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.” […]
Women from the Philippines, Korea, Japan, and the U.S. will share their stories about the rape, murder, and sexual exploitation of women by U.S. military servicemen stationed in Asia at a press conference scheduled for 10am on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The press conference, which is part of a larger […]
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 […]
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 […]
A recent survey of small business owners conducted by the Los Angeles Times and the USC Marshall School of Business found that nearly 1 in 3 women entrepreneurs conducts her business out of her home. The survey, which was confined to southern California, included businesses with under 500 employees. Other findings from the survey reveal […]
Researcher Joseph C. Hall of Norfolk State University believes he has developed a suitable birth control pill for men. The pill could be on the market within five years. Hall’s attempts to develop a male pill are unlike any other biochemist’s work. While others have tried to reduce sperm production, Hall has used a compound […]
Close to 1000 civil rights activists rallied yesterday to draw attention to the meager number of minority law clerks hired each year by US Supreme Court justices. Nineteen people, including NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, were arrested after crossing police barricades on the steps of the Supreme Court to deliver petitions and minority clerk resumes to […]
Support for the Taliban is becoming more and more scarce in the Islamic world. Saudi Arabia and Iran, the world’s two most influential Islamic states, deem the Taliban’s brutal, fundamentalist interpretation of Islam as “an embarrassment.” Saudi Arabia was once a strong financial and political supporter of the Taliban and is one of only three […]
The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund have created a new Web site called Gay Vote ’98 in an effort to get out the lesbian and gay vote this November. The Web site lists the names of gay candidates and incumbents’ voting records to help users determine which candidates best support […]
During October, “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”, health professionals are continuing to stress well-known facts about the disease. Breast cancer is most treatable when caught as its early stages, thus the American Cancer society recommends that women over the age of 20 conduct regular monthly self-exams to check their breast for lumps or irregularities and recommends […]
A new drug for the treatment of advanced breast cancer was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last Friday. FDA officials describe the drug, Herceptin, as “a new biologic approach for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, or cancer that has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes under the arm.” Herceptin is the […]
Feminist writer Taslima Nasreen faces a court order for her arrest after returning to her native country of Bangladesh. Nasreen was forced to flee her country in 1994 due to death threats issued because of her feminist writing. Her writing, deemed “anti-Muslim” by some, also prompted the filing of a case against Nasreen by Zainal […]
The Sudanese President Omar el Beshir recently spoke out against Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and its treatment of women. The Taliban, who now control 90% of Afghanistan, have implemented harsh and oppressive policies against women, including denial of access to education and the job market. To justify their actions they have relied heavily on claims that […]
The second annual “America Walks For Strong Women” walk-a-thon will be held in the Miami Dadeland Mall on Saturday, September 26. The event is held to raise funds for the National Osteoporosis Foundation as well as to create awareness of the disease. The walk totals three miles. A contribution of at least $15.00 is requested […]
According to Judge Peter J. Maceroni of Macomb County, California, WNBA player Pamela McGee of the Los Angeles Sparks is unfit to be a mother while making a career as a professional basketball player. McGee was forced to give temporary custody of her 3-year-old daughter to her ex-husband, the Rev. Kevin E. Stafford. McGee believes […]
A study published in this week’s Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that tamoxifen may be even more effective than was originally thought at reducing the incidence of breast cancer among high-risk women. The five-year study followed 13,000 women who were at high risk for getting breast cancer. Women were given either tamoxifen or […]
Taliban spokesperson Vakil Ahmad Motevakel said that Taliban forces were responsible for the murders of 9 Iranian diplomats during the Taliban’s capture of Kandahar last month. He claimed that the killers had acted without the permission of Taliban officials and would be punished. Two Iranian diplomats and a journalist who accompanied the diplomats around the […]
Democratic Representative Nick Lampson of Texas has proposed a bill that would require witnesses of child sexual abuse to report the crime to authorities. Penalties for violating the law would be determined on a state-by-state basis. The bill is named the “Sherrice Iverson Act” to honor the memory of a seven-year-old girl who was kidnapped, […]
A 20-year study of tens of thousands of student records indicates that affirmative action programs are largely responsible for the supporting the black middle class and for teaching white students the importance of integration. Written by William Bowen and Derek Bok, two former presidents of Princeton and Harvard Universities, the study examined the grades, test […]
Seven openly lesbian or gay candidates are seeking house seats this year — more than ever before. Two of the candidates are incumbents Barney Frank (D-MA) and Jim Kolbe (R-AZ). Both were elected and reelected several time before revealing their sexual orientation. The remaining candidates include democrats Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Tammy Baldwin of […]
