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NJ Nurses Challenge Hospital Abortion Policy in Court

A dozen New Jersey nurses filed a lawsuit in federal court against the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey alleging that it broke state and national law by requiring that the nurses provide pre- and post- operative care for abortion patients, despite the nurses’ objections on religious or moral grounds. However, the hospital […]

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Study Finds Women Underrepresented and Oversexualized in Hollywood Films

A new study entitled “Gender Inequality in Popular Films” was released by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism and found that women are often underrepresented and oversexualized in Hollywood films, with 33.8 percent of teen girl characters appearing in revealing clothing and 28.2 percent appearing with “exposed skin […]

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MO School District to Halt Single-Sex Classes

Adrian school district in western Missouri announced that it will stop offering single-sex classes. The school district, located approximately 50 miles from Kansas City, began offering single-sex math and communications classes this fall to students in sixth through eighth grade. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) threatened to file a lawsuit […]

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President Obama Signs Law to Protect Peace Corps Volunteers

On Monday, President Obama signed the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, legislation designed to protect Peace Corps Volunteers during their tours of service. The law provides “whistleblower protection” for Peace Corps workers and requires that the Peace Corps take measures to reduce sexual assault risk and establish a response protocol to protect volunteers. […]

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Virginia Delegate Introduces Personhood Amendment

On Monday, Virginia state Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) filed a “personhood” bill, which states that life begins at conception and proposes to give constitutional rights to a fertilized egg. The bill proposes to give “unborn children at every stage of development…all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents […]

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Decision Expected Soon on Broadening Religious Exemption for Contraceptive Coverage

A decision by the Obama Administration is expected soon, possibly before Thanksgiving, on broadening the religious exemption for contraceptive coverage. Women’s rights and pro-choice groups, including the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the National Women’s Law Center, the National Council of Jewish Women, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and NARAL Pro-Choice America, […]

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First Lady Michelle Obama to Chair “Women For Obama” Campaign Initiative

First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chair of the 2012 “Women for Obama” initiative, which aims to gather support from women voters for the President’s bid for reelection next year. The initiative is a branch of the Obama campaign’s “Operation Vote,” focusing on targeting minority groups and other voters who traditionally align themselves […]

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MA State Legislature Passes Transgender Rights Bill

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts state Legislature passed a bill designed to prohibit discrimination against the state’s transgender population. The protects against employment, education, and housing discrimination and revises the state’s hate crimes law to protect against crimes targeting people based on their gender identity and gender expression. The state House approved the bill late Tuesday […]

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Funding for AIDS Prevention Drops Significantly

A report by the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) and Funders Concerned about AIDS (FCAA), in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), indicated that funding for AIDS-related work from US and European donors decreased by 7 percent, or approximately $44 million, between 2009 and 2010. Paul De Lay, Executive Director of […]

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Felony Charges Against Kansas City Planned Parenthood Dropped

Last week, District Judge Stephen Tatum dismissed 23 felony charges against a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood and 26 misdemeanor charges in a case alleging that the clinic had falsified records and failed to maintain accurate records. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe called for 49 of the 107 charges against the Planned Parenthood Overland Park […]

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Cain Regrets Calling House Democratic Leader “Princess Nancy”

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain indicated that he regrets calling US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “Princess Nancy.” Cain told CNBC, “That was a statement that I obviously should not have made, but I was trying to make a point.” During a Republican debate, Cain commented that “You didn’t hear about [an […]

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Obama Administration Affordable Care Act Upheld in Appeals Court

On Tuesday, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the minimum coverage provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This provision requires that a person purchase minimum health coverage or face a modest monetary penalty beginning in 2011. The American Center for Law and Justice, founded by […]

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Priest Abuse Victim Awarded $100 Million

A civil jury in Miami awarded a record $100 million to Andres Sousana, who alleged that he was drugged and raped by a Roman Catholic priest when he was 14 years old. Reverend Neil Doherty, who is currently retired, awaits a criminal trial in jail. Jeff Herman, Sousana’s attorney in the case stated, “It sets […]

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Ohio Voters Reject Issue 2

Victory for State’s Public Unions Tuesday night, Ohioans voted to repeal a Republican-backed law that restricted the state’s 350,000 public workers’ collective bargaining power. Issue 2 (Senate Bill 5) on the Ohio ballot was defeated in a landslide by a 62 to 38 percent margin. This was a huge victory for Democrats and labor organizers […]

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Women’s Right Advocates Victorious in Defeating Mississippi Personhood Amendment

In an exciting and important victory for women’s rights advocates, Mississippi voters defeated the Personhood Amendment. While the state went Republican and voted for many candidates who supported Initiative 26, a state constitutional personhood amendment that would have given full rights to fertilized eggs, women’s rights supporters successfully defeated this dangerous initiative 58% to 42% […]

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AAUW Study Finds Sexual Harassment Common in Schools

According to a study released by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), 48 percent of students in grades 7-12 experience sexual harassment, either in person or through texting, emails, or social media platforms. Catherine Hill, director of research at AAUW, stated, “It’s reached a level where it’s almost a normal part of the school […]

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Personhood Amendment to Appear on MS Ballot Tomorrow

Tomorrow Mississippi voters will have the opportunity to vote on the Personhood Amendment, a ballot initiative that “would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word ‘person’ or ‘persons,’ as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional […]

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Cain Accuser May Be Released from Confidentiality Agreement

The National Restaurant Association will decide today whether to release a former employee from a confidentiality agreement in her sexual harassment complaint against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment from a confidentiality agreement. After registering a complaint with the National Restaurant Association, the woman received a $35,000 severance package, contingent on her agreement […]

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Study Finds At-Home HPV Screening Effective

A study published in the Lancet found an at-home test for human papillomavirus (HPV) to be very effective and could be particularly useful in regions where women do not have access to pap tests, used to diagnose the infection.  According to the researchers, the do-it-yourself tests were four times more likely to detect cases of […]

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Wisconsin Senate Passes Abstinence-Only Bill

Yesterday, the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate voted 17 to 15, along party lines, to permit schools to teach abstinence-only education. The bill will now go to the state Assembly, which also has a Republican majority. Last year, a law was passed in Wisconsin banning abstinence-only courses. Under the law, schools can elect not to offer sex […]