A family court in the United Kingdom has judged, on the civil standard, that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai orchestrated abductions of two of his daughters and subjected his wife to a campaign of intimidation after she advocated for her daughters’ freedom. In April 2019, the sheikh’s former wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, […]
Alabama Executes Yet Another African-American With Case Discrepancies
The state of Alabama executed death row inmate Nathaniel Woods last night for allegedly murdering three Birmingham police officers in 2004. Pronounced dead at 9:01pm local time, Woods gave no final statement, according to the state corrections department. He was 44 years old at the time of his execution by lethal injection. Alabama Governor Kay […]
Virginia Bans Conversion Therapy for Minors
Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed a bill banning medical professionals from practicing “conversion therapy” on minors, a major win for LGBTQ youth in the state. Virginia is the first state in the South, and the 20th in the country, to outlaw the practice. Conversion therapy, the practice of attempting to change someone’s gender […]
Trump Administration Proposes Rules Undermining Separation of Church and State Which Would Increase Sex Discrimination in Schools
February 18, 2020 marked the end of the 30-day public comment period on nine proposed federal rules loosening federal funding restrictions on religious social service providers and schools. The Department of Education’s (ED) proposed rule to implement religion-related executive orders received nearly 16,000 comments and would have broad negative impacts if enacted. The ED’s proposed […]
Supreme Court Set to Hear Louisiana Abortion Case Today
Today the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments for June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, which looks into the constitutionality of a Louisiana state law (Act 620) regarding abortion practices and has the potential to reshape the legal status of abortion nationwide. According to SCOTUSblog’s official issue report, the case is […]
Draft of Spain’s New Sex Crimes Bill Makes Consent Key
On Tuesday March 3, the Spanish government approved a new draft bill, the “Only Yes is Yes” bill, that focuses on sex crimes and makes consent a key factor in determining if a crime was committed, rather than putting pressure on victims to prove the use of violence or intimidation. According to a release from […]
US and Taliban Sign Agreement with No Women’s Rights Protections
This weekend, the United States signed an agreement with the Taliban to phase American troops out of Afghanistan after nearly two decades of war. Critics have expressed concerns about the deal’s implications for women’s rights, arguing that it could undermine the gradual progress made in Afghanistan since the US’s intervention in 2001. The agreement establishes […]
Colombia Could Pave the Way for Abortion Access in Latin America
In the coming days, a high court in Colombia could rule to legalize abortion within the first few months of pregnancy. In a region known for restrictive abortion laws, this could be a landmark decision in Latin America. Generally seen as a regional legal trendsetter, the Colombian high court could shift abortion access in an […]
LGBTQ Youth Fight For Equality In Sex Ed In South Carolina Classrooms
A group of LGBTQ students is suing South Carolina’s Superintendent of Education to repeal a 32-year-old state law making it illegal for teachers to address LGBTQ relationships unless they also discuss STI’s. Represented by Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the students argue that the law discriminates against LGBTQ students and violates […]
Virginia Lawmakers Pass Reproductive Health Protection Act
On Thursday, Virginia lawmakers passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act (RHPA), a “commonsense bill intended to roll back politically-motivated restrictions on access to abortion that have no basis in patient health and safety and only serve to eliminate access to safe, legal abortion care and shut down health centers in Virginia.” Pro-choice lawmakers hope the […]
Native Women’s Art Featured in Exhibit at Smithsonian Art Gallery
While having largely gone unrecognized for their contributions, Native American women have been and continue to be a major force within the Native American art tradition. A new exhibit entitled Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists is attempting to close the gap. The exhibition will have its third opening in its national tour at […]
ACLU Sues Seven Texas Cities for Passing Extreme Anti-Abortion Ordinances
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against seven small Texas cities with local laws banning abortion. The cities call themselves “sanctuary cities for the unborn” and have passed laws that define abortion as murder, allow family members of abortion patients to sue providers for emotional distress, ban emergency contraception and birth […]
Two Anti-Abortion Bills Fail to Advance in Senate
A pair of anti-abortion bills failed to advance in the U.S. Senate this Tuesday. The two bills were largely seen as a rallying cry for social conservatives and a method of pressuring vulnerable Democrats. The two bills, S. 311 and S. 3275, sought to ban abortion after 20 weeks and require doctors to provide care […]
Uncategorized
Federal Reports Show Women Receiving Harsher Prison Punishments Than Men
A report released Wednesday shows that when compared to their male counterparts, incarcerated women receive disproportionately harsh punishments for violations of prison rules. The report, titled “Women in Prison: Seeking Justice Behind Bars”, was done by the United States Commission on Civil Rights. The report includes information from a yearlong investigation and public hearings. Chair […]
Argentinian Abortion Rights Activists Make Progress with New Bill
President Alberto Fernández is expected to put forward a bill to legalize abortion in Argentina when the legislative session opens on March 1. The bill would be a victory for the country’s abortion rights activists who began a grassroots movement in 2018 to push for a legalization bill. Fernández made abortion access a focus of […]
Women at the Forefront of Protests in India Over Citizenship Laws
Women are some of the most vehement opponents of two new laws in India that endanger the citizenship rights of groups such as Muslims, impoverished women, lower castes, and LGBTQ people. Enacted in December 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act accelerates the process to obtain Indian citizenship for undocumented refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The […]
U.S. Women’s Soccer Players Seek More than $66 Million in Damages
Players on the U.S. women’s national team are seeking more than $66 million in damages in their gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation. The papers were filed this past Thursday at the Los Angeles U.S. District Court. The trial date for the lawsuit is set for May 5. Included within these papers […]
Federal Court Strikes Down “Fetal Heartbeat” Abortion Ban in Mississippi
On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a Mississippi law that would ban abortions after a “fetal heartbeat,” is detected—as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. This standard contests Roe v. Wade’s national legalization of abortion prior to viability—usually around 24 weeks into pregnancy. Jackson Women’s Health Organization […]
Seattle Women’s March Set to Align with International Women’s Day
The majority of the annual Women’s Marches took place in January, but the Seattle Women’s March will happen on Sunday, March 8 which is International Women’s Day. March coordinators wanted to shift the focus of the event away from presidential issues and back to women’s issues. Originally the postponing of the march was reportedly because […]
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at DVF Awards
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, affectionately known to many as “The Notorious RBG”, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for “being a trailblazer, contributing to gender equality and supporting women’s issues” at Diane von Furstenberg’s awards ceremony Wednesday night. The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by von Furstenberg to honor extraordinary women who are making an […]