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2/8/2012 - Santorum Revives Campaign, Touts Anti-Contraceptive Position
Yesterday Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses, as well as a nonbinding Missouri primary. All three races are considered largely symbolic given that no delegates were determined for the states last night. These are the first victories for Santorum since the Iowa caucuses on January 3.
Rick Santorum has been under fire for his statements opposing contraception. He has indicated that he is opposed not only to abortion but wants to repeal Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and allow states to ban birth control access. Moreover, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have signed an extreme anti- reproductive rights and health pledge indicating that they support state constitutional personhood amendments, which would give constitutional rights to a fertilized egg. The personhood amendments could also ban emergency contraception, birth control pills, and IUDs the amendment as well as all abortions, even in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. It could even eliminate medical choices for women like some cancer treatments, and in vitro fertilization.
Although Romney did not sign the Personhood USA pledge, he has indicated in an interview that he also supports "life" from the moment of conception.
2/8/2012 - VA Bill Could Ban Same-Sex Couples from Adopting
Late last week, a bill that would enable state-funded private adoption agencies in Virginia to refuse placements on the basis of their religious or moral beliefs, including banning placements with same-sex couples passed the state House of Delegates by a vote of 71 to 28. The Virginia Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee also endorse the bill, and it is likely to appear on the state Senate floor for a vote this week. Republican Governor Bob McDonnell indicated that he would sign the bill, if it is passed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Leslie Cooper, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), stated, "It's a license for child welfare agencies to make bad decisions based on their own religious beliefs rather than the child's needs."
Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun) criticized the bill on the grounds that the private agencies contract with the state government and thus as recipients of state funding, should not be permitted to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) added, "I will listen to the arguments and try to understand what the rationale behind it is...but I'm not include to support discrimination or use of tax dollars to support discrimination." If the bill becomes law, Virginia would be the second state, following North Dakota, to allow private agencies to refuse placements on the basis sexual orientation.
2/7/2012 - SD House Committee Strikes Down CPC False Advertising Bill
The Health and Human Services Committee of the South Dakota state House voted against a bill that would have banned crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) from engaging in false advertising. The law would have prevented CPCs from falsely advertising that they provide abortion services. Lawmakers argued that the law was unnecessary since the state already has laws banning false advertising.
Alisha Sedor of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota stated that CPCs "should not be allowed to advertise services that they do not provide."
Currently, there are an estimated 3,500 CPCs nationwide, most of which are affiliated with one or more national umbrella organizations. CPCs often pose as comprehensive health centers and offer "free" pregnancy tests. Some CPCs coerce and intimidate women out of considering abortion as an option, and do not offer women neutral or comprehensive medical advice. Often CPCs are run by anti-abortion zealots who are not licensed medical professionals.
2/7/2012 - Anti-Gay Bill Reintroduced in Uganda
David Bahati, a member of the Ugandan Parliament and one of the leaders of the Family or Fellowship of C Street fame (see Jeff Sharlet's latest book on C Street), reintroduced an anti-gay bill today. Bahati first introduced the bill in 2009. It called for the death penalty in cases of "aggravated homosexuality," for engaging in same sex relations with someone who is HIV positive, and life imprisonment for having sex with someone of the same sex.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill went before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee in May but was dropped from the Parliament's agenda following condemnation from the President, the Secretary of State, members of Congress, and human rights groups. Bahati has since indicated that he would be willing to drop the provision of the bill calling for the death penalty.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries with the exception of South Africa, which recognizes gay marriage, but even there, anti-gay practices such as "corrective rapes" of lesbians, are commonplace.
2/7/2012 - Breaking News: 9th Court Panel Rules Proposition 8 Unconstitutional
A three judge panel of the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco just decided (2-1) that Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution. The Court upheld Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 decision to strike down Proposition 8, with Judge Stephen Reinhardt writing, "Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable, it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different people differently...Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gay men and lesbians in California." The case, filed by ProtectMarriage, is expected to be appealed to the US Supreme Court.
