In a landmark move, Canada’s federal government has proposed legislation to criminalize forced conversion therapy for LGBTQ people. The legislation would also prohibit conversion therapy for minors. “Conversion therapy” is a range of abusive practices performed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices, based on the antiquated idea that […]
UN Commission on the Status of Women Reaffirms Plan to Achieve Gender Equality
On March 9, the Commission on the Status of Women, the primary United Nations body promoting women’s rights, reaffirmed a 1995 plan to achieve gender equality and has pledged to work rapidly to meet rising levels of gender inequality and conservative hostility. According to a release from the Associated Press, the plan is a “political […]
Hillary Clinton: Abandoning Afghan Women’s Rights is Not Just Morally Wrong – It Is Dangerous
At a UN meeting on the recent deal between the U.S. and the Taliban about the role of Afghan women’s rights today in New York, Secretary Hillary Clinton emphasized that “encouraging women’s participation is not only the right thing to do; it is the strategic and necessary thing to do for peace, prosperity and security.” […]
UN Secretary-General Points to Gender Equality as Biggest Challenge
On Friday, before the observation of International Women’s Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asserted that gender equality is “the biggest human rights challenge we face” in the midst of men who abuse their power. Guterres added that he himself is a “proud feminist.” A report by UN Women found that millions of women across the […]
Mexican Women Stay Home in “A Day Without Women” to Protest Femicide
Countless women skipped school, work, and other social functions yesterday as part of a 24-hour strike to protest the unprecedented levels of violence against women. This left offices and classrooms half full, trains and buses empty and fewer cars on the streets. To the women participating, this strike was about “showing, socially … how valuable […]
Taliban Resumes Killing Afghans Despite Agreement with the U.S.; Human Rights, Women’s Rights, Democracy Omitted
Shortly after the U.S. and the Taliban signed a so-called peace agreement, the Taliban resumed their attacks across Afghanistan in 24 of its 34 provinces. Between February 29th and March 4th, the Taliban conducted 76 attacks. More than 100 Afghan government officials and civilians have been killed in these attacks. In a major attack today […]
UK Court Judges Dubai Sheikh on Abusive Treatment of Wife and Daughters
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 […]
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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 […]