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Re-Election Uncertain for Boxer, Murray, Moseley-Braun

1992, the year of the woman, saw democrats Barbara Boxer, Carol Moseley-Braun, and Patty Murray elected to the Senate. Six years later, all three women are up for re-election and running in very tight races. The press has been flooded with stories on the Clinton scandal, leaving little room to cover candidates and their issues […]

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Indonesian Rape Counselor Murdered

A young woman who counseled ethnic Chinese rape victims was found dead in her Indonesian home from multiple stab wounds and a cut through her throat. New York-based Human Rights Watch demanded an investigation into the murder and requested that the government provide “better protection” for counselors helping victims raped and tortured during the May […]

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Asian Women Suffer From Financial Crisis

Social gender biases in Asia have caused working Asian women to suffer greatly during the country’s financial crisis. At a meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, delegates to a conference on women vowed to bring an end to discrimination against women workers and to provide women better job opportunities. “Where poverty reigns, women are poorer than […]

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US First Lady Promotes Women’s Rights in Eastern Europe

Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Bulgarian business women today as part of a four-day trip to promote women’s rights in Eastern Europe. The first lady acknowledged the women’s efforts at reform, and showed support for those women who are recreating the country’s business culture. “We’re very impressed by the reform effort and the difficult decisions […]

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PMS Often Diagnosed Incorrectly

Past studies have suggested that more than 85 percent of women experience symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and 2 to 10 percent suffer severe symptoms. A new survey has found that many women with PMS were diagnosed incorrectly or ineffectively prescribed before medical protocols were established for diagnosing and treating PMS in 1994. The study […]

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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered History Month Celebrated in October

“Find the Facts, Know the Truth” will be this year’s theme for the fourth annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History Month. Executive Director of The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Joan M. Garry stated, “This year’s theme speaks to the historical exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from the record […]

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Improved Technique For Egg Freezing

Researchers are making progress in their attempts to freeze and thaw women’s eggs. They are hopeful that one day soon women will have the same convenience of freezing their eggs as men have of freezing their sperm. “This problem has befuddled scientists for many years,” said John Buster, a fertility specialist at the Baylor College […]

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Senator Blocks Henney Nomination to the FDA

Action on Jane Henney’s nomination as head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been delayed by Senate majority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla. Nickles cited concern over Henney’s stance on abortion and tobacco issues as reasons for his action. Nickles is opposed to FDA approval of mifepristone (formerly known as RU 486) which is […]

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Insurers Fail to Inform Women About Contraceptive Coverage

About half of all traditional health care insurers and HMOs do not cover birth control. Of those that do, many fail to explain their coverage to women, according to a new study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute. “Fifteen percent of health maintenance organizations and point-of-service plans did not cover all five of the most […]

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Companies Benefit From Family Leave Policies

Managers and business owners are speaking out about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), signed by President Clinton in 1993. Many employers believe that FMLA policies encourage long-term employee loyalty and longevity, according to a report by the congressionally-appointed Commission on Leave. Also, 86 percent of work sites surveyed believe that FMLA has no […]

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Kenyan Man Found Guilty of Domestic Abuse, But Walks

Moita Ole Risa, a Kenyan man accused by his wife of physical abuse, was found guilty Thursday. Agnes Siyiankoi’s husband beat her with a club for five hours. She was the first in her Maasai tribe to bring her spouse to trial for abuse. Although Magistrate Charles Gitonga found Ole Risa guilty, his punishment was […]

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Congressional Denial of Contraceptive Coverage Called A “Travesty”

A provision to cover contraception in federal employees’ health insurance plans, originally passed by both the House and the Senate, was overturned when Congressional leaders voted to approve the Treasury-Postal bill without including the provision. Gloria Feldt, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called the decision a “travesty,” explainind that “Americans want preventive […]

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Alcohol Use, Smoking Significantly Reduces Fertility in Women

New evidence suggests that even moderate use of alcohol can reduce a woman’s fertility by up to 50 percent. In an effort find a scientific explanation for the effects of alcohol on fertility, Dr. Rosemarie B. Hakim and colleagues in Baltimore analyzed the menstrual cycles of 124 healthy women, and measured how their conception rates […]

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Florence Henderson is City of Hope’s ‘Woman of the Year’

City of Hope’s Women’s Council of Orange County will honor actress Florence Henderson as “Woman of the Year” at its second annual “The Spirit of Life” dinner on November 21. Henderson, a long-time supporter and spokesperson for City of Hope, was chosen for many reasons. Her dedication to helping a friend through her struggles with […]

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Pro-Choice Organizations Expose Anti-Choice Candidates

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) have launched a campaign to educate the public about anti-choice candidates this election season. Many of the anti-choice candidates PPFA and NARAL are highlighting are downplaying their anti-choice stances while seeking election. They are what NARAL refers to as […]

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Taliban Offers to Cut Opium Production in Exchange for U.N. Recognition

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has agreed to eliminate opium production in Afghanistan in exchange for U.N. recognition. Taliban’s Shariat radio reported that Omar told United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brami, “If the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) is accorded recognition without condition by the U.N., the Emirate will seriously ban unconditionally cultivation of poppy throughout the country.” […]

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Poll Shows Strong Support for Diversity in Higher Education

A national poll on diversity in higher education conducted by DYG Inc. for the Ford Foundation’s Campus Diversity Initiative found that 2 of 3 U.S. citizens feel that it is “very important” for colleges to prepare students for a diverse society. The poll was conducted by telephone this summer on a sample group of 2,011 […]

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Abused Women Suffer Physical, Mental Health Problems

Women who are either physically and emotionally abused are much more likely than others to develop physical and mental problems, even when the abuse is of “low severity.” These findings and others were published in today’s Journal of General Internal Medicine. All reiterate a fact that long been known — that the physical and emotional […]