The Ninth Circuit judges continued the stay on Judge Walker's decision while the litigation continues. In other words, lesbian and gay couples will not be allowed to marry until litigation is finished.
FMF Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Equality California Kathy Spillar praising the decision said, "We are thrilled with today's ruling upholding the right of same-sex couples to marry. As the trial showed, there truly is no substance to the arguments of those who would deny full equality to lesbians and gay men. Same-sex couples should be able to enjoy the same freedom as other Californians to marry the person they love."
In August 2010, Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned a 6 to 1 ruling by the California Supreme Court in May 2009 that upheld the measure. In 2008, Proposition 8 was passed by voters in an electoral referendum.
Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, exclaimed, "The court's ruling affirms what millions of people all across the country already know - loving, committed same-sex couples and their families should be able to share in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage. People from every background and every circumstance get this; they understand because being able to marry the one you love and care for your family are shared values that strike at the very core of who we are as a people. Denying loving couples and their families something so fundamental is to deny our common humanity...This is a great day for them, for all Californians, and for all Americans."
Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation and a longtime advocate for lesbian and gay rights, asserted, "This is a long and winding road but marriage equality, which is winning the hearts and minds of the people, will ultimately prevail in the courts."
2/6/2012 - Karen Handel Involved in Komen's PPFA Decision
The Huffington Post reports that Karen Handel, vice president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, was largely responsible for the organization's since-reversed decision to stop awarding grants to Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Handel is known for having expressed her strongly anti-abortion views during her campaign for governor of Georgia. A source told the Huffington Post that "Karen Handel was the prime instigator of this effort, and she herself personally came up with the investigation criteria. She said, 'if we just say it's about investigations, we can defund Planned Parenthood and no one can blame us for being political.'"
Last week, representatives from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced that it would end its partnership with Planned Parenthood affiliates because the Komen foundation recently adopted a policy, which states that grants may not be given to organizations that are under investigation by local, state, or federal officials. Officials from the organization have since altered the Komen Foundation's policies and reversed the organization's decision not to award grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates, following much criticism from women's rights supporters.
2/6/2012 - WA Judge to Rule on Emergency Contraception Law
US District Judge Ronald Leighton heard closing arguments last week in a lawsuit concerning a law requiring that pharmacists sell emergency contraception. Washington state law mandates that pharmacists stock and provide their patients with medicines that they medically need. Nevertheless, pharmacists may be permitted to request that another pharmacist at the same location provide the patient with the medication.
In 2007, Judge Leighton blocked the law from going into effect after two pharmacists filed a suit, claiming that the law violated their religious freedom protected by the constitution. However, a panel of judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ruling and returned the case to Judge Leighton, claiming that he applied the wrong legal standard.
Leighton's ruling is expected in a few weeks. Currently Plan B is available to women 17 years and older without a prescription. But because of the restriction that females under 17 must have a prescription to buy Plan B, it is only available for all women behind the counter of a pharmacy. Levonorgestrel, sold under the brand name Plan B, is a form of emergency contraception that must be taken within 72 hours of sexual activity.
2/6/2012 - International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM/C Day
For International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM/C today, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme for the Acceleration of the Abandonment of FGM/C released a new report, Key Results and Highlights 2011, which indicates that approximately 2,000 African communities have abandoned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, stated, "These encouraging findings show that social norms and cultural practices are changing, and communities are uniting to protect the rights of girls and women. We call on the global community to join us in this critical effort. Together, we can end FGM/C in one generation and help millions of girls and women to live healthier, fuller lives, and reach their potential."
In 2011, the UNFPA reports that 18,000 community education sessions were held to discourage FGM/C. As a result, almost 2,000 communities renounced FGM/C practices that year alone in Burkina Faso, Dijbouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Senegal, Kenya, and Somalia.
