Men in Traditional Marriages No Friend to Female Advancement
Researchers from Harvard, NYU, UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Utah found that the type of marriage that an employed man has impacts his attitudes toward working women, the Harvard Business Review reported May 16. Men in marriages with traditional gender roles (i.e. their wives stay at home or work part-time outside the home) tend to feel less positive about women in the workplace, feel that organizations run less smoothly with more women, and are less likely to promote qualified women. Yet these types of men were more likely to be found in senior positions, thus creating a barrier to female advancement.
Israel Rules Employers Accountable for Pay Disparities
Israel's high court put the onus on employers to pay men and women equally in a landmark ruling that may help narrow wage gaps, which are larger than in most Western countries, reported Reuters May 18. In 2010, women earned 66 percent of men's average wages, according to Israeli government statistics.
Obama Administration Orders Zero Tolerance for Prison Rape
The Obama administration ordered federal, state and local officials to adopt zero tolerance for prison rape as it issued mandatory screening, enforcement and prevention regulations designed to reduce the number of inmates who suffer sexual victimization at the hands of other prisoners and prison staff, reported the
AP May 17. A Justice Department survey found that 39 percent of men who were gay and 34 percent of bisexual men reported being sexually victimized by another inmate, while only 3.5 percent of heterosexual men reported incidents. Lesbian and heterosexual women both reported being sexually assaulted and raped by other inmates at the same rates, around 13 percent. However, 8 percent of lesbian women reported being assaulted or raped by prison staff, twice the rate that heterosexual women reported.
Federal District Court Weighs Plan B Age Restrictions
A federal district court in New York is weighing whether to force the federal government to lift the age restrictions on over-the-counter sale of emergency contraceptives, reported
Politico May 17. A decision could come anytime after the last briefs are filed next week in the case, which was brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights. If the court rules in favor of lowering the age, the Obama administration will have to decide whether to appeal, a move that could damage his relationship with many reproductive rights groups.
IUD Most Effective Emergency Contraception, but Rarely Used
Researchers have concluded that the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) after unprotected sex is the most effective and safest method of emergency contraception, but it is rarely recommended, reported the
NY Times May 15. When used as emergency contraception, it fails less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the time. In comparison, Mifeprex fails about 1.4 percent of the time and Plan B fails between 2 to 3 percent of the time. Yet 85 percent of clinicians never recommended it for this use.
Inviting Pro-Choice Official to Commencement Sparks Pushback
The Jesuit-affiliated Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., has invited Health and Human Services' Kathleen Sebelius to speak on commencement day, sparking outrage among certain Catholic officials and groups, reported the
NY Times May 16.
Supporter of House Republican's VAWA Tied to Russian Bride Service
The treasurer of a group supporting the House version of the Violence Against Women Act runs a mail order Russian Bride company, reported the
Huffington Post May 8.The group, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, or SAVE, has been lobbying the lower chamber to include a "reform to curb VAWA immigration fraud" in its version of the bill. SAVE's treasurer Natasha Spivak started an international bride service, Encounters International. One Russian woman sued the firm and was awarded over $400,000 because her husband physically abused her and the company never notified her of the law that would allow her to escape the marriage without fear of deportation. Spivak contends that the the woman lied and that "This particular woman abused the system and defrauded the whole system."
Low Rates of STD Test in Pregnant Women Despite Risks
Researchers found that of nearly 1.3 million U.S. women who had blood work done during pregnancy, only 59 percent were tested for chlamydia -- a common STD that can cause pregnancy complications or be passed on to newborns, reported Reuters May 17. That's despite the fact that the test is recommended for all pregnant women, since the disease is often symptomless.
Maya Angelou Opens Women's Health Center in N.C.
Maya Angelou will unveil the Maya Angelou Center for Women's Health and Wellness in her hometown of Winston-Salem, N.C.,
The Huffpost reported May 15. The newest facility, launched in a partnership with Novant Health, a not-for-profit integrated system of 13 hospitals, is the second with which Angelou has been involved. In 2002 she helped open the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at Wake Forest University, which is focused on closing the gap in health and health care disparities among minorities.
GOP Woman Wins Upset Victory in Nebraska Senate Primary
Republican Deb Fischer, a Nebraska state senator, won an upset victory in the GOP primary for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, according to
ABC News May 16. Jon Bruning, Nebraska's attorney general, was seen as the frontrunner, and his campaign had net receipts of
$3.5 million as of late April, while Fischer had about
$400,000, according to the Federal Election Commission. Bruning actually spent most of the primary attacking at a different Republican opponent, Don Stenberg, as Fischer was not seen as a large threat. She won 41 percent of the vote compared to Bruning's 36 percent.
