Monthly Archives: May 2003

Female Prisoners File Suit Against New York Over Investigations of Sexual Assault by Guards

New York’s Legal Aid Society recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of 15 female inmates against the state of New York over how investigations into alleged sexual assaults by guards against female prisoners are investigated. At issue is the state’s … Continue reading

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Ethiopian Immigrant Charged with Circumcising 2-Year-Old Daughter

An Ethiopian immigrant living in Atlanta, Georgia, was recently charged in that state for allegedly mutilating the genitals of his 2-year-old daughter. In Ethiopia, female genital mutilation is believed to be widespread, with as many as 70-90 percent of adult … Continue reading

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Posted in Female Genital Mutilation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sexual Assault Against Prisoners of War: Female and Otherwise

Women’s ENews ran a lengthy article in early April about the risks of sexual assault against prisoners of war. Much of this tends to focus on what is perceived to be the special risk of sexual assault against female soldiers, … Continue reading

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Posted in Military, Rape | Leave a comment

1 in 7 Soldiers Deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom Were Women

Women’s ENews ran an interesting article about the history of women in the U.S. military that included a fascinating statistic about the makeup of Operation Iraqi Freedom — almost 15 percent of soldiers deployed to take part in the war … Continue reading

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Hospitals Will Stop Pelvic Exams of Unconscious Women Without Their Consent

The bizarre thing about ethics in medicine is how doctors and others will turn themselves inside out over some grey area, but then turn around and make what are obviously unethical decisions in relatively routine areas. This sort of myopia … Continue reading

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Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

Minnesota Bars Female Kicker Tryout

The University of Minnesota in April refused to allow junior Mary Nystrom to try out for a position as a kicker/punter for its football team, citing the lawsuit by Heather Mercer against Duke in justification. Mercer was added to DUke’s … Continue reading

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Posted in Sports | Tagged | Leave a comment

FDA Asked to OTC Morning After Pill

Women’s Capitol Corp., which distributes the “morning after” pill Plan B, has filed a request the Food and Drug Administration to allow it to sell the drug over the counter. Plan B has been available by prescription in the United … Continue reading

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Posted in Abortion, Birth Control | Leave a comment

Canadian Supreme Court Strengthens Divorce Agreements

In a 7-2 ruling the Canadian Supreme Court reversed several lower court rulings in saying that divorce agreements should be respected unless truly unforeseen circumstances occur that require revisiting them. The case before the Court involved Linda Miglin who succeeded … Continue reading

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Posted in Marriage | Tagged | Leave a comment

In Texas, A Picture of a Woman Breastfeeding Is Likened to Child Pornography

Peruvian immigrants Jacqueline Mercado and Johnny Fernandez turned in several rolls of film for processing at a one-hour drug store photo lab in November 2002. A single picture on that roll depicting Mercado nursing her one-year old child would have … Continue reading

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Military Service Puts Some In Quandry Over Child Support Payments

The Christian Science Monitor ran a story in April about the odd predicament that some military reservists called up to serve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom will find themselves in — namely, with legal problems stemming from falling behind … Continue reading

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