The First Lady delivered an inspiring speech promoting girls’ education earlier this month at London’s Mulberry School.
Women’s Rights Activists are Suing the Kenyan Government for Reproductive Rights
A woman in Kenya is suing the Kenyan government for failure to provide safe and legal abortions, which caused her daughter – a 15-year-old rape victim – to suffer a kidney failure after undergoing the procedure illegally.
TPP “Fast Track” Headed Back to the Senate Again
In what has become a procedural roller-coaster, the House voted 218 to 208 yesterday to pass Trade Promotion Authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
China’s Maternal Mortality Rate Has Decreased Dramatically
The National Health and Family Planning Commission released a report this month showing that China’s maternal death rate has dropped by over seventy-five percent in the past twenty-five years.
New Nigerian Law Forbids Bans Genital Mutilation
Despite the progressive action, many say that it will take years for FGM practices to cease due its cultural pervasiveness.
Rana Plaza Victims Will Receive Compensation
After a two-year campaign for compensation for the victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, the International Labour Organization has succeeded in securing $30 million in compensation.
Organizations Urge the President to Reinterpret Helms Amendment and Aid Nigerian Refugees
A campaign launched last week in response to more than 200 girls raped and impregnated by Boko Haram members urges President Obama to reinterpret the Helms Amendment to include abortion care.
Ireland Votes Overwhelmingly to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Ireland became the first country in the world to pass marriage equality through popular vote on Friday.
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Senate Votes to Advance “Fast Tracking” of Dangerous Trade Agreement
The US Senate voted yesterday to advance “fast track” trade legislation on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
Pregnant Women Left Vulnerable After Devastating Nepal Earthquake
About 14,000 women are expected to give birth in the coming weeks, and thousands of them are at risk of complications that require emergency care.
400 Women and Children Have Been Rescued From Boko Haram in Nigeria
On Tuesday, Nigerian troops announced they rescued 200 girls and 93 women from Boko Haram – and today news has come out that troops rescued another 160 women and children.
Four Women Were Just Approved to Join the Cabinet of Afghanistan’s Unity Government
President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah of Afghanistan held their promise to appoint four women in the new cabinet, and the nation’s lower house of Parliament approved them Saturday.
Afghan Woman Awarded International Women of Courage Award
Niloofar Rahmani, the first woman to serve in the Afghan military since the fall of the Taliban, was honored by the US State Department with the International Women of Courage Award.
US Ranks 16th Worldwide on 2015 Social Progress Index
The 2015 Social Progress Index assesses and scores countries worldwide across three categories: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity.
Iranian Women Can Now Attend Major Sporting Events
Although the new policy still holds barriers for women attending specific sports—those considered to be more “masculine” such as wrestling or swimming—this announcement reverses an antiquated rule that forbid women to watch matches attended by men.
Brutally Murdered Afghan Woman Becomes Symbol for Women’s Rights
27-year-old Farkhunda was falsely accused of burning the Koran then brutally murdered. She’s now being held up as a champion of Islam and women’s rights.
New Law Cracks Down on Domestic Abusers in Brazil
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff signed a new law this week creating harsher penalties for the murder of women and girls connected to domestic violence.
International Women’s Day Ushered in Activism and the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women
International Women’s Day this year marked a march for women’s rights attended by thousands of people and the beginning of a two-week long UN Commission on the Status of Women.
This Courageous One-Woman Protest Challenged Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan
Kubra Khademi designed and wore an exaggerated breast and buttock armor in a crowded street of Kabul to condemn violence against women.
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Obama Administration Announces Global Initiative for Girls’ Education
Let Girls Learn will build on investments the US already has made in global primary school education and expand them to help adolescent girls complete their education.
