Special Coverage: Reproductive Justice and Gender

McSexist: McCain's War on Women

Kate Sheppard, In These Times. July 24, 2008.
McCain is ignorant about pay equity, wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and likes to brag about his "sexual conquests" and visits to a strip club.

From the blogs

Offshoring, Downsizing, Rightsizing: Job Losses Hitting Women Hard

by Todd Tucker, Eyes on Trade

A look at Lou Uchitelle's NYT piece: 'Women Are Now Equal as Victims of Poor Economy.'

Internet Assisted Abortion: Coathangers of the Digital Age?

by Lauren, Feministe

Women in areas where abortion is illegal or near-illegal are resorting to buying medication online to terminate their pregnancies at home.

Does Time Magazine Believe Women's Bodies Should be Owned by Men?

by Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon

Time helps push retrograde patriarchal agenda with article about "purity balls."

Gender Policing is Harmful to Children

by Habladora, Feministe

"It isn't being different that put kids at risk, it's being punished for being different."

It's 2008, and the Income Gender Gap Is Still Alive and Well

by Allison Martell, Feministe

Even when researchers try to correct for differences in education and work experience, a 20% gap in earnings still persists.

Conservatives Insist South Carolina Is Not Gay ... Not Even a Little Bi-Curious

by Isaac Fitzgerald, AlterNet

Gay tourism ads in London get some South Carolinians' panties in a bunch.

American Liberalism Making a Come-Back

by Daniel De Groot, Open Left

Data from 1984-2006, shows a narrowing gap between cons and libs.

John McCain on Insurance Coverage for Viagra vs. Birth Control

by Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet

Awkward eight-second pause while candidate tries to remember how he voted.

John McCain Befuddled By Birth Control

by Matt Corley, Think Progress

Candidate can't keep his votes straight.

CNN Spreading Innacurate Info on Cervical Cancer Vaccine

by , Feministe

Network stokes unfounded fears over HPV vaccine Gardasil.

How Effective Is Male Circumcision at Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections?

Kate Bourne, RH Reality Check. July 23, 2008.
What circumcision will and will not offer a man and his partner or partners.

Beyond Hillary: How to Get More Women in Office

Ann Friedman, The American Prospect. July 22, 2008.
The Year of the Woman was 16 years ago, and the number of women in elected office has flatlined. We have yet to break the 25 percent barrier.

McCain Opposes Contraception -- Pass It On

Katha Pollitt, TheNation.com. July 22, 2008.
He's voted against contraception for more than 20 years, and yet doesn't even care or know enough to explain why.

New Legislation Threatens American-Indian Women's Reproductive Health

Michelle Chen, In These Times. July 21, 2008.
An amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act tethers crucial health programs to an anti-abortion agenda.

Did Hollywood Execs Finally Get the Memo That Women Can Carry Movies?

Marjorie Rosen, Women's eNews. July 21, 2008.
A bountiful crop of summer movies starring women is outshining the usual male-driven action flicks. Let's hope studio heads get the message.

What Women Voters Want in 2008

Celinda Lake, Ms. Magazine. July 20, 2008.
The five issues that most concern women this election year.

The Power of the Miniskirt

Molly Faulkner-Bond, Sirens Magazine. July 18, 2008.
In the '60s, miniskirts were positive, powerful examples of female sexuality. Overexposed starlets like Paris and Britney have tarnished that image.

White House Tries to Define Contraception As Abortion

Cristina Page, RH Reality Check. July 16, 2008.
The Department of Health and Human Services is dismissing medical experts and instead using a definition of pregnancy based on polling data.

The Myth of the Elective C-Section

Miriam Pérez, RH Reality Check. July 15, 2008.
The media give the impression women opt for c-sections for the sake of convenience. In fact, the procedure is often pushed by doctors.

Why Brides-to-Be Are Starving Themselves Skinny

Allison Gaudet Yarrow, Women's eNews. July 15, 2008.
A multi-billion-dollar wedding industry peddles the perfection myth more intensely than ever before.

