As the world today celebrated the birth of the 6 billionth person, poor countries continue to suffer from population growth that outstrips their economic growth. Most of the 240,000 babies born each day are unplanned children born into families without the enough food or adequate healthcare access. According to a UN Press Release, “An estimated […]
As part of a so-called “Pro-Life” initiative set up by Scottish Cardinal Thomas Winning, a twelve-year-old girl in Britain was given money to keep her baby. The young girl is the most controversial so far of the 2,000 British women who have accepted money from the Catholic Church not to have an abortion. Social workers […]
State Secretary of Public Safety Gary Aronhalt said Monday that he plans to investigate allegations of widespread sexual abuse of prisoners at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia. In the past 9 months, inmates have registered 25 sexual misconduct complaints. Although prison officials usually investigate these complaints, public pressure in this case caused […]
Margaret “The Tiger” MacGregor readily defeated male opponent Loi “The Earthman” Chow at Mercer Arena Saturday night in boxing’s first sanctioned mixed-gender match. MacGregor, a landscaper from Bermerton, Washington, has a record of 4-0, with one knockout. She stands 5-5-, weighed in at 129, has a black belt in karate and is a former women’s […]
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is launching the first national public service advertising campaign about emergency contraception. Emergency contraception, a higher dose of birth control pills taken within 72 hours of sex, can prevent pregnancy and could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by half. The ads feature actors and musicians, including Christina Ricci […]
Friday, Advocates for Youth president James Wagoner urged domestic and international policy makers to adhere to the International Conference on Population and Development’s recommendations. Wagoner called on policy makers to extend sex education programs for all school levels, to provide confidential access to contraception for adolescents, and to more aggressively engage public health strategies to […]
After seven years of debate and revisions, the New York Senate yesterday passed clinic access legislation expected to be signed by Gov. George Pitaki (R). The Clinic Access and Anti-Stalking Act of 1999 was praised by Planned Parenthood of New York City as a positive measure for women in the state of New York. The […]
Public schools are in danger of losing racial and socioeconomic diversity. Busing policies intended to achieve racial diversity in Montgomery County (VA) and Charlotte-Mecklenburg district (NC) schools were struck down in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond just a few days ago, both the Nando Times and the Washington Post report. Quickly […]
Recently, the China Daily reported on the success of rural family planning programs that send doctors on rounds in various counties and provinces to examine the health of women. These programs provide education on contraception, and aim to arm women with the knowledge needed to make critical decisions about their own bodies. Datong county reported […]
Following the brutal murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998, both the University and area public schools have worked hard to counter homophobia will inclusive curricula. Public school conflict resolution classes now focus on preventing bullying and curbing homophobic harassment. At the University of Wyoming, education students are trained in teaching tolerance. […]
After seven years of debate and revisions, the New York Senate yesterday passed clinic access legislation expected to be signed by Gov. George Pitaki (R). The Clinic Access and Anti-Stalking Act of 1999 was praised by Planned Parenthood of New York City as a positive measure for women in the state of New York. The […]
In response to rising numbers of violent crimes against gay military service members, President Clinton this week issued an executive order strengthening the military criminal code’s penalties for crimes “motivated by hatred based on the victim’s race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.” The amendment also includes a privilege of confidentiality between service members and their […]
Milwaukee prosecutors this week filed a rape charge against an assailant whose identity is known only by his DNA, a new tactic that prosecutors hope will allow rape cases to be prosecuted after their 6-year statute of limitations has passed. In this case, DNA samples taken from three rape victims showed that they were all […]
Fourteen AIDS activists were arrested Wednesday in front of Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky’s office during a protest against US policies inhibiting poor countries from getting AIDS drugs. The protestors claim that US policy, which sanctions countries that sell generic brands of AIDS drugs, is driven by pressure from large pharmaceutical companies that seek to maintain […]
Former UPS Logistics president and CEO Ray Thurston agreed to pay a settlement to Diane Latone for making “sexually offensive, intimidating and hostile comments” about Latone’s two daughters. The suit filed against Thurston claimed that he had suggested making Latone’s daughters his “mistresses” in return for cash, gifts, housing, and the use of his jet.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in an important show of solidarity with the international movement for women’s rights, spoke out against the Taliban’s treatment of women. Speaking at the California Governor’s Conference for Women, Ms. Albright pledged U.S. support for women and girls in Afghanistan stating that the rights of women must be included in […]
Massachusetts for Life attempted to stop the confirmation of Margaret Marshall as Chief Justice for the Supreme Judicial Court because of her involvement with the Chrittenton Hastings House, a pro-choice reproductive health center for single mothers that performs abortions. The group charges that because of her involvement, Marshall cannot “remain objective” on the issue of […]
In a suit filed against Cracker Barrel, a national chain of 391 restaurants, the NAACP charges that Cracker Barrel does not give promotions or access to management positions to black workers. In addition, the suit cites racist comments and behavior. Cracker Barrel has a history incidents of discrimination, having fired workers in 1991 because of […]
On October 4, a panel defended itself against criticism for outlawing an anti-rape television commercial because it offended men. In the ad, South African actress Charlize Theron responds to her own question about “what South African men are like” by citing rape statistics. According to South African police, South African women are nearly three times […]
The latest issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concludes that from 1900 to 1997, maternal death rate in the United States has declined almost 99% to an average of less than 0.1% per 1000 live births. However, the rates vary across various income brackets and ethnic groups. The Report attributes the decline to […]