In March, Suzanne Terrell, co-chair of a super PAC geared toward electing Republican women, told Women's eNews that Deb Fischer was one of four GOP women she thought would be elected in 2012:
GOP Women's Super PAC Looks for 2012 Gains.
After Combat Win, Ranger School Next for Female Soldiers?
Army leaders have begun to study the prospect of sending female soldiers to the prestigious
Ranger school — another step in the effort to broaden opportunities for
women in the military, reported the AP May 16. Gen.
Raymond Odierno, Army chief of staff, said, "If we determine that we're going to allow women to go in the infantry and be successful, they are probably at some time going to have to go through Ranger school...If we decide to do this, we want the women to be successful." Starting on May 14, the Pentagon opened more than 14,000 combat-related roles to women serving in the Army,
KKTV reported May 14.
Senate Panel Clears Domestic Partner Benefits
A week after President Obama said he supported same-sex marriage, a U.S. Senate panel cleared a bill that would give the same benefits to same-sex partners that spouses of straight federal workers currently receive, reported
Politico May 16. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that the bill was a way to make the federal government more attractive compared to the private sector. The bill has 23 co-sponsors.
Female Farm Workers At High Risk of Harassment, Sexual Assault
The hundreds of thousands of immigrant farmworker women and girls in the United States face a high risk of sexual violence and sexual harassment in their workplaces,
Human Rights Watch said in a report released May 16. Based on interviews with over 160 farmworkers, attorneys, members of the agricultural industry, service providers, police, and other experts, the report found that many women are do not report sexual harassment and assault because they fear deportation. One woman working in lettuce was raped by her supervisor who later told that she “should remember it’s because of him that [she has] this job.” She filed charges but was deported in the middle of the lawsuit.
Women's Groups Condemn Egypt's Brotherhood FGM Mobile Convoys
In a joint statement medics and human rights organizations condemned this week the actions of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, in raising a convoy providing mobile female genital mutilation services and vaginal inspections,
The HuffPost reported May 16.
No Female Directors Competing for Coveted Cannes Prize
This year’s Cannes Film Festival, which opened May 16, features directors in their 30s and their 80s, directors from Europe and North America, directors from Asia and the Middle East — but no women were among the 22 chosen to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or award, reported the
AP May 16. Last year, four women were in the running. Festival director Thierry Fremaux said he's not to blame that filmmaking remains mostly “a male sport.”
Mothers in Britain to be Matched with Midwives
Mothers will receive one-to-one care from a named midwife during labor and birth as part of government plans to combat postnatal depression, reported the
Guardian May 16. These midwives will oversee their care during pregnancy and after they have their baby, making sure every woman has one-to-one midwife care. Under the plans, health workers will be given enhanced training so they can spot the early signs of postnatal depression.
More Women Pay Alimony, Child Support
More women pay their former husbands alimony and child support than ever before, according to U.S. lawyers,
Reuters reported May 15. More than half, 56 percent, of divorce lawyers across the United States have seen an increase in mothers paying child support in the last three years and 47 percent have noted a hike in the number of women paying alimony. According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, this new trend "shows that women have really moved up financially and that in many instances they are the major bread winners in a lot of families."
HRW Accuses Indian Police of 'Disregarding Women's Rights'
Human Rights Watch has accused the Indian police of disregarding the rights of women, after a pregnant sex worker was recently beaten by an officer,
The New York Daily News reported May 15.. The group called on the government to halt gender-based violence.
More Women Buying Guns in U.S.
The National Shooting Sports Federation reports an annual increase of over 83 percent in the number of women purchasing guns for what they cite as self-defense,
Al Jazeera English reported May 15. The National Rifle Association (NRA), the controversial U.S. gun lobby, has also seen an increase of up to 20 percent in female attendance at shooting clinics.
Mayors Press Congressional Leaders for Protection Against Domestic Violence in VAWA
In a letter sent to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., 60 of the nation's mayors and U.S. Conference of Mayors Executive Director Tom Cochran urge the House of Representatives to support the protections for victims of domestic violence included in the bipartisan Senate bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), according a press statement released May 15.