Obama Gets on Topic with Women

Kelly Nuxoll, Huffington Post. July 13, 2008.
And he has help from Clinton, whose post-primary season message to her supporters is: Get over it and move on. I have.

Blogging While Brown (and Female)

Kristal Brent Zook, Women's Media Center. July 12, 2008.
The Internet is helping women bloggers of color get their messages out without having to first get approval through a male power structure.

Racism, Sexism and Speed: Can NASCAR Be Saved From Itself?

Dave Zirin, The Nation. July 12, 2008.
A suit against NASCAR for sexual and racial misconduct may be the best thing that's ever happened to the sport.

Rigidly Male-Dominated Societies Are Violent; The U.S. Is No Different

Riane Eisler, The Wip. July 11, 2008.
Until people (including progressives) stop thinking of "women's issues" secondary, the U.S. will continue on its path of poverty and war.

Think '70s Feminists Are Out of Touch? Not So Fast.

Heidi Schnakenberg, AlterNet. July 11, 2008.
A lesson from second-wave feminism: Women will continue to be oppressed unless they stop prioritizing other causes over their own.

It's Time to Fix Bush's AIDS Policy

Scott Swenson, RH Reality Check. July 10, 2008.
The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is tangled in ideological restrictions. Fixing the legislation would save millions more lives.

Gender Discrimination Has Its Day in Court

Michele Kort, Ms. Magazine. July 10, 2008.
A California university thought it could fire two successful women coaches and a longtime athletic director without repercussion. They were wrong.

50 More Years of Women Making Less Money Than Men?

Jennifer Waldref, Women's eNews. July 10, 2008.
Research shows pay discrimination isn't going anywhere soon. Neither are promotion barriers, sexual harassment or bias against mothers.

Rape in War: Will the United Nations Walk Its Talk?

Marianne Mollmann, RH Reality Check. July 9, 2008.
The U.N. has talked about rape as a tool of war before. Hopefully this time around they'll actually do something about it.

Sleeping Around Craigslist

Anna Reed, Lily Penza, East Bay Express. July 9, 2008.
Two middle-aged women discover that casual sex can be anything but casual.

Damned If Feminine, Damned If Feminist

Susan J. Douglas, In These Times. July 8, 2008.
Our culture's conflicted attitudes toward femininity (too much is weak) versus feminism (too assertive) leaves women with no place to stand.

Obama Botches the Abortion Conversation

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. July 8, 2008.
Why is a candidate praised for his rhetorical gifts perpetuating irresponsible stereotypes about women who have abortions?

Even as Celebrities, Women Face a Double Standard

Vanessa Richmond, The Tyee. July 5, 2008.
There was little media introspection about Heath Ledger's overdose, while Amy Winehouse receives daily scrutiny for her drug habits. What gives?

Now Let's Talk About Populism for Real

Ruth Rosen, Truthdig. July 5, 2008.
A new book explores the real populist vision that lies behind the shallow rhetoric to which we've been subjected during this election year.

Why Can't Women Sleep?

Gayle Greene, Ms. Magazine. July 3, 2008.
And why is the high level of insomnia among women ignored by researchers?

Revisiting the Execution of Willie Francis: Race, Murder and the Search for Justice

Eleanor J. Bader, Public Eye. July 1, 2008.
It took two trips to the electric chair to kill murder suspect Francis, whose unfair trial catapulted racial justice into public consciousness.

Women Have the Voting Power to Control This Election

Martha Burk, Ms. Magazine. June 30, 2008.
The economy, war, the health care crisis and tax policies all affect women differently than men. And women have the power to change them all.

There's Something Missing from Mommy Lit

Deesha Philyaw, Bitch Magazine. June 28, 2008.
Bookstores are brimming with motherhood memoirs. But why are so few of them penned by women of color?

The Candidates' Wives Face Media Sexism

Lisa Witter, Newsday. June 27, 2008.
The media bring us the most important issues of election 2008: which candidate's wife bakes, cleans and most closely resembles Jackie-O.

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Rebecca Project for Human Rights

Raising the voices of vulnerable families by advocating reform of child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse policies that impact the lives of women and girls.