On Sunday, women leaders held a protest outside of NBC’s Washington, DC studio where “Meet the Press” is taped to highlight the exclusion of women of faith invited to appear on the show to discuss religion and public policy. The protest, organized by Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) and attended by leaders from the […]
Andrea Dworkin, a feminist icon and scholar, died on Saturday at the age of 58. Her cause of death was not known, but her agent Elaine Markson told the Guardian that she had become frail in the last week and had a series of falls. Dworkin was the author of over a dozen books, and […]
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said this weekend on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he opposes ending the use of the filibuster on judicial nominees. However, he qualified his statement by saying that he will “listen to [Republican] leadership.” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is a major proponent of the so-called “nuclear option,” which would […]
After making public documents written by health regulators on the dangers of silicone breast implants to women’s health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is holding hearings this week to decide whether or not to allow silicone breast implants to return to the market. According to the New York Times, the FDA documents, which reviewed […]
Plans have been announced for the first ever Roman Catholic religious society devoted exclusively to fighting against abortion and euthanasia. The male-only group, to be called “Missionaries of the Gospel of Life,” will be headquartered in Amarillo, Texas and led by Fr. Frank Pavone. Pavone currently serves as the director for Priests for Life and […]
Colorado Governor Bill Owens (R) vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have required all hospitals to inform rape victims about emergency contraception. Owens, a Roman Catholic, claimed that the bill would have forced church-backed institutions to violate their own ethics guidelines, reports the Associated Press. The bill, HB 1042, which passed 46-19 and 22-13 […]
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), just days after leading the Senate in passing an amendment to overturn the Global Gag Rule, joined Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) in placing a preliminary hold on Stephen Johnson, President Bush’s nominee for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator. At issue is a proposed study of the effects of pesticides on children, […]
Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that they will block the confirmation of Lester Crawford, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner nominee, until a decision is made on granting over-the-counter status to emergency contraception (EC). Crawford, who is currently serving as acting commissioner of the FDA, indicated at a confirmation […]
A new survey shows that 42.6 percent of pregnant women in Swaziland have contracted HIV/AIDS. In 2002, the number of pregnant women with the virus was 38.6 percent. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is urging the country “to act urgently to reverse these rising trends of HIV prevalence among pregnant women, and to […]
Governor Richard Codey of New Jersey recently signed legislation that will require hospitals in the state to inform sexual assault victims about emergency contraception (EC) in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy after rape. The law will also require all New Jersey hospitals to dispense EC to patients who request it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. This […]
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and women’s rights, civil rights, and other progressive leaders and activists rallied at the Supreme Court today to protest the so-called “nuclear option.” The “nuclear option” would change the rules of the Senate to prevent filibusters on judicial nominees – including Supreme Court nominees – by requiring only a […]
Led by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a champion for women’s rights, the Senate passed an amendment to a foreign aid bill on Tuesday to overturn the Global Gag Rule. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Boxer and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), was passed 52-46, with eight Republican Senators joining the Democrats. Reuters reports that the US […]
Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois created an emergency rule on Friday that requires pharmacists to fill prescriptions of contraceptives immediately and without delay. The Governor’s action was in response to a pharmacist’s refusal to fill two prescriptions for emergency contraception (EC) on February 23, and draws attention to a problem that is becoming increasingly widespread, […]
Advocacy groups are calling for the immediate removal of a new website offering information on sex issues because it presents biased and inaccurate information as fact. The site, 4parents.gov, was launched by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to give parents and mentors tips on how to talk with their children about sex […]
Current US abstinence-only programs are reversing the gains made by Uganda in their fight against AIDS, a leading human rights organization said in a new report issued this week. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that as a result of current US policies, the Ugandan government has removed critical information about HIV/AIDS from primary school curricula, […]
A former sheriff’s dispatcher is challenging North Carolina’s law against cohabitation after losing her job for living with her boyfriend out of wedlock. Debora Hobbs, who had been living with her boyfriend for about three years when she was hired as a Pender County 911 dispatcher in February 2004, left her job last May after […]
Maryland’s House of Delegates passed a bill on Monday that would make $23 million a year available for stem cell research beginning in 2007. The large margin in the house vote, which passed by a margin of 81-53, has given Maryland legislators hope that the momentum will carry over to the state’s senate vote. “Maryland […]
Several hundred Kenyan women from the Samburu and Masai tribes seeking compensation for being raped by the British military 15 years ago are taking their case to the United Nations. The British Department of Defense has recorded 2,187 complaints of rape by British soldiers over a period of 25 years, reports BBC News. Women in […]
The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday to reinstate an Idaho law requiring minors to get parental consent for abortions. The justices let stand without comment the July 2004 Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals decision which declared the parental consent law unconstitutional. The lower court found the law’s restrictions to be too narrow, […]
A leading aid organization reports that three times as many women were killed on average than men in the some of the tsunami-hit areas in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In an Indonesian village hit by the tsunami, men now outnumber women by 10 to one. The policy director of Oxfam International, Becky Buel, said […]
