News

The House Judiciary Committee voted 16-13 to approve legislation that curtails a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. The measure states that “anyone who takes a pregnant teenager to another state without a parent’s knowledge for an abortion could face federal prosecution.” The bill would make it illegal for a person other than […]

Pressure from Pope John Paul II and politicians prompted German bishops to actively forbid women to have abortions. Previously, Catholic bishops were integrated into an abortion counseling system that provided women with permission slips to have an abortion. Certificates–given by the Red Cross, church groups, and other state health centers–are required by German law, confirming […]

A new women’s wrestling federation was formed on Tuesday that plans to offer “role models for little girls and a more dignified way to bodyslam villains.” David McClane founded Women of Wrestling, WOW, in an effort to dignify and promote athleticism among female wrestlers. He notes that presently, women wrestlers are ” a side show. […]

This past weekend, abortion rights activists held a conference to discuss ways to increase access to abortion nationwide. They hope to engage support from communities to pressure hospitals to give referrals and make abortion more available. Conference panels will include ways to “persuade hospitals to change misleading intake procedures, how to organize letter-writing campaigns, and […]

Earlier this week, the Church Orders and Ministry committee voted 24-14 to remove a phrase from the Presbyterian Church’s constitution that prohibits the ordination of homosexuals to the ministry. This is the first step to allowing gays and lesbians leadership positions in the Presbyterian Church. To strike the clause, majority approval is needed from the […]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of African American women with HIV and AIDS has dramatically increased in the past few years. The rise in this disease among these women shows few signs of declining in the future. In 1985, African American women comprised 7% of the AIDS population, whereas […]

After women undergo treatment for breast cancer, they have a long road of recuperation ahead of them. Often, many women are not aware of the chronic, persistent problems that can occur after cancer has been treated. These include extreme fatigue, lymphedema, and pain and stiffness around the shoulder area. In addition, breast cancer survivors need […]

The House of Representatives recently passed a bill that increases the difficulty for individuals trying to clear their financial histories. This bill, spearheaded by credit card companies, is in an effort to decrease the amount of personal bankruptcies filed. Proponents of the legislation advocate that it will help women because those whose husbands or ex-husbands […]

In the early 1990s, mass rapes were reported in Bosnia. Thousands of women were repeatedly raped and tortured at the hands of the Serbs. There are several reported rumors that the Serbs, during the war in Kosovo, may have used rape as a tactic of war. As human rights organizations begin to collect information and […]

Gloria Feldt, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America spoke at the National Press Club on June 18. Feldt’s speech focused on how language shapes the public debate that shapes public policy. “Did you know,” she asked, that 35 states introduced contraceptive coverage bills in the last year and there were 35 articles about […]

According to Britain’s Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), many women continue be demoted or lose their jobs due to a pregnancy. Research by the Commission indicates that over 500 British women contacted them over the past year with queries of pregnancy discrimination. The majority of these women had been fired or were in danger of dismissal […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study that reports that black women are four times more likely to die from giving birth than white women. The research explored birth and death certificates of women who died during pregnancy, giving childbirth, or from complications within 42 days after childbirth. The study examined all […]

In its annual report released yesterday, Amnesty International documented human rights abuses in 142 countries and territories, including the abused committed by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. According to Amnesty, the Taliban massacred thousands of civilians and tortured thousands more in 1998. The report documented the Taliban’s attacks surrounding Mazar-e-Sharif, where Taliban guards “deliberately and systematically killed […]

The House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee heard testimony from both supporters and critics of H.R. 1218, the so-called “Child Custody Protection Act.” The Act would ban adults from helping minors to avoid abortion parental consent laws in their home states by transporting them to a neighboring state for the procedure. Persons found guilty of violating the […]

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Children First Project on Wednesday filed a federal class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court calling for the repeal of a Florida law that prohibits lesbian and gay citizens from adopting children. Lawyers for the plaintiffs charged that the ban ignores childrens’ best interests and discriminates against […]

Three Egyptian women’s human rights activists have begun a hunger strike over a proposed bill which would impose significant restrictions on the activities of NGOs. A sit-in protest at the Centre for Human Rights Legal Aid office is also planned. Two of the hunger strikers, Aida Seif al-Dawla and Suzanne Fayad, work for the El-Nadim […]

The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) has conducted research on the obstacles women face while trying to advance their careers within the pharmaceutical industry. Researchers found that men and women have very different perspectives on whether or not women face sex discrimination. According to a press release issued by the organization, HBA’s P.O.W.E.R. study was designed […]

The 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled that charges of attempted first-degree homicide and first-degree reckless injury were inappropriate for a Wisconsin woman who gave birth to a daughter whose blood alcohol level was measured at .199. At .199, the baby’s blood alcohol level measured almost twice the legal measure of intoxication. The Associated Press […]

Seventy-five-year old businessman Max Rhodes says that he and a group of Hillary Clinton’s supporters hope to “draft” the first lady as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2000. He and a group of Los-Angeles-based grass roots activists plan to collect 50 million signatures and raise at lease $50 for the project by the end of […]