ABM Rejects Time Magazine's Claims on Breastfeeding
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recommends that breastfeeding should be continued through infancy and beyond contrary to what the last week’s issue of Time Magazine suggested. “Claims that breastfeeding beyond infancy is harmful to mother or infant have absolutely no medical or scientific basis,” says Dr. Eidelman. “Indeed, the more salient issue is the damage caused by modern practices of premature weaning.” The ABM said it would have preferred that Time Magazine featured a photograph of breastfeeding that would have supported the concept of breastfeeding as both the cultural and biological norm. “However, by using a staged, provocative picture of an atypical situation, Time chose to generate controversy for commercial ends at the potential expense of well-accepted public health recommendations.,” Dr. Eidelman said.
Women 'Dramatically Under-Represented' in Top 2011 Films
Women were “dramatically under-represented” in the United States’ top 100 grossing films last year, accounting for 33 percent of all characters, according to a study being released Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times reported May 15. However, the 33 percent figure represents an increase over the findings of a similar study in 2002, when females comprised 28 percent of the movie characters. The study also found that fewer of female character were “clearly identifiable protagonists” -- 11 percent in 2011 versus 16 percent in 2002.
Ina Drew Loses Top Spot on Wall Street After JPMorgan Trading Loss
One of the most prominent women on Wall Street has lost her job. Ina Drew, head of the JPMorgan Chase's chief investment office, is retiring following the disclosure of a $2 billion trading loss, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported May 14. The bank’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, had urged her unit, which invests the bank’s cash, to make riskier bets to boost profits, Bloomberg News reported, citing five former executives. Drew had a 30-year career at the bank and rose to be one of two women who were part of the bank’s powerful operating committee.
Girl Scouts Under Catholic Bishops Investigation For Abortion, Birth Control Claims
The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops has been reviewing the church’s long-standing ties to the Girl Scouts of the USA for two years after complaints that some of the organization’s programs might contradict church teachings on contraception and abortion, The Christian Post reported May 14. Catholic bishops have been examining accusations that the Girl Scouts has ties with Planned Parenthood, which endorses family planning which goes against church teachings on abortion.
Judge Overturn Oklahoma Abortion Drug Law
An Oklahoma law restricting the use of certain abortion-inducing drugs has been ruled unconstitutional by a district court judge, who said it violates "the fundamental rights of women to privacy and bodily integrity," Associated Press reported May 14.
Combat-Related Jobs Now Open to Female Soldiers
Starting Monday, the Pentagon is opening more than 14,000 combat-related roles to women serving in the Army, KKTV reported May 14. Female soldiers had been excluded from those jobs until now. Army leaders have also begun to study the prospect of sending female soldiers to the service's prestigious Ranger school — another step in the effort to broaden opportunities for women in the military, reported the AP May 16. Gen. Raymond Odierno, Army chief of staff, said, "If we determine that we're going to allow women to go in the infantry and be successful, they are probably at some time going to have to go through Ranger school...If we decide to do this, we want the women to be successful."
Obama Calls on Women to Take Leadership, Become More Politically Involved
Barack Obama continued his outreach to female voters on Monday with a commencement speech at Barnard College, urging women to strive for leadership positions and become more politically involved. The President also declared May 13-19 National Women's Health Week. Read More: Obama Presses His 2012 Courtship of Women
Leading Progressive Group Attacks Romney Over Women's Issues
MoveOn.org's political wing launched a new TV ad that criticizes presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's stance on women's issues, CNN reported May 14. The spot claims that Romney moved to the right on women's issues to win the GOP presidential nomination. In the ad, various women criticize Romney for having "let our employers take away our contraception coverage, threaten to let our insurance companies, charge us more, just because we're women, and threaten to get rid of Planned Parenthood –a lifesaving source of healthcare for millions of women. So this November, we're gonna remember how you threw women under the bus, just to get the nomination." The ad aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and a MoveOn.org spokesman says that spot will also run on national cable.
Female CIOs Widely Under Represented in U.S. Companies
The number of women in senior technology positions at U.S. companies is down for the second year in a row, according to a survey published Monday,
Reuters reported May 14. Nine percent of U.S. chief information officers (CIOs) are female, down from 11 percent last year and 12 percent in 2010, according to the survey by the U.S. arm of British technology outsourcing and recruitment company Harvey Nash Group. About 30 percent of those polled said their information technology (IT) organization has no women at all in management. Yet only about half of survey respondents consider women to be under-represented in the IT department.
Women, Babies 'Put at Risk by Aggressive IVF'
Experts say that aggressive fertility treatments practiced at IVF clinics in the UK are putting women and babies at risk,
The Telegraph reported May 14. Unnecessary procedures, high doses of powerful drugs and risky interventions are being employed while, experts say, a milder and safer approach to IVF is available that could provide equivalent success rates over a longer period and at a lower cost.
