Women News Dec 29, 2009
Women News Dec 29, 2009
Jane: Mexico City, this week legalized same sex marriage. David Razu, a legislator from the Social Democratic Party who promoted the law, told Reuters "We are putting an end to segregation and stigmatization of a sector of society, giving access to full marriage rights," The bill must now be signed by the city mayor.
Dennis: Last month Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo said female solders who became pregnant and the male soldier who impregnated her would be punish even, if they were married.
Last Tuesday, four senators sent a letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh saying that the order was "deeply misguided" and demanded that it immediately be rescinded. "We can think of no greater deterrent to women contemplating a military career than the image of a pregnant woman being severely punished simply for conceiving a child," said the letter, signed by Senators Barbara Boxer, (D-California) , Barbara Mikulski, (D- Maryland), Jeanne Shaheen, (D-New Hampshire), and Kirsten Gillibrand, (D-New York).
Groups such as the National Organization of Women (NOW) also condemned Cucolo’s order. In an interview with Truthout, Terry O'Neill, NOW’s president, said it’s "not up to the United States military to determine when and how often women will become pregnant, or determine whether a women carries a pregnancy to term or not."
This week, Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, reversed the order.
Jane: Beatrice "Bea" Hanson, a nonprofit administrator from New York City has been nominated as director of the Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Justice Department. She is currently the chief program officer for Safe Horizon, which provides services to more than 350,000 victims of crime or abuse each year, primarily in New York City, according to the group’s Web site
Dennis: This one snuck by us. On November 17, 2009, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published the directive for Catholic health care "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The 72 directives itemize the services that requires every hospital, nursing home, assisted living center, etc., with a Catholic charter to abide by a set of rules that conform to Catholic doctrine, as promulgated by the Holy See and enforced by its Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Directive #58 says that everyone who needs a feeding tube to stay alive must have one surgically implanted, and must keep it indefinitely. This directive applies to anyone in a permanent coma from stroke or trauma, in a persistent vegetative state or with advanced dementia, having lost the ability to eat along with other sentient activity. It will apply irrespective of religious faith, stated wishes in an advance directive, or the instructions of the family.
Approximately 30% of Americans receive healthcare or reside in Catholic institutions.
Jane: Last week, President Obama signed into law restriction on arbitration clauses
Most military contractors will no longer be able to enforce mandatory arbitration clauses in their employment contracts under a provision signed into law over the weekend.
Jamie Leigh Jones, a former employee of defense contractor Kellogg Brown & Root, has been a public face for arbitration opponents for more than a year, after she reported being raped by her coworkers in Iraq. KBR and its former owner Haliburton sought to handle her case in arbitration, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled in September that Jones could take some of her claims to court. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) spoke about Jones’ case on the floor of the U.S. Senate in October, and he sponsored the new provision.
Dennis: A Win for Women in Baltimore. On December 4, the Limited Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimers bill was signed into law in Baltimore City. This is the nation's first enacted law requiring crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to disclose the limited nature of their services to their clients.
In essence, this bill requires truth in advertising by requiring CPCs to inform their clients if they do not provide or refer for abortion or comprehensive birth control by posting a sign in English and Spanish.
Jane: The non-profit, International Women's Health Coalition, issued "Top Ten Wins for Women's Health and Rights", a publication highlighting those achievements. With this list, Dennis and I "hope to both acknowledge and celebrate the positive developments for women that have happened all over the world this year, as well as to emphasize the interconnectedness of global efforts for change."
Though this list highlights positive developments from 2009, it doesn't mean that the work surrounding those issues is "over". As we these celebrate victories surrounding women's rights and health, it's also important to acknowledge when there's still much more work to be done.
10) United Kingdom Upholds Women's Right to Safe Abortion
In October, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) released its updated policy on safe and unsafe abortion, stating that access to safe abortion is both a "right" and "necessary."
Dennis: 9) Sonke Gender Justice Network Challenges Anti-woman Hate Speech in Court
In January, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema told a group of 150 University students that South African President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser must have enjoyed having sex with him. "When a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning," Zuma said. "Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money." As an organization that supports men and boys to act against domestic and sexual violence, Sonke formalized their hate speech complaint against Malema in Equality Court in May.
Jane: 8) Law to Combat the Harmful Practice of Child Marriage Introduced in Yemen
In February, members of the Yemeni national Parliament endorsed a new law to combat the dangerous cultural practice of child marriage. Under the new provision, the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls was set to 17.
Dennis: 7) Cameroun Ratifies Crucial Women's Rights Protocol
On May 28th Cameroun joined 27 other African countries in ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, which calls on countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, and uphold their rights to dignity, life, education and training, and health, including reproductive rights.
