After three days of unprecedented meetings between the US and leaders from nearly 50 African countries, the US Africa Leaders Summit ended Wednesday. In addition to public and private commitments of up to $33 billion for trade and investment, the United States called on leaders of the African continent to make a considerable investment in advancing the status of […]
Strong Support For IVAWA and CEDAW in Senate Hearing
Dozens of students, organizations, concerned citizens and U.S. Senators packed the small hearing room in Dirksen early this morning to show support for IVAWA and CEDAW–two critical tools the US hasn’t taken action on in years.
Senate Subcommittee to Tackle Violence Against Women Globally
To date, 187 countries support this international agreement to reduce violence and discrimination. The US isn’t one of them. Tomorrow’s hearing could be an opportunity to redeem that standing.
UK Religious Groups Unite to Condemn Female Genital Mutilation
“No girl or woman should ever be forced to choose between her safety and her religious community and tradition and it is our sacred obligation to be just agents of change against this unjust practice.”
Domestic Violence Program Survey Demonstrates Need For More Resources
“Every day in this country, victims of domestic violence are bravely reaching out for help, and it’s essential that they have somewhere safe to go.”
Students File Two Federal Complaints Against UC Berkeley for Mishandling Campus Sexual Assault Cases
31 current and former University of California at Berkeley filed two federal complaints against the college Wednesday, alleging that the university had failed to properly handle sexual assault cases within good time, investigate serial rapists, and take rape and harassment on campus seriously.
Report Shows Increase in Officer-on-Inmate Sexual Assault in US Prisons
A new report issued by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that allegations of rape and sexual assault by prison inmates are increasing, and that 49 percent of the alleged crimes involve correctional officers.
Activist Launches Fundraising Drive to Open Home for Sexual Assault Survivors
A Vanderbilt University graduate and sexual violence survivor launched a fundraising drive yesterday to open a home for fellow college-aged survivors in Nashville, Tennessee.
Senate Fails to Vote on Military Sexual Assault Bill
After hours of debate, the Senate failed to vote yesterday on the Military Justice Improvement Act.
Lawmakers Push for Changes in US Military Justice System
MJIA attempts to erase the systemic obstacles that victims of sexual assault in the military face due to the “clear bias and inherent conflicts of interest posed by the military chain of command’s current sole decision-making power over whether cases move forward to a trial.”
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Supreme Court To Consider Scope of Domestic Violence Gun Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Tuesday to consider the scope of a federal law that bans people who have been convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun.
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California Governor Signs 3 Bills Related to Rape, Domestic Violence
“Every victim deserves justice, regardless of their relationship status.”
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Victim Blaming Judge Gives Rapist 30 Day Sentence
“Something is not right with our system when a judge can make that kind of decision.”
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DOE Investigating USC Classification of Rape
The University of Southern California (USC) currently classifies sexual assaults on campus as “injury response,” preventing the Los Angeles Police Department from being notified of the attack.
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Honor Killing Leaves Unease About Future of Afghan Women’s Rights
A Mullah has issued fatwa, or religious edict, for the execution of a woman named Halima who has been in hiding since April. Abdul Ghafoor ordered her father to shoot Halima in front of the villagers. According to Tolo News, Halima was accused of her illicit relationship with a man in Kokchail Village of Badghis province. Ghafoor handed over a gun to Halima’s father and asked him to kill his 20-year old daughter in front of the public.
Sorting Through The Chaos: One-Third of Teens Are In An Abusive Relationship. What Now?
A report found that over one-third of teenagers have been in an abusive relationship. I spoke to two young women about why this is and how we can end this cycle.
New All-Women Jirga in Pakistan Takes Steps Toward Equality
In Pakistan, the rights of fundamentalists surpass the rights of women.
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Indian Juvenile Court Defers Verdict of Fatal Rape Case
A juvenile court in India has deferred the verdict of a 17 year old who is accused of participating in the gang-rape of a woman who later died from her injuries. He is charged with “rape, murder, destroying evidence, and other crimes including kidnapping carried out while aged 17.”
A Man Who Will Choke You in Public: What Scares Me About Nigella Lawson’s Abuse
If it can happen to Nigella Lawson, it can happen to anyone. This is anything but a private matter.
WHO: Violence Against Women is a Crisis of “Epidemic Proportions”
This study could be the foundation of a new era that may lead us to the end of violence against women as a whole.