The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a report this week that found that more than half of all female homicides were caused by intimate partners or relatives, depicting the home as one of the most dangerous places for women. The report also found that legal efforts to decrease these homicides and protect […]
Democratic Women’s Working Group and Representatives Condemn New Title IX Rules
Yesterday, the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG), along with Representatives Jackie Speier, Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Annie Kuster and 77 House members, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to retract her recently proposed rules for Title IX. In the letter, the representatives denounce the proposed rules, calling the rules a […]
Trump Administration Urging States to Undermine Key ACA Rule
The Trump administration advised states today to disregard the Affordable Care Act rule that states that federal insurance subsidies can only apply to people purchasing insurance in marketplaces created through the ACA. These subsidies are the only form of government assistance for monthly insurance premiums. This new advice is called “waiver concepts” because they target […]
Former Police Chief is Among 14 Charged of Organizing Baby Trafficking Ring in Peru
On Saturday, the a court in Peru sentenced former Peruvian Police Chief General Raul Becerra, his wife Cinthia Tello, and two others to 18 months in preventative prison on charges of organizing a baby trafficking ring. Fourteen people are accused of targeting poor pregnant women seeking abortions, and then urging the women to carry their […]
Nancy Pelosi Closer to Being the Next Speaker of the House
The first round of voting for House Democratic Leadership was completed on Wednesday, putting Nancy Pelosi one vote closer to being the next Speaker of the House. Following a fight to ensure she would have enough votes to regain speakership in the upcoming Congress, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, unopposed, handily won her election. Throughout the […]
Transwoman who Died in ICE Custody was Physically Abused, Autopsy Reports
An autopsy report released this week states that the body of Roxsana Hernandez Rodriguez, a transgender migrant in ICE custody, shows signs of “physical assault and abuse.” Hernandez Rodriguez died in ICE custody in May and the autopsy shows she had “deep bruises” and “contusions” from “blows and/or kicks and possible strikes with a blunt […]
Stacey Abrams’ Lawsuit Challenges Georgia’s Voting System
Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is leading a lawsuit that aims to reform Georgia’s voting system as a whole. The lawsuit argues that the overall effect of the various voting regulations and policies is that voters, especially voters of color, are prevented from casting their ballot. The issues the lawsuit targets specifically […]
Hyde-Smith Wins Mississippi Senate Special Election
Last night, Cindy Hyde-Smith won the special runoff in Mississippi for U.S. Senator against Mike Epsy. The election follows a month-long fight between Hyde-Smith and Epsy, which led to numerous allegations of racism against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Following Senator Thad Cochran’s resignation from the Senate in April due to health reasons, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith […]
Students Across Australia Strike for Climate Change Action
Australian students are dedicating the month of November to a series of protests for climate change action. Students ranging from age five to 18 in all of Australia’s capital cities are participating in the School Strike 4 Climate Change movement. The students are also demanding for the cancellation of a new coal mine that will […]
Teen Suspended After Reporting Sexual Assault in Georgia
A lawsuit against Gwinnet County Public School Officials was filed in federal court in Atlanta on behalf of a teen who was suspended after reporting a sexual assault in 2015. The teen, who the lawsuit identifies as “Jane Doe,” accuses school officials of violating her rights under Title IX. According to Jane Doe’s lawyers, a […]
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Migrants Tear Gassed at US-Mexico Border
On Sunday, a migrant protest at the border against the slow and backlogged U.S. asylum process turned into a chaotic incident as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) launched dozens of canisters of tear gas at migrants who had begun running towards the border, many of whom were women and children. The U.S. government then closed […]
Puerto Rican Police Pepper Spray Puerto Ricans Protesting Violence Against Women
On Friday, Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, in collaboration with other Puerto Rican Feminist groups, organized a sit-in (un plantón) in front of La Fortaleza, Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s residence, to protest the killing of a woman by her husband, a police officer. During the protests, the Puerto Rican police peppered sprayed the protestors and videos surfaced […]
Bermuda’s Top Court of Appeals Ruled Bans on Same Sex Marriage Unconstitutional
The Top Court of Appeals in Bermuda ruled that bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional on Friday. The decision follows a long battle for marriage and LGBTQ+ equality in Bermuda and is expected to be challenged by the Bermuda government. Same-sex marriage was first addressed seriously by the Bermuda government in June 2016, when the […]
Federal Judge Ruled Mississippi 15-Week Abortion Ban Unconstitutional
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Mississippi permanently blocked the state’s 15-week abortion ban, calling it unconstitutional. The Mississippi Gestational Age Act, or HB 1510, bans abortion procedures after 15 weeks of gestation. Further, doctors who violate the ban would have their licenses revoked or suspended. The law was signed in March by Republican Governor […]
Judge Rules US Ban on Female Genital Mutilation Unconstitutional
This week a judge ruled that the U.S. federal female genital mutilation law is unconstitutional, dismissing charges against a Michigan doctor accused of performing female genital mutilation on at least nine young girls between the ages of 8 and 13. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was charged with performing female genital mutilation at least nine times from […]
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Virginia could be the Historic Vote to Guarantee Equal Rights Nationwide
For the past ten days Virginia lawmakers have been travelling the state on a bus tour advocating for Virginia to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. This is significant because Virginia could become the 38th state to ratify the ERA; 38 states are needed for ratification and a bipartisan group of Virginia legislators want Virginia to […]
Facebook under Scrutiny for Allowing Child Bride Auction
Facebook is currently under scrutiny for allowing a child bride auction of a 16-year- old South Sudanese child girl on its platform. The online auction held on Facebook asked people to bid on the minor’s dowry for her hand in marriage. According to Plan International, five men bid on the 16-year-old girl, including high-ranking South […]
Canadian Government Pressured to End Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women
Monday, Amnesty International announced it will lobby the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) to compel the Canadian government to investigate the allegations of forced sterilization of indigenous women. So far 60 women have come forward with a pending lawsuit against health professionals in Saskatchewan, a Canadian province with a large Native population. The lawsuit challenges […]
Safe Online Abortion Access Now Available in the US
Women in the United States can now order safe abortion pills online through the organization Women on the Web, allowing women to medically induce their own abortions at home. The organization performs online consultations, fills prescriptions, and ships the pills to women in countries that legally allow abortions, and studies have determined that the service […]
International Health Organization Banned from Providing Abortion Care in Kenya
Kenya’s Medical Practitioners Board banned Marie Stopes, an international health organization, from offering all forms of abortion care in all its facilities within Kenya. Further, the Board requires Marie Stopes to file a weekly report on all services rendered in their facilities for 60 days. The decision to ban abortion came after the Medical Practitioners […]