adopt children and protections for property inheritance. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has led efforts to reform the Spanish legal code since taking office in 2004, […]
In the Egyptian village of Abou Shawareb, community leaders and women’s rights activists made a public commitment last week to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) as part of “The FGM Free Village Model” program established by The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM). The program was launched in 2003 in an […]
The US Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it would hear for the third time a long-running case dealing with clinic violence. The case, National Organization for Women, et al v. Joseph Scheidler, et al, was first initiated in 1986 under the leadership of Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal, who was then president of […]
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) might be forced to cut food rations and the number of people being fed in Zambia next month due to lack of funding. According to the National Vulnerability Assessment Committee, led by the Zambian government, the number of people who will need food assistance between July 2005 and […]
Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Transue, deputy commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, was escorted out of her office last Friday. Transue was the highest ranking woman official in the agency, and the first woman to act as deputy commissioner. She gave up her badge, gun and ID card, and her picture has been removed from stations […]
In a win for lesbian and gay activists in Canada last night, the Canadian House of Commons voted to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill will need to be approved by the Senate to go into effect; however, Senate approval is considered a mere formality, reports the New York Times. Upon Senate approval, which is expected […]
In its last day before summer recess, the Supreme Court issued decisions on six cases, only two of which, the decisions to outlaw copies of the Ten Commandments at a Kentucky courthouse and to protect copyrighted material in Internet file sharing, were widely covered by the media. In a troubling but all too familiar trend […]
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to issue new regulations allowing the use of humans to test the toxicity of some pesticides. The proposed new regulations do not require manufacturers to employ all of the ethical safeguards recommended by a National Academy of Sciences panel last year, reports the Washington Post. Pending the issuing […]
The Pakistan Supreme Court reopened the case of gang-rape victim Mukhtar Mai (also known as Mukhtaran Bibi) yesterday following pressure from human rights groups and governments worldwide. The Supreme Court ordered the re-arrest of the 13 original suspects, overturning a high court ruling that acquitted five of six men arrested in the case. In June […]
The US Supreme Court issued a decision today that weakens enforcement of restraining orders. In Castle Rock, Colo. v. Gonzales, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that Jessica Gonzales did not have a constitutional right to police enforcement of the court-ordered restraining order against her husband. Justice Scalia issued the opinion of the Court, and Justices […]
The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) have filed a lawsuit to strike down a parental notification law for abortion in Florida. Scheduled to go into effect July 1, the law would require doctors to notify parents 48 hours before performing an abortion for a woman under the age […]
