Saudi Arabia was elected chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) by “acclamation” on Wednesday after an unopposed bid for leadership with no dissent, despite outcry from human rights organizations ahead of the vote. Saudi Ambassador to the UN Abdulaziz Alwasil will assume the position. The CSW is dedicated to promoting gender [...]
Search Results for: driving
US federal judge dismisses lawsuit by X against nonprofit anti-hate speech organization
A federal judge in California dismissed Monday a lawsuit brought by X (formerly known as Twitter) against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization that researches digital hate speech and campaigns for social media reform. X, owned by Elon Musk, filed its suit in July 2023, alleging that by reporting instances of [...]
The Cost of Revenge: A Cantor's Critique of Israel's Response to Hamas
In the wake of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, many of Israel’s supporters, myself included, have succumbed to the understandable impulse for violent retribution. Israel is a land that I love, both culturally as a Jew — and third-generation Holocaust survivor — and spiritually as an ordained cantor. It follows that [...]
CIVICUS 2024 Report Highlights Civil Society and Global Rule of Law in Crisis
Civil society is facing unprecedented challenges globally due to escalating conflicts and crises. In 2023, groups that were pivotal in advocating for human rights, offering humanitarian aid and giving a voice to the marginalized encountered increasing difficulties. Their work has become more challenging due to growing repression and conflict, yet they remain beacons of hope [...]
Book ban attempts in US libraries and schools hit record high in 2023: national library group
The American Library Association (ALA) announced on Thursday that censorship demands and book ban attempts in public libraries and schools hit a record high in 2023. The ALA documented 1,247 demands to ban 4,240 different books. This is a 65 percent increase from 2022, when 2,571 books faced censorship demands. In 17 states, book ban [...]
Florida governor activates state guard in preparation for Haiti migrants
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced via X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday over 250 officers and soldiers will be stationed at the Florida Keys and southern waters in preparation for a surge of migrants from Haiti. Speaking on the action, DeSantis said: For quite some time, the State of Florida has been dedicating significant resources to [...]
Breaking Barriers: A Global Review of Legislative Reform on Women's Rights
The plight of women’s rights in various countries reflects a complex interplay of legal, cultural and societal norms that significantly disenfranchise women and girls, threatening their human rights and dignity. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Nigeria present challenging environments where women’s rights [...]
US House lawmakers introduce bill to ban 'foreign adversary controlled' apps, including TikTok
US lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a bill on Tuesday aimed at curbing the influence of social media apps controlled by the US’s foreign adversaries, such as TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance. The bill, Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, comes amid increasing concern from US lawmakers over the [...]
Missouri AG accuses Planned Parenthood of assisting minors travel out of state to obtain abortions
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing a Planned Parenthood organization affiliate of violating state laws by helping transport minors into Kansas for abortions. The lawsuit is based on alleged camera footage showing staffers transporting minors across state lines to get an abortion without parental consent. In the filing, Bailey cited [...]
Report shows Australia employers are above target gender pay gap range
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) published its first gender pay gap report Tuesday, releasing data on nearly 5,000 private sector employers in Australia. WGEA, an Australian government agency responsible for improving gender equality in the workplace, published the base salary and total renumeration median gender pay gaps for employers with at least 100 employees. According [...]