Thousands of women in state capitals throughout India Ð including New Delhi and Chennai Ð demonstrated yesterday, denouncing the violence committed against women in Gujarat following the religious riots in late February. The protests, which included sit-ins and public meetings, highlighted the continued reluctance of Gujarat police to register complaints of sexual abuse. Brinda Karat, […]
A jury found last week that two women police officers from Santa Barbara, California were harassed and discriminated against because of their gender by the city of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Police Department. The women were awarded $3.2 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Sergeant Juanita Smith and Officer Margaret Hause filed the […]
The House Appropriations Committee voted last week to release $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by July 10, 2002. Introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and supported heavily by the Foreign Relations Operations Subcommittee Chair Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), the amendment passed 32-31. President Bush placed a hold on the funds, originally appropriated […]
The House of Representatives is expected to vote this Tuesday on an amendment to the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prevent US servicewomen from being forced or encouraged to wear the abaya, a restrictive, black head-to-toe robe. Co-sponsored by Representatives John Hostettler (R-IN) and Jim Langevin (D-RI), the amendment highlights the contentious […]
After months of lobbying, the Bush Administration was victorious in having the phrase “reproductive health services” cut from the declaration produced by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children last week. Allying itself with the Vatican and several Islamic countries, the Bush Administration said the phrase was an endorsement of abortion. The final […]
One year after employees asked Dow Jones to add coverage of prescription contraceptives to the employee health plan, the company has still failed to act, leading three women to sue Dow Jones for discrimination. A reporter with the Wall Street Journal and two reporters from Smart Money magazine contend that the company is violating the […]
Israeli and Palestinian women peace activists met with the United Nations Security Council this week to urge for the inclusion of women in negotiations to end the Mideast conflict. The women explained that Israeli and Palestinian women would be essential in creating peace in the region, as women could play an integral role in creating […]
University of Missouri-St. Louis successfully mobilized a counter-protest against anti-choice picketers on campus. Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance students held signs reading, “Pro-Choice, Pro-Family” and “Freedom of Choice”. According to newly elected FMLA president, LaShonda Harvey, “Onlookers were disgusted and outraged by the graphic pictures of the anti-choice groups.” She hopes that the incident will convince […]
Zimbabwe has the third highest rate of prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world, and people aged 15-24 are at extreme risk. Nearly one-half of all new HIV infections in the country, estimated to be 7,000 new infections daily, occur among this age group. Reproductive health, therefore, should be a priority for this country, in which […]
World leaders convene today for the three-day United Nations General Assembly Special Session for Children. Three thousand delegates from over 180 countries and 3,000 representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) will consider new objectives and approaches to improve the condition of children over the next 15 years. Attendees will confront these sobering realities: 10 million children […]
UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer this week identified lack of security as the major threat to women in Afghanistan. Factional fighting and only a limited International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) could prevent economic development, the successful establishment of democracy, and the return of women’s rights. Heyzer urged the international community to increase efforts to restore […]
A survey of Pennsylvania hospital emergency departments shows that only one in three hospitals routinely offer emergency contraception (EC) to survivors of rape, and half of these hospitals have no standard procedure for counseling patients about EC. Moreover, at many hospitals, the provision of EC is entirely dependent on the will of individual physicians. Women […]
Women are considering a run in 61 percent of gubernatorial races in the country. As of April 23, the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University (CAWP) identified 25 women who were considering running for governor in 22 states, including Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) of Maryland […]
In a move counter to many of its democratic allies, the US formally retracted support for the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a letter submitted yesterday, the US State Department told UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, “The United States does not intend to become a party to the treaty. Accordingly, the United States has no […]
The Debbie Smith Act, a bill requiring that health officials test rape victim DNA samples within 10 days of receipt, has been introduced in the House and Senate. Sponsored by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) in the House and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in the Senate, the bill seeks $210 million in federal funds over three […]
The maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan is the second highest in the world, with 1,700 women dying per 100,000 births and with women giving birth to an average of seven children. While some restrictions on healthcare providers disappeared with the end of Taliban rule, many women are still forced to allow their male relatives to […]
Nobel Lauriat and democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi was released unconditionally from house arrest today by the Burmese military regime. Suu Kyi endured a previous house arrest from 1989 to 1995 after she emerged as a leader of the opposition movement. The military regime refused to honor the results of the 1990 election, where […]
A 20-year study released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control found that women are more than 5 times more likely than men to die from lupus. In addition, the study also found that blacks patients were 3 times more likely than white patients to die from the disease. Overall, the study found that black, […]
As ordered by US District Judge Ann Aiken, the City of Grants Pass, Oregon began mediations last week with members of the Blaze, its only girls’ selective fast-pitch softball league. Several months ago with the support of parents, coaches, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), six Blaze members “girls ranging from 9 to 17 […]
The State Department announced yesterday that it will send a 3-person delegation to China later this month to assess the United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA) activities there. The 3-member team will consist of William Brown, Former ambassador to Thailand and Israel, Bonnie Glick, a former Sate Department employee who worked in Ethiopia ad Nicaragua, […]