Internationally, an estimated 100 million to 140 million women and girls have undergone an FGM procedure, with the practice widely being regarded as a human rights violation. The procedure, which involves the partial or total removal of external genitalia, is designed to decrease women's sexual desire and is seen in many cultures as essential for a women's suitability for marriage. The practice is also known to both increase the risk of HIV transmission and infant and maternal mortality rates.
2/3/2012 - Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passes in WA Senate
The Washington state Senate voted 28 to 21 this week to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, with four Republicans voting in support of the bill. The bill could go to the state House as early as next week, where it is expected to pass. Governor Chris Gregoire (D) has indicated that she will sign the bill into law, which would make Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Lacey All, Chair of Washington United for marriage, stated, "We thank Majority Leader Brown, Sen. Murray and the bipartisan coalition of senators who stood with us today in the name of equality. The overwhelming support we're seeing from businesses, labor, faith communities, and people all across the state is a testament to the momentum of this movement and sensibilities of Washingtonians."
At the first public hearing on same-sex marriage in Washington state last week, Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D) announced that she would support legalizing same-sex marriage. With Haugen's vote, considered the deciding vote, the state Senate had enough votes to pass its same sex-marriage bill.
Currently, New Jersey, Illinois, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Hawaii recognize same-sex civil unions. Same-sex couples can obtain marriage licenses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Washington, DC.
2/3/2012 - VA Senate Blocks Fetal Pain Bill
Yesterday the Virginia Senate Committee on Education and Health voted against a bill that would have banned abortions at 20 weeks and would impose criminal penalties on doctors. The bill is based on the unfounded notion that the fetus can feel pain at this point in the pregnancy. The American College of Gynecology refutes assertions that fetuses can feel pain at 20 weeks, stating that there is "no legitimate evidence that fetuses can experience pain."
Tarina Keene, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, stated, "We are very pleased that the members of this committee recognized both how extreme and unconstitutional this legislation is as well as its potential impact on women's health. This bill would have taken away a woman's ability to make an extremely personal and private medical decision and place it in the hands of politicians. It is not the job of the legislature to make medical decisions about others' unforeseen circumstances."
Currently, women may legally seek an abortion in Virginia between 24 and 25 weeks gestation or at the end of the second trimester.
2/3/2012 - Komen To Continue Grants To Planned Parenthood
The Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure issued a statement today indicating that it would continue to provide grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast cancer screenings, treatments, and education after announcing earlier this week that it would cease providing such grants.
The Komen Foundation stated, "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair... Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities."
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America stated, "The outpouring of support for women in need of lifesaving breast cancer screening this week has been astonishing and is a testament to our nation's compassion and sincerity. In recent weeks, the treasured relationship between the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and Planned Parenthood has been challenged, and we are now heartened that we can continue to work in partnership toward our shared commitment to breast health for the most underserved women. We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers."
2/2/2012 - Komen Foundation to Stop Grants to PPFA
Yesterday the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure announced that, in accordance with its new policies, it will no longer award grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates to conduct breast cancer screenings, education, and treatment. Anti-abortion groups have criticized and threatened the Susan G. Komen Foundation for providing approximately $600,000 annually to 19 Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast exams, screening, and education. Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), stated, "We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure."
Judy Norsigian, author of Our Bodies, Ourselves,, told NPR, "One of the things many women don't understand is that the founder of Komen, Nancy Brinker, has had a long-standing and supportive relationship with the Bush family and with the Bush presidencies, with the Republican party and on many occasions has supported policies that most supporters of Komen probably wouldn't approve of." Moreover, The Atlantic reports that the decision was largely guided by Karen Handel, the new senior vice president of public policy for the Komen Foundation, who expressed her strongly anti-abortion views during her campaign for governor of Georgia.
