FEMEN activists went topless to protest against the anti-abortion movement in Madrid on Sunday. Abortion is currently a legally authorised practice in Spain. For women who wish for an abortion within 14 weeks of pregnancy, or 22 weeks for those facing health risks, abortion is a legal option. But the new Minister of Justice, Alberto…
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Legislation has come into effect in Germany allowing intersex individuals to not be identified as male or female on their birth certificates. Intersex describes a range of anatomical variations of the reproductive organs and genitals which results in people having both male and female characteristics, with approximately one in 2,000 people born intersex. Germany joins…
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A law firm in the States has come under criticism after a memo directing women to ‘wear a suit, not your party outfit’, to not show cleavage, and to drop the use of ‘like’ was leaked. The ‘advice’ was from a document called ‘Presentation Tips for Women’ sent to female associates of Clifford Chase. The…
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Gen Y women prioritise their future financial security ahead of their male peers, the annual Lifelounge Sweeney Research report shows. While one in three young men, aged between 16 to 30, acknowledge they like to live in the moment, only one in four women surveyed said they believed their future would eventually take care…
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Obama sure has been busy for someone who’s in shutdown mode. Amongst the political turmoil, he is expected to announce his nomination of Janet Yellen as the next head of the US Federal Reserve any time now. This is kind of a big deal, as, if confirmed, she will be the first woman to lead…
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A new campaign called NYC Girls Project has hit New York City buses and subways. Intended for 7-12 year olds, the campaign hopes to tell girls they are beautiful the way they are. It is aimed at improving the self-esteem of young girls. The New York Times has reported that Samantha Levine – deputy press…
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Dating website OKCupid has begun charging users $4.95 per month to filter fellow matchmaking hopefuls based on their physique. The choice to charge for the filter reportedly comes down to allowing fairer interactions on the site. ‘If everyone could sort through attractiveness – which is crowdsourced by users on the site – only very attractive…
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A video satirising the culture of rape and victim-blaming in India has garnered more than 2.2 million views on YouTube since September 19. In the video, which is produced by a group of comedians, Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin and television host Juhi Pandey explain why women must take the blame for the rising number…
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Italian gay rights activists are calling for a boycott of pasta company Barilla’s products after its chairman made comments about homosexual families. Chairman of the family-owned business, Guido Barilla, says Barilla advertisements will continue to depict traditional nuclear families enjoying its pasta. ‘For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the basic…
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Bill Shorten, potential Labor leader, has said he would consider establishing a shadow ministry for equality if he is successful against fellow candidate, Anthony Albanese. His statement, in response to a query put to both men by Labor’s LGBTI lobby group Rainbow Labor, flags the possibility of a significant and positive shift in Labor party…
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Former Women’s Weekly editor Ita Buttrose has called out our new government on its apparent gender problem. ‘The glass ceiling still does exist in Australia,’ Ms Buttrose told ABC radio on September 17. ‘We’re told it doesn’t, but that’s just a nonsense – it does exist.’ Buttrose is not the only one to reflect on…
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Over the next month, Australians will be called to action to engage in mental health issues, starting off with World Suicide Prevention Day and R OK Day, and finishing with Mental Health Week in October. Today (September 10th) is World Suicide Prevention Day. Why is this important, you may ask? You might not know anyone…
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Reports from the US media indicate that Ariel Castro, who kept women captive in his Cleveland home, has died after being found hanging in his cell. Prison officals say he died in hospital after prison medical staff were unable to revive him. Castro was sentenced on August 1 to life imprisonment without parole plus 1000 years….
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has reportedly become the first person of her title to officiate at a same-sex wedding. The New Civil Rights Movement reported the news after a photograph of Justice Ginsburg as officiate was released by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday. The wedding was between Michael Kaiser,…
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