Responding to questions on abortion from Larry King last night on ‘Larry King Live,’ Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush declared that “the American people need to be led toward life.” Bush also spoke of respecting differences of opinion on the issue of abortion within the party and the possibility of “common ground” on issues […]
Leading Female Peacemakers Form Coalition
Women Waging Peace, organized by Swanee Hunt, a former U.S. ambassador and director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, which sponsored the event, launched a global network to move women’s peace efforts toward shaping public policy. Over two weeks, 110 women from around the world […]
CA Court Upholds NOW Victory for Title IX
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Title IX compliance on Thursday in their decision on a lawsuit filed by a group male wrestlers, claiming that the university was discriminating against them on the basis of sex. Essentially the ruling allows California State University at Bakersfield to eliminate men’s […]
PEP Resumes Abortion Rights TV Campaign
At the end of December, the Pro-Choice Public Education Project, a nationwide consortium of abortion rights groups, will begin broadcasting 30-second commercials aimed at female viewers 16 to 25 years old. The ad will be shown in New York and California and released to the 50 PEP member organizations for their use. The ad is […]
Proposed Ban on Gay Marriages May Harm Children
A proposed state ban on lesbian and gay marriages in California would affect nearly 150,000 children living with lesbian and gay couples or single parents. According to a study by Michael Wald, Stanford University law professor, those children might feel ostracized by society if their parents’ marriages were not considered valid. Wald specializes in the […]
Poverty, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Linked to Violence Against Women
Two studies published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine found that alcohol, drugs and unemployment are dramatic contributors to violence against women. The studies compared the cases of 661 female victims of violence treated in emergency rooms to cases of 1,179 women and girls treated for other medical problems. One study, led by Demetrios […]
First Woman Head of Antarctic Bank
Chilean banker Liliana Labra has been appointed as head of the Banco de Credito e Inversiones, the only bank in Antarctica. The first woman to run the branch, Labra said she is excited about the opportunity and slightly apprehensive. “But I know that this is a huge challenge that will open doors for other women […]
Taliban Invites Hillary Clinton to Afghanistan
The Taliban militia has invited First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to visit Afghanistan and view for herself the condition of women there. Taliban foreign ministry said in a statement that Ms. Clinton was welcome to visit Afghanistan and “speak to Afghan women about their rights.” The statement issued by the Taliban on Tuesday claims that […]
Schools Push Abstinence, Omit Birth Control Lessons
According to two reports issued Tuesday, one in three American schools offer abstinence-only policies that leave out any discussion of birth control or the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The Kaiser Family Foundation found in a survey of secondary school principals that 34 percent of their sex-education programs had abstinence-only policies. In […]
Spot Checks of Military Bases Ordered on Gay Harassment
Defense Secretary William Cohen has ordered spot checks of military bases around the nation to determine whether lesbian and gay service members are being harassed. The acting Pentagon Inspector General, Donald Mancuso, will supervise teams that will determine what problems exists in implementing President Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for lesbians and gay men […]
Women More Active In Markets by 2010
According to a Reuters survey, more women will work in financial markets by the year 2010 and could become the managers of the future. The survey shows that women are moving into higher-powered positions and have more flexibility in employment advancement. Reuters also found that financial market jobs like trading, brokering and dealing, historically dominated […]
Pakistan Bank Freezes Taliban Assets
In keeping with the United Nations resolution passed on November 14, the State Bank of Pakistan has ordered banks to freeze all assets belong to Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban army. The UN imposed economic sanctions on the Taliban in an attempt to force the Taliban to hand over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, accused of masterminding […]
Jordan Senate Votes to Punish ‘Honor’ Crimes
Jordan’s Senate revoked a bill that permits lenient punishment for those who kill their female relatives thought to have shamed their families. Senator Leila Sharaf during Monday’s sessions argued against keeping the current code that ensures leniency for men who murder family members. “Do we want every man in this country to take the law […]
Sarah Weddington Addresses NOW-NY Conference
Sarah Weddington was the keynote speaker for the National Organization for Women-New York state annual conference in Saratoga Springs on Saturday. The conference, held at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, was entitled “The Millennium Summit – To Your Health,” and highlighted health care and reproductive rights. Lois Shapiro-Canter, NY NOW president, spoke about the high cost […]
Taiwan Candidate Names Feminist Woman VP
Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party has named as his running mate political dissident and feminist Annette Lu, the first woman ever to run for vice president in Taiwan on a major party’s ticket. Chen made the announcement on the anniversary of the Formosa Incident, a human rights protest that ended violently. Chen praised […]
Carol Mosely-Braun Sworn in as Ambassador
Former Senator Carol Mosely-Braun was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa by Vice President Al Gore on Thursday. Mosely-Braun, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, made it clear in her remarks that her diplomatic appointment is a vindication of all allegations against her. Mosely-Braun even thanked Senator Jesse […]
Afghans May Face Severe Hunger
The World Food Program (WFP) stated today that millions of people in war-ravaged Afghanistan face the potential of severe food shortages this winter. The WFP pointed to soaring wheat prices, a bad harvest, and a lack of supplies from Pakistan as contributors to this potential food crisis in Afghanistan. Many in Kabul blame the United […]
CA Court Limits Sexual Harassment Suits
In a setback to protections against sexual harassment in the workplace the California Supreme Court has ruled that victims of sexual harassment cannot sue their harasser who is not their supervisor, although they can sue their employer for failing to intervene. Maryann Carrisales, a warehouse supervisor at the Chino state prison, Carrisales filed a suit […]
Women Appointed to State Offices Increasing — But Slowly
A recent study shows that the number of women in state leadership posts is increasing, but at a glacial pace. The Center for Women in Government reported that less than 30 percent of states’ top officials appointed by governors are women, and that the number of female appointees for the past year is only an […]
Rate of Women Without Health Insurance on the Rise
The rate of uninsured women is rising faster than the rate for men, according to a study commissioned by the Health Insurance Association of America. The percentage of uninsured women has risen in every adult age group, and women aged 45-64 are less likely to have insurance coverage than men. One of the study’s authors, […]