"It's tragic that the Susan Komen Foundation is politicizing breast cancer care by its decision to exclude the PPFA affiliates from funding for breast cancer exams, screenings, and education. We must stop making women's health care a political football. Thankfully PPFA and its affiliates and supporters will not be intimidated and will continue its vitally needed breast health program and reproductive health services," said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America has launched the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund to ensure that the nineteen Planned Parenthood clinics that previously received support from the Komen Foundation are not adversely affected by the Komen Foundation's decision. Richards added, "Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count. While this is deeply disturbing and disappointing, we want to assure women who rely on Planned Parenthood for breast care that we're still here for them, and we always will be. The new fund we're launching to support these services will ensure that the Komen Foundation's decision doesn't jeopardize women's health."
According to Planned Parenthood, its clinics that have received funding from the Komen Foundation have provided approximately 170,000 breast exams and 64,000 mammogram referrals. Throughout the nation, Planned Parenthood clinics provide some 750,000 breast screenings per year. Planned Parenthood indicated in its statement that "more than 90 percent of Planned Parenthood health care is preventive, including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment of STDs, breast health services, Pap tests, and sexual health education and information."
2/2/2012 - Departments of Labor and Treasury to Enhance Retirement Security
The US Departments of Labor and the Treasury announced, following the President's State of the Union Address, two executive actions to help Americans save for retirement and to plan for longevity, as well as to increase transparency regarding their 401K plan options. According to the Departments of Labor and the Treasury, the executive actions are particularly important for women, who tend to live longer than men and thus need greater savings.
The executive actions will revise a previous regulation to allow Americans to consider partial annuities, "which allow retirees to receive a steady stream of income for the duration of their lifetimes while also keeping a portion of their savings invested in assets with the flexibility to respond to liquidity needs." The executive actions will also clarify lifetime income option policies for employees and their spouses. As a result of the first ruling, employees could obtain a low-cost annuity from their employer's pension plan using a single-sum 401K payout. The second ruling will allow employers to give their employees the option of using their 401K savings "to purchase deferred annuities and still satisfy spousal protection rules with minimal administrative burdens."
Treasurer Secretary Tim Geithner stated, "When American workers take the responsible step of saving for retirement, we should do all we can to provide them with sensible, accessible choices for managing their hard-earned savings. Having the ability to choose from expanded options will help retirees and their families achieve greater value and security."
US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis added, "This common sense rule greatly benefits employers by enhancing the information service providers must disclose to them about the costs associated with providing workplace retirement plans. This rule, and its companion participant-level fee disclosure rule, bring transparency to retirement saving. The rules will enable businesses that sponsor retirement plans, and the workers who participate in the plans, to make better decisions about those plans, the fees they pay, and their investments, leading to cost savings for retirement savers nationwide."
2/2/2012 - VAWA Reauthorization Passed by Committee on Party Line Vote
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 (VAWA) was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning on a party-line vote of 10-8. All Democrats voted to move the bill to the Senate floor for a vote and all Republicans voted no. Although Republican Judiciary Committee Members voted against sending the bill to the full Senate, Republican Senators Scott Brown (MA), Michael Crapo (UT) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) have signed on as cosponsors of the bill.
Despite intense opposition from Ranking Republican Senator Charles Grassley (IA), the bill introduced by Democratic Committee Chair Patrick Leahy's (VT) was voted out almost intact. Grassley's substitute bill, which failed to pass, included closing the Office of Violence Against Women in the U.S Department of Justice.
The Iowa Republican, however, was successful in gaining sufficient votes to amend the Leahy bill. One amendment that passed includes mandatory minimum sentences of five years for aggravated sexual assaults. This provision was opposed by sexual assault victim advocates who are concerned that it will deter victims from reporting incidents to the police.
"The fact that not a single Republican member of the Judiciary Committee voted to send VAWA to the floor is an outrage. It is clear that the war on women has no boundaries" said Norma Gattsek, Director of Government Relations for the Feminist Majority after today's vote.
2/1/2012 - Komen Foundation to End Partnership with PPFA
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the largest breast-cancer charity in the United States, announced that it will end its partnership with Planned Parenthood affiliates. This will prevent Planned Parenthood affiliates from receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to conduct breast cancer screenings annually. According to Planned Parenthood, its clinics received $680,000 last year alone from the Komen foundation.
