The US Congress passed a resolution late last week criticizing the human rights abuses of the Taliban, and calling for the reconvening of a Grand Assembly of Afghan leaders, a representative government for Afghanistan, and democratic elections. The measure passed by a vote of 381-0 in the House, with 32 not voting, and passed unanimously […]
With Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush still running neck and neck in national polls, pro-choice groups are turning their attention to Green Party Candidate Ralph Nader, fearing that he may swing the election in favor of Bush. Planned Parenthood raised $2 million in just two days, and will use the […]
Abortion is an important issue not only in the presidential race this year but in statewide elections as well, with pro-choice candidates facing anti-choice opponents in California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, New York, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In the Michigan US Senate race, polls show pro-choice Democratic candidate […]
In a major step forward, U.S. House and Senate leaders, by a vote of 307-101 and 65-27, agreed to remove the anti-choice restriction known as the “global gag rule” from the $14.9 billion foreign aid bill. U.S. House and Senate leaders agreed to a plan that would increase funding for international family planning programs to […]
The chief minister of an opposition-ruled Malaysian state who recently claimed that women were the main cause of social ills and moral decadence due to attire that exposed their bodies has now stated that women should be banned from Koran recital contests in claiming their voices seduce men. Minister Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat also […]
A recent survey conducted by students at Hamilton College and by the Zogby International polling organization shows that 76.9 percent of people aged 18-24 plan to vote this year, challenging the stereotype of young people as apathetic. The Political Attitudes of Young Americans Poll came out of a Hamilton College website, NY2K, designed to educate […]
A poll sponsored by the Associated Press and conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show that, among the 25 percent of registered voters who are undecided on a candidate, Democratic candidate Al Gore is taking the lead. Swing voters are impressed by Gore’s experience, his mastery on the issues, […]
Increasing numbers of colleges and universities are announcing that their campus health centers will not prescribe mifepristone, the abortion pill recently approved by the FDA. Currently, most university health centers do not perform surgical abortions; mifepristone could greatly improve young women’s access to abortion, since it does not have to be administered by a doctor […]
Decriminalizing what is commonly called “baby abandonment” has become one of the hottest legislative trends of the new millennium. After Texas passed a bill in September of 1999 stating that mothers could leave their newborns with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) without being charged with a crime, a flurry of states began proposing similar bills. At […]
Regardless of who is supporting these bills, one important question remains unanswered: is there a need for this legislation at all? Or is this just another case of politicians scoring easy “we-care-about-children” points? No one is really certain that baby abandonment is a statistically significant problem. No agency officially tracks how many babies are abandoned […]
Last night, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) stood on the Senate floor for 30 minutes and quoted verbatim statements made by Texas Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate George W. Bush. Sen. Reid prefaced his statements by highlighting the importance of ideas in the presidential campaign, urging voters to pay close attention to the “policies being advocated” […]
Supporters of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader and left-wing Democrats are conducting a last-minute campaign in various swing states, fearing that Nader could tip the election in favor of Republican candidate George W. Bush. Politicians and activists note that, with the presidential race so close between Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore, votes for […]
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan announced yesterday that he has appointed as Thoraya Ahmed Obaid Executive Director of the UN Population Fund. Obaid, an American-educated Saudi woman, has led the Population Fund’s division for the Arab nations and Europe since 1998, and has 25 years of experience in women’s issues and development. She […]
A joint House-Senate negotiations committee voted yesterday to strike the “global gag rule” from the $14.9 billion foreign aid bill. Congress members agreed to a plan that would raise funding for international family planning programs to $425 million, compared to $385 million for last year. It will also remove restrictions first instated by Reagan in […]
Abortion and affirmative action are just two of many progressive issues that could be debated by the US Supreme Court in the next four to eight years. Yesterday, President Clinton campaigned for Vice President Al Gore, reminding voters that the next president will have the power to appoint three to four Justices to the Supreme […]
Last night, more than 500 students, faculty, and community members crowded the Glass Pavilion at Johns Hopkins University to hear “The Feminist Debate: The Role and Struggle of American Women Today” between Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal and Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly. Schlafly painted an idealistic picture of life for women in the […]
Last night, cable television network HBO premiered the documentary “Hate.com: Extremists on the Internet,” an analysis of hate groups’ presence and mobilization using the Internet. The program highlights various hate groups with a specific focus on racist extremists, but included anti-abortion, anti-gay and lesbian, and other groups. For example, Eric Robert Rudolph primary suspect in […]
In a recent debate, as well as in his ad campaign, U.S. Senate candidate George Allen (R-VA) called his support of abortion restrictions “reasonable moderation.” During the October 22 debate, in an effort to dilute the influence of the abortion issue in the Senate race where he faces pro-choice Senator Charles Robb (D-VA), Allen told […]
Preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that more mothers are returning to work within a year of giving birth, and more are returning to full-time positions. According to the Census Bureau, of the 3.6 million women who gave birth between June 1997 and June 1998, 59 percent returned to the work force within […]
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently released finding that rank Afghanistan as one of the three hungriest nations in the world, along with Somali and Haiti. The FAO found that 70% of the Afghan population is undernourished, living without 26% of their basic food requirements. The Taliban’s oppressive system of gender apartheid […]