Jane: 6) Indian Parliament Strikes Down Sex Work Criminalization
In February, the Indian Parliament dropped the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Bill, which would have further stigmatized sex workers by criminalizing the purchase of sexual services.
Dennis 5) Young People Advocate for Their Rights in International Fora
A strong new class of visionary youth activists advocated on behalf of the largest generation of youth ever (over 1.2 billion!) at high-level international conferences.
Jane:4) World Governments Reaffirm Commitment to Sexual and Reproductive Rights
In April 2009, a new UN resolution placed an unprecedented emphasis on human rights, including in regard to sexuality, and included a new commitment to "comprehensive education on sexuality and gender equality," access to male and female condoms, reproductive health services for adolescents, and the importance of sexual and reproductive rights and health to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Dennis 3) New Bolivian Constitution Guarantees Sexual and Reproductive Rights
The new Constitution specifically entitles men and women to sexual and reproductive rights, and states that life is not defined as "starting at conception," which would have outlawed abortion in the country. Additionally, the strong language of the document enforces the right of women to live free from discrimination, violence, sexual coercion, and emotional abuse.
Jane: 2) U.S. Acts Swiftly for Women's Health and Rights.
Three early actions by the Obama Administration signaled a revitalized U.S. commitment to realizing the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls worldwide: the repeal of the Global Gag Rule, the restoration of funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the appointing of Hillary Clinton as U.S. Secretary of State (which led to the creation of a new office for Global Women's Issues).
Dennis 1) Activists in India Achieve an Historic Win for Gay Rights; In Nigeria, a Step Forward
At the beginning of July, the High Court of Delhi, India struck down Penal Code 377, overturning a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex. In March, a similar law banning all expression of homosexuality in Nigeria stalled in the country's lower house of parliament. Both instances represent huge victories for local activists, who have been fighting criminalization among hostile environments for years. But the fight is far from over: New, similar anti-gay legislation is being being proposed in Uganda that would egregiously violate basic human rights if enacted.
In January, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema told a group of 150 University students that South African President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser must have enjoyed having sex with him. "When a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning," Zuma said. "Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money." As an organization that supports men and boys to act against domestic and sexual violence, Sonke formalized their hate speech complaint against Malema in Equality Court in May.
Jane: Mexico City, this week legalized same sex marriage. David Razu, a legislator from the Social Democratic Party who promoted the law, told Reuters "We are putting an end to segregation and stigmatization of a sector of society, giving access to full marriage rights," The bill must now be signed by the city mayor.
Dennis: Last month Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo said female solders who became pregnant and the male soldier who impregnated her would be punish even, if they were married.
Last Tuesday, four senators sent a letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh saying that the order was "deeply misguided" and demanded that it immediately be rescinded. "We can think of no greater deterrent to women contemplating a military career than the image of a pregnant woman being severely punished simply for conceiving a child," said the letter, signed by Senators Barbara Boxer, (D-California) , Barbara Mikulski, (D- Maryland), Jeanne Shaheen, (D-New Hampshire), and Kirsten Gillibrand, (D-New York).
Groups such as the National Organization of Women (NOW) also condemned Cucolo’s order. In an interview with Truthout, Terry O'Neill, NOW’s president, said it’s "not up to the United States military to determine when and how often women will become pregnant, or determine whether a women carries a pregnancy to term or not."
This week, Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, reversed the order.
Jane: Beatrice "Bea" Hanson, a nonprofit administrator from New York City has been nominated as director of the Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Justice Department. She is currently the chief program officer for Safe Horizon, which provides services to more than 350,000 victims of crime or abuse each year, primarily in New York City, according to the group’s Web site
Dennis: This one snuck by us. On November 17, 2009, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published the directive for Catholic health care "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The 72 directives itemize the services that requires every hospital, nursing home, assisted living center, etc., with a Catholic charter to abide by a set of rules that conform to Catholic doctrine, as promulgated by the Holy See and enforced by its Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Directive #58 says that everyone who needs a feeding tube to stay alive must have one surgically implanted, and must keep it indefinitely. This directive applies to anyone in a permanent coma from stroke or trauma, in a persistent vegetative state or with advanced dementia, having lost the ability to eat along with other sentient activity. It will apply irrespective of religious faith, stated wishes in an advance directive, or the instructions of the family.
Approximately 30% of Americans receive healthcare or reside in Catholic institutions.
Jane: Last week, President Obama signed into law restriction on arbitration clauses
Most military contractors will no longer be able to enforce mandatory arbitration clauses in their employment contracts under a provision signed into law over the weekend.