Representatives from the Komen foundation indicated that they ended the partnership with Planned Parenthood because the Komen foundation recently adopted a policy, which states that grants may not be given to organizations that are under investigation by local, state, or federal officials. Leslie Aun, a spokesperson for the Komen foundation, indicated that because Planned Parenthood's spending on abortion services is the subject of an investigation initiated by Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL), the Komen foundation has elected to end its partnership.
Officials from Planned Parenthood have indicated that they believe that the Komen foundation was motivated by pressure from anti-abortion forces. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, stated, "It's hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women's lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying. It's really hurtful. Until really recently, the Komen foundation had been praising our breast health programs as essential. This really abrupt about-face was very surprising. I think the Komen foundation has been bullied by right-wing groups."
Planned Parenthood health centers across the country conduct over one million cervical cancer screenings and 830,000 breast exams yearly. Its clinics also provide contraception to approximately 2.5 million women per year.
2/1/2012 - Department of Labor Announces Equal Pay App Challenge
The US Department of Labor, in partnership with the National Equal Pay Task Force, announced that it will launch a new Equal Pay App Challenge, to encourage web developers to create a software application to educate users about the pay gap and work to eliminate it. The winners of the challenge will be announced on Equal Pay Day in April.
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis stated, "Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and play a vital role in the nation's economy. While progress has been made in recent decades, the pay gap continues to disadvantage many women, with consequences not only for them, but for their families and the economy as a whole."
White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra added, "Today's employers and employees are more resourceful and technologically savvy than ever before, but too many remain unaware of how the pay gap affects them. By encouraging developers to help us solve this problem, we're leveraging the unique ability of the federal government to provide mountains of valuable data as well as the innovation power of the private sector."
In the United States, women make on the average 77 cents to a man's dollar, despite women's greater likelihood of attending college and earning a degree. Since women comprise over half of the workforce and are the primary or co-breadwinners in over 66 percent of families, the wage gap harms not only women, but also families that suffer from lost wages, decreased pensions, and reduced Social Security benefits.
1/31/2012 - Department of Labor Seeks Comments on FMLA for Military
Today First Lady Michelle Obama joined US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to announce proposed regulations to update the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for military families. The changes would entitle family members take up to twelve weeks of exigency leave to assist a relative in the armed forces who is deployed on short notice, in order to handle financial, legal, or childcare resulting from the deployment. Currently exigency leave is only granted to family members of those in the National Guard and the military reserves who are called up.
Under the Obama proposal, family members would also be allowed to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a service member with a serious illness or injury as a result of military service. The proposed revisions would be applicable to military caregivers for up to five years after their family member has left the military and would also enable caregivers to take FMLA leave from work to provide care for conditions that did not appear until after the service member left the military. The extended FMLA provisions were previously only applicable to caregivers of currently serving service members.
In addition, Family and Medical Leave Act protections would be extended to flight crews, including flight attendants, who had previously been excluded from the ability to take the unpaid, job-protected leave because their work schedules did not fit into a traditional work week.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis stated, "Keeping the basic promise of America alive means ensuring that workers, from our servicemen and servicewomen who keep us safe at home to the flight crews who keep us safe in the skies, have the resources and opportunities they need and have rightfully earned. The proposed revisions the announced today are an important step toward keeping that promise."
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking http://www.dol.gov/whd/FMLANPRM.htm
Comments may be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov through April 11, 2008. Enter the words "Family and Medical Leave Act" (including quotation marks) in the "COMMENT OR SUBMISSION" field to make a comment or view submitted comments.
1/31/2012 - Women's Rights Groups Launch Campaign to Save Birth Control from Catholic Bishops
Beginning today, women's rights groups - including the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Council of Jewish Women, and others - have launched a campaign and blog carnival to support the Obama Administration's decision to maintain full contraceptive coverage under the Preventive Care package of the Affordable Care Act. The administration has been under enormous pressure from the Catholic bishops to broaden the religious exemption. The campaign, which will include a blog carnival this week and other actions, aims to correct misinformation generated by negative newspaper editorials and other media outlets.
