The medical journal The Lancet released a study on Thursday examining the impact of the global gag rule, officially known as the Mexico City Policy, on the rate of abortions in sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers discovered that rather than decrease the amount of abortions as anti-choice advocates advertised, the policy increased abortion rates by approximately forty […]
Uncategorized
Supreme Court Rules against Citizenship Question on 2020 Census for now
This Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected the stated reasoning behind the citizenship question that the Trump Administration wanted to add to the 2020 Census, setting the efforts of the Trump administration further back. In the 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that the reason behind the citizenship question which was provided by […]
Uncategorized
Supreme Court Declines to Rule Partisan Gerrymandering Unconstitutional
Today, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision declaring that partisan gerrymandering, the redrawing of legislative districts to favor one political party over another, presents a political question that federal courts cannot review. In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by four conservative members of the Court, concluded that “partisan gerrymandering claims present political […]
Uncategorized
400 Complaints Of Sexual Assault Against Student Health Center Gynecologist
On Wednesday Dr. George Tyndall, gynecologist at the student health center of University of Southern California, was finally arrested amidst countless claims of sexual assault after an 18 month investigation. CBS Los Angeles asserts that over 400 female patients have accused Dr. Tyndall of molestation through his occupation. Tyndall was seized at his apartment adjacent […]
Senate and House Introduction of the Gender Equity Education Act of 2019
In celebration of the 47th anniversary of Title IX, Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Doris Matsui have introduced the Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2019, S. 1964 and H.R. 3513. This 2019 version of the initial 2016 Gender Equity Education Act, (GEEA) honors former Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink (D-HI) […]
Man Shoots 10-month-old Baby after Mother Rejects him
In Fresno, California, a 10-month-old baby is recovering in the hospital after being shot in the head by a man after her mother rejected his unwanted sexual advances. The mother, Deziree Menagh, 18, was at a social gathering with her daughter when she met Marcos Echartea, 23, and he started to make advances towards her. […]
Candidates Announce their Bids to Unseat Senator Susan Collins
Democrat Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, has announced that she is officially running to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins in 2020. Gideon has declared her bid amid a wave of several other Democratic, Republican, and Independent candidates announcing their campaigns. There are two other Democrats who have also launched their campaigns […]
Pakistan will create more than 1,000 Courts Dedicated to Tackling Violence Against Women
On Friday June 21st, Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa announced that Pakistan will set up more than 1,000 courts dedicated to tackling violence against women in the country. Each court will deal specifically with cases of violence against women in the country to cultivate an environment where women can speak up without fear of repercussions. […]
Appeals Court Rules that Trump’s Family Planning Restrictions can take Effect Immediately
Last week, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a family planning “gag rule,” which would strip federal Title X funding from any clinic that provides abortions or abortion referrals, could go into effect immediately. The new rules ban Title X funded-clinics—which serve approximately 4 million low-income Americans—from both making abortion […]
Uncategorized
New York Strengthens Sexual Harassment Laws
On Wednesday, the New York state legislature passed landmark legislation that provide stronger protections for survivors of sexual harassment, making it easier to bring sexual harassment claims forward. Governor Cuomo has promised to sign both bills into law. The first of the two bills removes the standard that harassment in the workplace must be “severe […]
Last Remaining Abortion Clinic in Missouri Denied License Renewal
The sole remaining abortion clinic in the state of Missouri is waiting on a further decision from the circuit court after the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) declined to renew their license last Friday, citing concerns for patients and perceived regulatory violations that were not fixed after an inspection. With the license […]
The Safety of Refugee Girls in Lebanon is in Crisis
A recent survey of 400 refugee girls at the age of 10-19 in Lebanon showed that 70% of them feel frighten traveling during the day by themselves, whereas 90% of them reported that they feel unsafe at night. These young girls talked about how men are attacking them, and how they fear being raped. “We’re […]
Uncategorized
Trump Administration hosts Concentration Camps at the Texas Border
This week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a link to an Esquire article titled “An Expert on Concentration Camps Says That’s Exactly What the U.S. Is Running at the Border” which sparked controversy over the Trump administration’s handling of refugees. AOC captioned her tweet “This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United […]
U.N. Security Council Meeting on Afghanistan “Cautiously” Optimistic
U.N. Security Council on June 19 held a briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. Officials urged for the inclusion of Afghan government in peace negotiations, human rights protection, and a credible and timely presidential election. Tadamichi Yamamoto, U.N. Special Representative to Afghanistan, said that there is reason for “cautious” optimism. During his briefing, Yamamoto, who […]
AWCCI takes win in World Chambers Congress and Competition
The Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), a group dedicated to highlighting Afghan women entrepreneurs, recently participated in the World Chambers Congress and Competition for the 11th anniversary of the competition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This competition, held every two years, focuses on entrepreneurship and achievements by businesses in the sector. […]
Rhode Island Codifies Rights Granted under Roe v. Wade
Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo signed the Reproductive Privacy Act (RPA) into law, a monumental moment for the protection of abortion rights in the state. The bill codifies the privacy rights that were established in Roe v. Wade, meaning that if Roe were to be overturned on the federal level, citizens of Rhode Island would […]
Alabama Legislature passes Equal Pay Act
Last week, the Alabama legislature passed HB225, prohibiting employers from having discrepancies in pay among employees that do equal work. The law will go into place in August 2019, to ensure equal pay excluding seniority and merit, to all working citizens of Alabama. The democratic representative, Rep. Adline Clake, was inspired to write the bill […]
First Female President to Lead the U.S. Naval War College Announced
Last week, Rear Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was appointed as the first female president of the U.S. Naval War College, 135 years after the opening of the Navy institution. Rear Admiral Chatfield, 53, is currently serving as Commander, Joint Region Marianas, Guam and previously served as a Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander in Farah province, Afghanistan, the […]
Health and Human Services Defends Attack on Title X
On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce met to discuss the Department of Health and Human Services new Title X regulation, dubbed as the ‘gag-rule’, that would ‘gag’ health care providers who are Title X funded from telling their patients how and where they can […]
Uncategorized
NASA Announces First Woman on the Moon in 2024
NASA announced this week that they are sending the first woman to the moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis mission. The Artemis mission aims to create the first sustainable human presence on the moon by 2028. Although the first astronauts landed on the moon 45 years ago, no female astronaut has actually been […]