Jamie Leigh Jones, a former employee of defense contractor Kellogg Brown & Root, has been a public face for arbitration opponents for more than a year, after she reported being raped by her coworkers in Iraq. KBR and its former owner Haliburton sought to handle her case in arbitration, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled in September that Jones could take some of her claims to court. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) spoke about Jones’ case on the floor of the U.S. Senate in October, and he sponsored the new provision.
Dennis: A Win for Women in Baltimore. On December 4, the Limited Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimers bill was signed into law in Baltimore City. This is the nation's first enacted law requiring crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to disclose the limited nature of their services to their clients.
In essence, this bill requires truth in advertising by requiring CPCs to inform their clients if they do not provide or refer for abortion or comprehensive birth control by posting a sign in English and Spanish.
Jane: The non-profit, International Women's Health Coalition, issued "Top Ten Wins for Women's Health and Rights", a publication highlighting those achievements. With this list, Dennis and I "hope to both acknowledge and celebrate the positive developments for women that have happened all over the world this year, as well as to emphasize the interconnectedness of global efforts for change."
Though this list highlights positive developments from 2009, it doesn't mean that the work surrounding those issues is "over". As we these celebrate victories surrounding women's rights and health, it's also important to acknowledge when there's still much more work to be done.
10) United Kingdom Upholds Women's Right to Safe Abortion
In October, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) released its updated policy on safe and unsafe abortion, stating that access to safe abortion is both a "right" and "necessary."
Dennis: 9) Sonke Gender Justice Network Challenges Anti-woman Hate Speech in Court
In January, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema told a group of 150 University students that South African President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser must have enjoyed having sex with him. "When a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning," Zuma said. "Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money." As an organization that supports men and boys to act against domestic and sexual violence, Sonke formalized their hate speech complaint against Malema in Equality Court in May.
Jane: 8) Law to Combat the Harmful Practice of Child Marriage Introduced in Yemen
In February, members of the Yemeni national Parliament endorsed a new law to combat the dangerous cultural practice of child marriage. Under the new provision, the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls was set to 17.
Dennis: 7) Cameroun Ratifies Crucial Women's Rights Protocol
On May 28th Cameroun joined 27 other African countries in ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, which calls on countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, and uphold their rights to dignity, life, education and training, and health, including reproductive rights.
Jane: 6) Indian Parliament Strikes Down Sex Work Criminalization
In February, the Indian Parliament dropped the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Bill, which would have further stigmatized sex workers by criminalizing the purchase of sexual services.
Dennis 5) Young People Advocate for Their Rights in International Fora
A strong new class of visionary youth activists advocated on behalf of the largest generation of youth ever (over 1.2 billion!) at high-level international conferences.
Jane:4) World Governments Reaffirm Commitment to Sexual and Reproductive Rights
In April 2009, a new UN resolution placed an unprecedented emphasis on human rights, including in regard to sexuality, and included a new commitment to "comprehensive education on sexuality and gender equality," access to male and female condoms, reproductive health services for adolescents, and the importance of sexual and reproductive rights and health to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Dennis 3) New Bolivian Constitution Guarantees Sexual and Reproductive Rights
The new Constitution specifically entitles men and women to sexual and reproductive rights, and states that life is not defined as "starting at conception," which would have outlawed abortion in the country. Additionally, the strong language of the document enforces the right of women to live free from discrimination, violence, sexual coercion, and emotional abuse.
Jane: 2) U.S. Acts Swiftly for Women's Health and Rights.
Three early actions by the Obama Administration signaled a revitalized U.S. commitment to realizing the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls worldwide: the repeal of the Global Gag Rule, the restoration of funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the appointing of Hillary Clinton as U.S. Secretary of State (which led to the creation of a new office for Global Women's Issues).
Dennis 1) Activists in India Achieve an Historic Win for Gay Rights; In Nigeria, a Step Forward
At the beginning of July, the High Court of Delhi, India struck down Penal Code 377, overturning a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual gay sex. In March, a similar law banning all expression of homosexuality in Nigeria stalled in the country's lower house of parliament. Both instances represent huge victories for local activists, who have been fighting criminalization among hostile environments for years. But the fight is far from over: New, similar anti-gay legislation is being being proposed in Uganda that would egregiously violate basic human rights if enacted.
In January, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema told a group of 150 University students that South African President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser must have enjoyed having sex with him. "When a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning," Zuma said. "Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money." As an organization that supports men and boys to act against domestic and sexual violence, Sonke formalized their hate speech complaint against Malema in Equality Court in May.
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