Unanswered Calls: When Domestic Violence Is Seen as a “Nuisance”

Nuisance laws fine and evict people when too many 911 calls are made to a specific address. They are often enforced against victims of intimate partner violence who call 911 for protection from their abusers.

This denies women and other victims of domestic abuse one of the most fundamental rights of citizenship—the right to freedom from unwarranted injury at the hands of fellow citizens.

“Tracking the Backlash”: Feminist Investigative Journalists Uncover Organized Opposition to Reproductive Rights

openDemocracy’s “Tracking the Backlash” uncovers the organized opposition to sexual and reproductive rights including from religious right, far-right and other ‘anti-gender’ movements—in lockstep with the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

“Our 15 feminist investigative journalists produce ambitious, cross-border journalism and impactful storytelling that challenge sexism, homophobia and racism worldwide—and in the media,” said Tatev Hovhannisyan, editor Europe and Eurasia on openDemocracy’s “Tracking the Backlash” project.

How Digital Media is Threatening Women’s Rights and Democracy

As feminist activists take advantage of the U.N. Women 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence globally and as the U.S. Department of State Summit for Democracy launches in the United States, we must recognize that women who challenge the status quo and speak out against injustice and inequality are facing an increasing amount of online abuse.

Gendered disinformation and online abuse against women in politics are not only a problem for the women who are targeted, but undermine women’s rights and democracy at large. 

The Ms. Q&A: Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad Fights for Justice for Yazidi People and for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Nadia Murad is a survivor. In 2014, when she was just 19 years old, ISIS militants carried out a genocide against her Yazidi community, a minority group of 500,000 people in Northern Iraq.

Today, Murad is working to bring ISIS to justice for their genocide against the Yazidi community and rebuild what ISIS destroyed in Iraq through her organization Nadia’s Initiative.

Being a Woman in Politics Shouldn’t Come with Death Threats

Women in leadership roles often face violence and harassment. This public abuse sends a distinctive message to all women and girls: Beware what happens when you step outside the roles prescribed for you.

Unless Congress steps up and enacts laws recognizing violence against women in politics as crimes, abusers will continue making public life a hostile place for women.