The request to broaden the religious exemption, primarily pressed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, would have denied millions of American women contraceptive coverage, including students, teachers, nurses, social workers, and other staff (and their families) at religiously-connected or affiliated schools, universities, and hospitals, as well as social service institutions like Catholic Charities.
Employer insurance plans must not discriminate against women in health care, and must cover FDA approved birth control with no co-pays or deductibles starting in August 2012. Non-profit religious institutions' employer plans that do not currently cover contraception will have an additional year to comply. Those institutions that currently cover birth control in their health insurance plan, however, must offer it without copays or deductibles by August 2012. Moreover, student insurance plans at religiously affiliated universities must cover contraception with no co-pays or deductibles beginning August 2012. Only employees who work directly for a house of worship or church hierarchy, such as for a church, diocese, synagogue, or mosque itself, are exempted from this required coverage.
In August 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines, developed by the Institute of Medicine, that will require private insurance plans under the Preventive Care package of the Affordable Care Act beginning on or after August 1, 2012 to cover without co-pays or deductibles a variety of services, such as an annual well-woman visit and cancer screenings, counseling, such as for domestic and interpersonal violence, and testing for HIV and STIs, as well as all FDA-approved contraceptives, breastfeeding support, lactation services, and supplies.
1/31/2012 - Blog Carnival Will Support VAWA Reauthorization
A blog carnival is beginning today in support of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). A Senate briefing was held last week on VAWA, which is due to expire at the end of this year. The legislation is scheduled to be marked up in the Senate committee on Thursday.
VAWA was originally drafted by then-Senator Joe Biden and was signed into law in 1994. It was then reauthorized by Congress in both 2000 and 2005. The law has thus far allocated more than $9 billion to improve federal, state, and local-level investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault and to provide support for prevention, education, temporary shelters, rape crisis centers and community services for survivors.
It is estimated that every nine seconds, a woman is abused in the United States and nearly one-third of women in the United States report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some time in their lives. Since the passage of VAWA, the rate of intimate partner violence has dropped by 53 percent. A summary of the blog posts will appear at www.HERvotes.us
1/30/2012 - First-Ever Oral HPV Study Conducted
The first-ever study of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) in the United States, conducted by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, revealed that 7 percent of people in the United States are infected with oral HPV. This may account for the growing rate of mouth and throat cancers over the past twenty-five years.
According to the National Partnership for Women and Families 10.1 percent of men were found to have oral HPV, as compared to 3.6 percent of women. Moreover, 42 percent of women in their 20s were found to have genital HPV.
The researchers of the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined oral-fluid samples of 5,000 people between the ages of 14 and 69.
1/30/2012 - UN Secretary General Promotes Women's Rights, Gay Rights
In a speech to the African Union Summit in Ethiopia, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for the end to discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. General Ban Ki-moon encouraged renewed efforts to ensure women's greater representation in parliaments in African countries and stated the importance of ensuring that women are part of the peace process in Africa.
He remarked, "We must ensure that women are fully represented in in decision-making bodies, including in Egypt and Tunisia where they played a role" in the protests of the Arab Spring. He also described women as "champions of peace."
The Secretary General denounced discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, which is criminalized in many African countries, saying, "This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting discrimination is a challenge." Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries with the exception of South Africa, which recognizes gay marriage, but even there, anti-gay practices such as "corrective rapes" of lesbians, are commonplace.
1/27/2012 - Abortion Medically Safer than Childbirth
A new study, conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Raymond and Dr. David Grimes and published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, indicates that the likelihood of women dying during childbirth is 14 times higher than the likelihood of dying during an abortion. According to the study, between 1998 and 2005, one woman died per every 11,000 pregnancies but only one woman died per every 167,000 legal abortions performed. Moreover, women who carried their pregnancy to term were more likely to experience high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, and mental health disorders than women who had abortions.
