Sima Samar, a top Afghan human rights and women’s rights advocate, was appointed to the United Nations High Level Advisory Board of Mediation. Dr. Samar has been a leading advocate for human rights and women’s rights and has served in high ranking roles since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Since then, she […]
Taliban Threatens To Pull Out Of Afghan Peace Talks
This week, the Taliban threatened to pull out of the Afghan peace talks, led by Zalmai Khalilzad–former US ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan and current envoy assigned to bring the negotiators to the table–impeding progress to negotiating the end of the war.
Uncategorized
Virginia Senate Passes ERA
The Republican majority Senate of the state of Virginia passed a resolution to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment on Tuesday, the 15th. The resolution was passed by a vote of 26 to 14.
Afghan Women Athletes Report Assault
Women athletes on the Afghanistan national football team have come out with serious allegations of sexual and physical assault against leaders of the Football Federation of Afghanistan (AFF), an affiliate of FIFA, including its president Keramuudin Karim.
Uncategorized
Equal Rights Amendment Passes Virginia Senate
BREAKING: The Virginia State Senate has passed the Equal Rights Amendment by a vote of 26-14. More details will be announced tomorrow.
Uncategorized
Los Angeles Teachers Strike
Yesterday, Los Angeles (LA) teachers went on strike, for the first time in 30 years, to protest class sizes, the lack of librarians, nurses, and counselors, and disagreements over pay raises with LA district leaders.
Education for Displaced Girls Signed into Law
The Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act was signed into law yesterday. The Act seeks to provide quality primary and secondary education for children, especially girls in displaced areas. The bill authorizes the State Department and USAID to support efforts with other multilateral and civil society organizations in providing access to education. […]
Indian Women Continue Their Struggle to Access Temples
Last week, around five million Indian women formed the “Women’s Wall” in the southern state of Kerala to draw attention to their continued fight to have equal access to religious sites. The five million woman wall stretched 620 kilometers or 385 miles across Kerala, India.
Government Shut Down Stretches In To 19th Day With No End In Sight
The government shutdown, which began December 22nd 2018, persists into its 19th day as President Trump continues to rebuff any spending bill that does not allocate $5.7 billion to fund a wall on the border of Mexico and the United States. Congressional leaders are expected to return to the White House today to resume negotiations, though an immediate resolution seems unlikely.
Child Sex-Trafficking Survivor Cyntoia Brown To Be Released From Prison
On Monday morning Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted executive clemency to 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown—a survivor of child sex trafficking who was convicted in 2004 of first degree murder after killing a 43-year-old man who had purchased her for sex. Brown, who at 16-years-old was sentenced to life in prison, is now scheduled to be released on August 7, 2019.
Uncategorized
Ex-Felons in Florida can now Register to Vote
Today, over a million people are eligible to register to vote in Florida after voters passed Florida Amendment 4 in the November midterms, allowing ex-felons the right to vote. In the 2018 midterms, Florida voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 4, which re-instated voting rights to convicted felons as long as they have completed […]
Saudi Woman Desperately Seeking Asylum in Australia, Trapped in Thailand
This weekend, 18-year old Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun was fleeing to Australia to seek asylum when she was stopped from boarding her connecting flight in Bangkok by Thai Police. Thai Police claim she did not have a proper return ticket from Australia, though she did have a 3-month tourist visa.
Afghanistan’s Art Industry Experiencing a Revival
Recently, Afghanistan hosted the Mehrgan International Film Festival in Kabul, where films were screened at the Academy of Arts and Cinema Sciences of the Afghan Film. At the international film festival, 48 short films from Afghanistan and other countries were selected, 24 of which were produced by Afghans.
Record Number of Women Sworn into Congress
History is made today – an all-time record breaking number of women were sworn in to the US Congress. Out of the total number of 127 women elected to the Senate and House, a majority of the women are Democrats and include firsts from various minorities. They include the former Teacher of the Year, small business owners, former military helicopter pilots, activists, former CIA officers, and public servants.
Would Peace in Afghanistan Be Possible Without Women’s Rights and Participation?
The Afghan government and other parties involved in the peace efforts in Afghanistan have shown optimism to a possible peace deal in the near future. The negotiations, led by US representative to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has been held in various locations with the Taliban, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Afghan government.
Uncategorized
American University Student Body President Won Settlement against Online Harasser
This week Taylor Dumpson secured a settlement against a white supremacist internet troll who was part of an online harassment campaign targeting her for being the first female African American student body president at American University.
Uncategorized
Trump Administration Rescinds Anti-discriminatory School Discipline Policies
Today the Trump Administration announced it would rescind parts of the Obama administration’s “Rethink Discipline” school policies, policies that ensured that minority students were not unfairly targeted for harsher punishments or disciplinary practices.
Uncategorized
HUD Denies DACA Recipients Government-Insured Housing Loans
Recently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Trump Administration has been directing lenders to deny Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients government-insured home loans. While an official policy has not been issued, lenders and borrowers have reported that Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and HUD officials verbally tell lenders to deny […]
Michigan House Renews Telemedicine Abortion Ban
Early Thursday morning, the Michigan statehouse passed a bill renewing the 2012 “telemedicine ban,” which is set to expire at the end of December. Governor Snyder is expected to sign the bill into law before the New Year when newly-elected Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer takes office. The “telemedicine ban” prevents doctors from prescribing an abortion-inducing […]
Uncategorized
Federal Judge in Texas Rules ACA Unconstitutional
Friday, a federal judge in Texas ruled the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional. While the law will not be overturned yet and is still in effect, the decision will be appealed and may go before the Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled the ACA unconstitutional after 18 Republican state attorneys general and two […]