A Russian woman seeking an abortion outside Malta was taken into police custody to prevent her from leaving the country. According to Women on Waves, Nadezda Gavrilova was ordered to not leave the country after her companion, Anthony Borg, complained that she was going to undergo an abortion in the Russian Federation. Women on Waves […]
US Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers was suspended on Friday for speaking out about the need for increased funding to hire more park police officers to patrol national monuments. The Associated Press reports that she is under investigation and was asked to clear out her desk, relinquish her badge, firearm, and government ID. US Park […]
Among the ten outstanding women selected as Ms Women of the Year are several who are working for women’s rights and health globally. These include Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, whose “dedication to women’s rights in the face of danger inspires us to do more,” writes Elaine Lafferty, editor-in-chief […]
On the eve of the opening of Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga (grand assembly), leading women’s rights, human rights, and Afghan organizations sent an open letter to the Bush Administration urging it to take immediate action to improve security in Afghanistan by supporting the full-scale expansion of international peacekeeping forces (ISAF) throughout Afghanistan and measures to protect […]
President Bush signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act yesterday. According to the Washington Post, Democrats contend that the bill does not do enough for seniors and could lead to the privatization of Medicare. Women’s groups are concerned that the bill will cause millions to lose their employer-sponsored health insurance and will […]
Ms magazine honored ten outstanding women as 2003 Women of the Year at an awards breakfast on Monday. The 2003 awards continue a tradition that began in 1982, when Ms. editors had enough of Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” cover. “In case there are still some curmudgeons who think only men produce great achievements, […]
The US and Costa Rica are leading an effort to pass a United Nations treaty banning all forms of human cloning, including stem cell research that scientists believe has the potential to treat serious illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease. Wired News reports, a vote on the Costa Rican introduced treaty failed by a vote of […]
Anti-abortion extremist Clayton Lee Waagner was convicted on Wednesday for mailing envelopes containing fake anthrax to over 700 abortion clinics in 24 states. Of the 53 charges against him, the jury found Waagner guilty of 51 of them, including the threatening use of a weapon of mass destruction, violation of the Freedom of Access to […]
This week, delegates from all of Afghanistan’s 32 provinces are voting to select the 500 members of the loya jirga (general assembly) that will debate the country’s draft constitution. Despite the fact that there will be separate elections are being held for women, nomads, refugees, and minority groups, who have a limited number of seats […]
Iranian women won better child custody rights earlier this week. Divorced mothers won the right to custody of their sons up to the age of seven. Divorced mothers now have the same right over their sons as they do over their daughters. Before this change in law, divorced women had automatic custody of girls until […]
The Department of Defense is discharging linguists, including many who speak Arabic, because they are homosexuals. The Washington Post reports that 37 linguists have been discharged from the Defense Language Institute in just the past two years. The Post report comes at the ten year anniversary of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy signed […]
A state court rejected a challenge by Roman Catholic groups to a state law requiring employers who offer prescription drug plans to include contraceptive coverage. According to the Associated Press, the Catholic Church is claiming that the law intrudes on the rights of religious organizations. New York State Justice Dan Lamont ruled that the law […]
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) released its findings that one third of women will be beaten, raped, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. According to UNIFEM, there has not been a dramatic reduction in violence against women despite progress combating the problem. According to the Director of UNIFEM, Noleen Heyzer, “the scale […]
A man who was arrested last month for allegedly plotting to bomb abortion clinics, lesbian and gay bars, and churches that did not condemn abortion was indicted by a grand jury last week. Stephen Jordi was indicted on counts of attempted arson, distributing explosives information, and possessing a silencer, according to the Associated Press. The […]
On November 24, US District Judge Richard Williams heard arguments on the constitutionality of the Virginia abortion procedures ban. The Virginia law bans procedures it calls “partial birth infanticide,” the Associated Press reports. The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Richmond Medical Center for Women and Dr. William […]
In August, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson rewrote state Medicaid rules to include coverage of abortion pills in cases that are deemed medically necessary. The Albuquerque Tribune reported that Gov. Richardson made changes to the rules because their vague wording precluded doctors from getting reimbursement for disbursing drugs, only pharmacists could be reimbursed for drug […]
A leading human rights organization asserts that violence and discrimination against women and girls is fueling Africa’s AIDS crisis. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the human rights abuses that women and girls suffer at various stages in their lives increases their risk to be infected with HIV/AIDS. “The protection of the rights of women […]
On November 17, the US Supreme Court announced that it would let stand a decision of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals approving of Denver’s use of race and gender based affirmative action in city construction contracts. Justices Scalia and Rehnquist dissented from the Court’s decision not to review Concrete Works of Colorado v. City […]
A Senate provision blocking new Department of Labor (DOL) rules that cut off 8 million workers from overtime pay rights was removed from the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill as part of negotiations to settle the final budget. The Senate version of the Labor, HHS Appropriations, which is one of the seven appropriations bills […]
Last week, over 800 women marched through Monrovia, Liberia demanding peace in their West African country. Leymah Gbowee, the organizer of the protests, stated that “the women of Liberia will no more allow ourselves to be raped, abused, misused, maimed, and killed,” reports the Independent. The protesters are demanding the disarmament of the fighters who […]
