What we do and say about sexual harassment, abuse and assault matters. That’s why I’m thrilled to see many in the legal profession expanding the conversation beyond emergency relief to provide comprehensive legal services for survivors.
Category: Justice & Law
Survivors Sue Child Sex Abusers in Droves Under New NY Law
The New York State Assembly passed the Child Victims Act, extending the time survivors have to file civil suits against perpetrators until they turn 55 years old. The law opens up a one-year “lookback window,” allowing survivors to file civil actions against perpetrators no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.
Time’s Up on New York’s Statute of Limitations
“There comes a moment in time when society stands up and says enough is enough,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared, “and I believe that we are at that moment.” There also comes a moment when survivors are able to speak of their traumas—and that day came for Mira Sorvino as she stood with Cuomo and revealed publicly for the first time that she had been raped.
How Cash Bail Hurts Poor Women—and What We Can Do About It
“Women are equal, but equality doesn’t mean forcing women into the same system as men. What it means is re-conceptualizing criminal justice itself from the ground up through the lens of women’s experience.”
When Will Survivors Get Justice?
It’s time for the justice system to hold rapists accountable—and do better by survivors.
Fleeing Gender Apartheid
“I lost everything in one day,” Layla, who fled Saudi Arabia, says a few months later outside a refugee settlement in Germany. Her voice trembles with still-raw fear. “But only one thing mattered: For the first time, I was free.”
Activism is Survival for Brazilian Trans Women
“The fear for us is not new. We have always been scared.”
Our Unalienable Rights Include Freedom of—and from—Religion
The danger of Trump’s Commission on Unalienable Rights is that its understanding of religious liberty extends only to a certain kind of religion, conservative Christianity.
The Plain View of Police Sexism and Racism Online
The issue of police brutality and distrust is still pervasive, especially between minority groups and the police. And after taking a look into the Facebook accounts of thousands of officers, the reasons for police distrust have become even clearer.
We Heart: The Poussey Washington Fund Fighting for Women in Prison
The Netflix show “Orange Is The New Black “released it’s seventh and final season this week—but the creative team behind the hit series made sure its legacy would endure by establishing the Poussey Washington Fund to take on the injustices still present in our criminal justice system.