As the world marked March 8th, International Women’s Day, women in Afghanistan feel they have “nothing to celebrate.” Women’s Day is meant to be a day dedicated to the fight to achieve gender equality and advance women’s well-being and progress in various social, political and economic aspects of life. But in Afghanistan, the increasingly austere […]
Alabama Governor protects IVF access
In early March, Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Senate bill SB159, which protects IVF from “civil and criminal immunity for death or damage to an embryo provided to persons.” This bipartisan bill was proposed in the wake of the recent state Supreme Court ruling that decided frozen embryos are protected by the Wrongful […]
Biden Details Plan to Restore Reproductive Freedoms
Last Thursday, President Biden gave the 2024 State of the Union Address. His speech marked an important step in both Biden’s presidency and his campaign for the 2024 election, particularly to affirm Biden’s proposed actions to help restore reproductive rights and freedoms across America after a devastating loss resulting from the overturning of Roe v. […]
The UN Meeting in Doha on Afghanistan Concluded, but Will it be Enough to bring Freedom for Afghan Women and Girls?
In February, the UN Special Meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar concluded discussions on the way forward for Afghanistan. In a press address, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres shared key concerns and discussion topics, including ensuring inclusivity in all Afghan structures and institutions, as well as ways in which to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a […]
France becomes the first country to enshrine abortion access as a constitutional right
Last Monday, French lawmakers approved a bill that amends the constitution to include the right to abortion. France’s landmark decision marks the first of its kind, making France the only country in the world to explicitly safeguard abortion rights within their national constitution. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal encouraged lawmakers to make France an example […]
CVS and Walgreens Set to Dispense Mifepristone: A Game-Changer in Abortion Access
CVS and Walgreens have received certification from The Food and Drug Administration to fill and dispense prescriptions for the abortion pill, mifepristone. Walgreens is set to start filling prescriptions in select stores in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois, while CVS will fill prescriptions in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The pharmacies may expand the […]
The Taliban Misuses Religion And Culture To Promote Their Ideology
The Taliban has launched attacks against women and girls by using religion and culture to promote their ideology of suppressing women and girls. By altering meanings and conservatively interpreting Islam and Afghanistan’s culture, they have created a severe case of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Recently, in a public engagement, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister of […]
Gender Apartheid Constantly Expanding in Afghanistan
Since the Taliban returned to power two and a half years ago, the regime has persisted in finding ways to curtail women’s rights and lives, with its most recent ban on women contacting radio stations. The Taliban has issued over 100 edicts to limit and ban women and girls’ access to employment, education, travel, and […]
The Tragic Death of Nex Benedict and the Battle for LGBTQ+ Rights in Oklahoma
The death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict has left many across the country reeling with grief, fear, and anger. Nex, a 16 year old non-binary teen, died the day after they were beaten by a group of students at Owasso High School after enduring a year of bullying due to their identity. Over the past […]
Texas woman denied care while experiencing ectopic pregnancy
Earlier this month, 25 year old Kelsie Norris-De La Cruz was denied a life saving surgery in Texas after experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy complication in which a fertilized egg attaches itself to a fallopian tube, ovary, or somewhere else outside the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies are very dangerous complications and can be fatal, where […]
Crossing State Lines: The Vital Role of Telehealth Shield Laws in Reproductive Healthcare Access
Telehealth has emerged as a transformative force in healthcare, breaking down barriers to access and revolutionizing the way patients connect with their healthcare providers. Particularly in the realm of reproductive healthcare, telemedicine has become an indispensable tool, offering a lifeline to individuals facing obstacles in accessing vital services. From the convenience it offers patients to […]
Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos qualify as “children”
The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that embryos outside of the womb qualify as children in a ruling that further thwarts reproductive freedom in the state. In the 131 page opinion, Alabama judges quoted the Bible before ultimately coming to a 7-2 decision that threatens access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The case comes […]
Abortion Emerges as Decisive Factor in New York’s 3rd Congressional District Special Election
In the recent special election held on February 13th for New York’s 3rd Congressional District, the victory of Democrat Tom Suozzi over Republican Mazi Pilips underscored the significance of abortion as a pivotal issue this election season. Suozzi’s triumph, with 53.9% of the vote against Pilips’ 46.1%, reflected a strategic campaign focus on reproductive rights […]
A Win For Youth in Virginia
On February 13th, the Virginia House of Delegates voted to pass House Bill 994, a bill that bans child marriage in all its forms. Virginia was one of the first states to ban child marriage in 2016, but there has always been a loophole allowing emancipated children between 16-18 years old to get married. Now, […]
New Reproductive Health Act Takes Effect in Michigan
This week, Michigan’s new Reproductive Health Act (RHA) took effect. The passing of the legislation, which was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer last November, comes after Michigan’s success during the 2022 election cycle, where voters passed a historic measure to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in the state’s constitution. What is RHA? The Reproductive […]
The ERA Discharge Petition: Moving Forward
In January of 2023, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced H.J.Res.25 in the House to remove the arbitrary deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The resolution has 209 co-sponsors. At the same time, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced an identical resolution in the Senate, S.J.Res.4, with 53 co-sponsors. In order to force H.J.Res.25 […]
In Afghanistan, the Absence of Education for Women and Girls has Long Term Implications
Women’s rights to an education have been under attack by the Taliban since the terrorist group took over in August 2021. The group continues to roll out restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan everyday. At this moment, girls are not allowed to go to university or secondary school. Even private courses are banned for […]
Kamala Harris’ speaking tour highlights the significance of abortion in the election
On January 22, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris began her nationwide Reproductive Freedoms Tour on what should have been the 51st anniversary of the passing of Roe V. Wade. Arguably, the Vice President’s decision to start the tour on the anniversary is a testament to the important role that reproductive rights will play in the […]
Abortion on the Ballot in 2024
In the 2022 election, Michigan, California, and Vermont voters successfully passed abortion protection referendums, while Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana voters rejected anti-abortion ballot measures. This outcome proved to abortion advocates that it is possible to prevent abortion restrictions from spreading across the nation post-Roe. Currently, there are 12 pro-abortion referendums in various stages of the […]
The Kids Are Not Alright: Mental Health and Youth Voter Turnout Rates
When considering the mental well-being of teenagers and young adults, it’s common for some to dismiss their challenges as mere products of excessive social media use or typical high school stress. However, this overlooks the unique political and social climate of the times we are living in, especially concerning youth voter turnout. According to the […]