In Argentina, an 11-year old rape survivor was forced to give birth this week after fighting for the right to an abortion. At 23 weeks pregnant, she underwent a cesarean section however the baby is not expected to survive. The girl, who has been given the name Lucia to protect her identity, attempted suicide twice […]
Women for the White House – Victoria Woodhull and More
Victoria Woodhull, a 19th century women’s right activist and business owner, was the first woman to run for president in 1872 under the Equal Rights Party, 50 years before women gained the right to vote.
Shannon Goessling Nominated to Head the Office of Violence Against Women
On March 5, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a nomination hearing for Shannon Lee Goessling, Trump’s pick to head the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) at the Department of Justice. Women’s rights and anti-violence activists have raised serious concerns over the nominee’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, anti-racial justice history, noting that combating intimate partner violence requires an intersectional perspective that understands the vulnerability of respective communities.
Trump Administration Imposes Domestic Gag Rule
The Trump administration is implementing a policy that prevents clinics that provide abortion counseling and referrals from receiving Title X Family Planning Program funding, funding that provides birth control, STD tests, cervical and breast cancer screenings, and reproductive health care to low-income and uninsured individuals. Under Title X, federal dollars already cannot directly fund abortion […]
Afghan Women Demand Inclusion in Peace Talks
Over 700 Afghan women from all 34 provinces participated today in a National conference to demand their inclusion in any peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan while stressing the importance of preserving women’s rights and upholding Afghanistan’s democracy. This conference was in response to recent peace talks between U.S. officials and the Taliban, a […]
Venezuela Humanitarian Crisis at the Border Harms Women
This past weekend, the accused illegitimate Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, sent military forces to the border to prevent civilians from receiving aid, a heightened response after his recent attempts to block aid at the border of Venezuela and Colombia; as a result 285 people were injured, 37 hospitalized, and 4 were killed. Maduro refuses to […]
Uncategorized
Thousands of Complaints of Sexual Abuse from Migrant Youths in Detention Centers
On Tuesday, a Democratic representative from Florida, Ted Deutch, released a report outlining the sexual abuse of migrant youths in detention facilities that included 4,556 filed complaints of sexual abuse from other youths in detention, adult staff, and other adults who are not staff. The report detailed complaints over the last four years from October […]
Anti-Abortion Attack Forces Abortion Services Clinic to Relocate
Last Thursday, Whole Woman’s Health, an abortion clinic located in North Austin, Texas, closed its doors after a faith-based pregnancy center, Austin LifeCare, bought out their lease in an attempt to prevent abortion access. This is the second time an organization has tried to buy their lease out from under them, but previously Whole Women’s […]
Uncategorized
New Jersey Governor Murphy Signs Bill to Increase Paid Family Leave
Tuesday, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law legislation that will greatly expand paid family leave in New Jersey, doubling the amount of paid time possible for workers. The bill was heavily supported by Democrats in the legislature who have been focused on increasing protections for working families. This bill, NJ S2528 (18R), includes paid family […]
Uncategorized
FMF Supported Documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” Wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary
The documentary short, “Period. End of Sentence.”, which tells the story of women in a small village outside Delhi, India who are leading a quiet revolution against the deeply rooted stigma surrounding menstruation, won an Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject on Sunday night at the 91st Academy Awards.
Uncategorized
Major Companies and Brands Pull YouTube Ads After Child Exploitation Claims
Several brands and companies, such as Nestle and Disney, have pulled their advertisements from YouTube amid claims of the platform being used as a “soft-core pedophilia ring,” where pedophiles traded information and exploited videos featuring young girls. The videos seem appropriate, featuring girls doing gymnastics or playing with toys, but users have made suggestive comments […]
Sima Samar: Afghan Women Should be a Part of Peace Talks
The chairwomen of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Sima Samar, stated that she supports women being a part of the Afghanistan peace talks. Samar presented on the role of women in securing peace at the “Women’s role in ensuring justice and human rights” Conference in Kabul. Samar pointed out the fear that many women […]
Uncategorized
Mass Shooting in Aurora, Illinois Manufacturing Warehouse
Last Friday, there was a mass shooting at a manufacturing warehouse in Aurora, Illinois. The gunman began shooting at his coworkers when he was being fired at a meeting with managers—he killed five of his coworkers and injured several police officers. Those killed were Trevor Wehner, an intern on his first day and senior at […]
Iowa State Will Not Seek Appeal to Fetal Heartbeat Court Ruling
Governor Reynolds of Iowa stated Monday that the government will not seek an appeal after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the “fetal heartbeat” law passed last May was unconstitutional. This unconstitutional law, if had it gone into effect, would have been one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the United States. Those against […]
Uncategorized
Trump Announces State of Emergency for Border Wall Funds
This morning, President Trump announced that he will declare a national emergency over the nonexistent “border crisis” in an attempt to secure up to 8 billion dollars in emergency funds to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In a press conference this morning, Trump announced that he “can do the wall over a longer […]
Uncategorized
Virginia ERA Advocates Rally In Support of Rule Change
On Thursday, prior to first readings of the rule changes set forth by Virginia Delegate Hala Ayala (D-Prince William) and Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), a rally in support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was held on the steps of Virginia’s Capitol. Advocates heard from local and national speakers on the importance of the ERA, […]
Uncategorized
Anti-LGBTQ+ West Virginia Delegate Called To Resign
This week, Delegate Eric Porterfield (WV-27) is facing numerous calls for his resignation after he compared the LGBTQ+ community and gay activists to the Klu Klux Klan (KKK), a white supremacist group, and called the LGBTQ+ community a “terrorist group.” Despite criticism and backlash for his homophobic comments, he refuses to resign. These comments were […]
Employers to be Held Accountable For Workplace Sexual Rumors
Last Friday, the Fourth Circuit of Appeals unanimously reversed a district court’s ruling on Parker v. Reema Consulting Services, Inc.; the panel explained that the rumors involving a female employee having sexual relations with her male boss to obtain a promotion or special treatment make her employer liable under the Title VII for sex discrimination. […]
Maria Ressa, CEO of Philippine News Site Critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, Arrested
Maria Ressa, an outspoken critic of Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte, who has previously threatened reporters, was arrested Wednesday with “cyber libel” charges against her news site, Rappler. The charges were in relation to a Rappler report that connected a former judge in the Philippines’ top court to a businessman involved in human trafficking and illegal […]
Dr. Mags Portman, Leading Pioneer of PrEP, Dies at 44
Dr. Mags Portman, a leading pioneer of PrEP in the United Kingdom and Europe, passed away this week at 44 years old after a battle with cancer. Dr. Portman was a leading advocate for PrEP before the NHS made the life-saving medication readily available and worked to increase access for PrEP, preventing thousands from becoming […]