Congressional hearings trade in statistics, so here’s a preview number for a subcommittee hearing tomorrow: Three percent. That’s the number of rape cases that ultimately lead to a rapist’s incarceration, according to a 2010 report by End Violence Against Women International. At 2:15 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled “Rape in […]
Author: Laura Gottesdiener
Laura Gottesdiener is a freelance journalist based in New York City. She is a former Ms. editorial intern who is enjoying exploring and writing in the Big Apple.
Newsflash: Asked and Told
Only a little over a week after President Obama formally declared the end of combat in the seven-year Iraq war, the home front is celebrating the possible close of another era: the 17-year reign of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Yesterday, federal judge Virginia A. Phillips in California ruled the policy an unconstitutional […]
No Separation of Sex and State in Czech Republic
As of last May’s elections, women now hold a record 44 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech parliament. And if their presence in parliament isn’t enough, the Public Affairs party is now selling a calendar featuring six of its youngest and most beautiful women members posed […]
Feds Slap Sheriff Joe Arpaio with Lawsuit
It’s been the summer of Arizona vs. the federal government, with lawsuits flying fast and furiously. The controversial state government now has yet another legal battle on its hands. Today, the U.S. Justice Department filed suit against Arizona’s infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio for his refusal to cooperate with a federal investigation of possible human rights […]
We Heart: Temple Grandin
For an autistic woman who “thinks like a cow,” Temple Grandin has certainly affected millions of humans. Last Sunday at the 62nd Emmy Awards, Temple Grandin, the made-for-HBO movie about the bestselling author and livestock expert, won five Emmys, including best lead actress (for Claire Danes playing Grandin) in a mini-series/movie. Now, more than ever, Grandin is, […]
Do Women Win or Lose with India’s New Birth Rate Initiative?
According to the The New York Times this week, India has introduced a new method of birth control: $106 dollars in the hands of a young bride. It’s up to the newlyweds to choose and implement a method of family planning, but one condition of this “honeymoon package” is non-negotiable: no pregnancies for at least […]
Newsflash: Hundreds Raped in Congo
A United Nations mission will begin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today to investigate reports of nearly 200 rapes across 15 villages in the eastern part of the country. According to U.N. workers in the area, the violence occurred between July 30 and August 3 in villages near the mining center of […]
Newsflash: Domestic Workers Bill Delivered to N.Y. Governor
Last Thursday, August 19, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights was delivered to New York Governor David A. Paterson‘s office in Albany for his signature. This landmark legislation will provide overtime pay, paid vacation days, one day off each week and security against sexual harassment to the more than 200,000 domestic workers in New York state. Of these thousands […]