Bryna Harwood, an ob-gyn at the University of Illinois- Chicago, expressed her concern about state laws which require that women be read a list of abortion-related complications, some of which are not medically proven, by their doctors prior to obtaining abortions. She stated, "It is certainly an impediment to have the state dictate my informed consent process beyond the usual. Abortion care and pregnancy care should not really be any different than consenting people for any other procedure."
The study was conducted as a collaboration between the Gynuity Health Projects of New York and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and used data compiled from government agencies. The researchers in the study indicated that the study was not intended to encourage women seek abortion services but instead to reveal that a legal abortion is a safe alternative for women who do not wish to carry their pregnancies to term.
1/27/2012 - Same-Sex Marriage Referendum Likely to Appear on ME Ballot
EqualityMaine, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Main Women's Lobby announced on Thursday that they have 105,000 petitions signed by Maine voters, which far exceeds the 57,277 required to place a question on the November ballot regarding same-sex marriage. The Secretary of State's Office now has 30 days to certify that the signatures are valid. Three years ago, Maine residents voted 53 to 47 on a referendum to overturn the state Legislature's vote to legalize same-sex marriage.
Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, stated, "Many people have changed their minds. The number of signatures we gathered and the thoughtful conversations we've been having with voters tell us that Mainers are eager to speak on this question again."
Maine is the only state in New England in which civil unions or same-sex marriages are not legalized. Currently, New Jersey, Illinois, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Hawaii recognize same-sex civil unions. Same-sex couples can obtain marriage licenses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Washington DC.
1/26/2012 - AZ Congressman Introduces Bill to Restrict Abortion in DC
Arizona Representative Trent Franks (R) introduced the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act this week that would prohibit women in the District of Columbia from having an abortion after 20 weeks gestation unless her life is in danger. The bill is based on the unfounded notion that the fetus can feel pain at this point in the pregnancy. The American College of Gynecology refutes assertions that fetuses can feel pain at 20 week, stating that there is "no legitimate evidence that fetuses can experience pain."
Washington DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton criticized the bill stating, "We do not intend to succumb to the insatiable Republican obsession with interfering with the rights of women in our city. Instead of spending the recess focused on jumpstarting the economy or attending to the business of his own constituents, Representative Franks appears to have used his time at home figuring out new ways to undemocratically usurp the local authority of American citizes who did not elect him and who have no way to hold him accountable."
Franks responded by saying, "Congress has the seminal and incontrovertible responsibility for making legislative policy in the District of Columbia." Currently, six states - Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Alabama, Indiana, and Oklahoma - have "fetal pain" laws. These laws directly challenge the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, which allows women to obtain abortion services until fetal viability at 22-24 weeks
1/26/2012 - IN Senate Committee Votes to Restrict Medical Abortion Pill
Yesterday, the Indiana Senate health committee voted 5 to 4 to further restrict women's access to RU-486, or the abortion pill. If the bill passes, doctors would be required to conduct an in-person examination of a woman before prescribing the abortion pill, as well as give her written information of the risks of an abortion and perform a follow-up ultrasound two weeks later. Doctors who fail to comply could face misdemeanor charges.
The bill also requires that doctors follow FDA guidelines recommending that doctors prescribe a 600 milligram dose of the drug, even though studies have found 200 milligrams of the drug to be adequate. Dr. John Stutsman, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and a professor at Indiana University, indicated that the higher dosage would increase the possibility of side effects for the woman.
The Associated Press reports that mifepristone is currently used in about 15 percent of abortions in the United States. Marketed as Mifeprex in the United States, the drug provides women with more privacy than a surgical procedure does because women are able to take the pill home. Mifepristone has also increased the accessibility of abortion. Among Planned Parenthood's 322 clinics nationwide that provide abortion, almost half administer mifepristone, but do not offer surgery.
