A report by Catholics for a Free Choice released this week exposes the connection between the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (CAFHRI), a conservative anti-reproductive rights group that lobbies the United Nations, and the anti-abortion group Human Life International, and reveals “shocking remarks” about Hillary Clinton made by its president Austin Ruse. The report […]
A congressional advisory panel released a study today reporting “old-fashioned” mammograms to be the most effective and reliable method of detecting pre-cancerous lumps in women’s breasts. The panel found that none of the newer technologies, such as digital mammograms, MRI or testing breast fluid, were as reliable as the traditional X-ray mammogram. American women undergo […]
Today marks the 144th International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the accomplishments of women worldwide and to continue the fight for global equality for women and girls. On March 8, 1857, in one of the first organized actions by working women, hundreds of women garment and textile workers in New York City protested against […]
In recognition of International Women’s Day, the International Labor Organization released a report on the status of working women around the world. According to the report, women now make up 40 percent of the global workforce, however great barriers remain for women at all levels in all areas of the world. Wage inequities and glass […]
A study released today by Population Action International (PAI) reported women in America face greater reproductive health risks than women in Singapore, Australia and much of Europe, while women in Africa and Afghanistan have the highest risk of reproductive health problems. The report surveyed 133 countriesÑ91 developing countries and 42 developed countries, representing 95 percent […]
President Bush’s $1.6 trillion tax cut plan endangers vitally-needed social programs including education, health care, and possibly Social Security and Medicare. At the same time, the tax cut provides little relief to average women workers and disproportionately benefits the wealthy. “The economic well-being of women in the United States is severely threatened by President Bush’s […]
In an anti-woman and anti-worker move, the Senate voted yesterday to repeal the ergonomics standard established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). All 50 Senate Republicans and six Senate Democrats voted against the measure. Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Barabara Mikulski (D-MD) and Barabra Boxer (D-CA) joined labor leaders at a recent press conference […]
Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) just had one hundred pounds of olives dumped on his doorstep. And feminists concerned with reproductive rights hope that the next shipment will be on its way soon. Nancy Millar, president of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women, heads the “olive and hanger” campaign to show […]
Amnesty International released two new reports this week showing that women worldwide are tortured and abused both by relatives and by government officials, including police. In “Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds,” Amnesty International asserts that “[t]orture is fed by a global culture which denies women equal rights with men, and which legitimizes violence against women.” The […]
In the U.N.’s largest series of raids in Bosnian brothels, 177 women were freed from prostitution and 38 brothels were closed in an operation carried out on March 2. The women, primarily from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, will be interviewed by U.N. officials to build a case against the brothel owners. Bosnia has become […]
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Monday he will establish an advisory panel of National Institute of Health (NIH) scientists to research and advise him on the “scientific” and “moral” issues involved in stem cell research before he makes a decision on the fate of government funded stem cell research grants. The NIH […]
Despite a 1996 state law that prohibits charging rape victims for forensic exams or kits used to collect evidence after a rape, three counties in Georgia have been charging women as much as $1,200 to cover costs that the law states should be paid for by law enforcement. Exams performed on rape victims are criminal […]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning today for women who take the popular prescription blood thinner Coumadin, advising them that the drug could interact with the anti-fungal drug miconazole, which is found in some over-the-counter yeast infection treatments. The interaction between the two drugs has been shown to cause nosebleeds, bleeding gums […]
Last year, the first Global Women’s Strike mobilized women from 64 countries. From sex workers in London to grandmothers in India, women stopped working to protest the growing inequities of women’s work. On the streets of Kaabong, Uganda, women carried pots on their heads and babies on their backs to protest the unwaged work that […]
Leadership Alliances nationwide are planning major events to celebrate the achievements of feminists and the women’s movement. During this month, your group can work for reproductive rights worldwide on International Women’s Day (March 8th), and support abortion rights at home on the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers (March 10th). Check out what actions […]
Leadership Alliance activists from ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY and EMMANUEL COLLEGE gathered last month in New Haven, CT for the Connecticut College Leadership Alliance’s conference, “Mobilizing Towards Activism: A Conference About Race and Organizing Tactics.” The conference featured keynote speaker Reverend Barry S. Lynn of Americans United for the […]
The Vagina Monologues opened to a sold out crowd of 18,000 at Madison Square Gardens on Feburary 18th. The event featured actors and musicians, including Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Rosie Perez, Claire Danes, and Queen Latifah. As part of the V-day festivities, Oprah Winfrey performed Ensler’s tribute to Afghan women, entitled Under the […]
On Valentine’s Day, Leadership Alliances across the nation held their own production of “The Vagina Monologues” on their campuses as part of the V-Day College Initiative to raise money and awareness to stop violence against women. Participating Leadership Alliances include groups at WESTERN WASHINGTON, EAST STROUDSBURG, IOWA STATE, TRUMAN STATE, U OF MARYLAND COLLEGE-PARK, U […]
Congress is threatening to nullify a regulation that establishes workplace ergonomics standards – an unprecedented Congressional move that would effectively prevent any similar future regulations. Last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Act established an ergonomic standard to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) including repetitive strain injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. Women workers […]
What began as a proposal for a presidential gag gift has snowballed into a campaign that raised more than half a million dollars for family planning group Planned Parenthood Federation of America. In her January 26 column for the Los Angeles Times, writer Patt Morrison decried George W. Bush’s decision to order a “safety” review […]
