by Sandra Amankaviciute and Monika Zalnieriute “Small Breasts, Huge Thighs and a Big Red Box.” No, this sexualized description is not of an X-rated video, but of Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, made while she was in office in 2013. And it is not an anonymous troll tweet, but a menu displayed at a fundraiser for the Liberal National Party – a coalition of opposition parties to Gillard’s Labor government in Australia’s essentially two-party system. To the ... continue reading...
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and What it Means to Have a Feminist Judiciary
By Shilpa Sadhasivam Watching the Supreme Court's political bent swing from conservative-leaning to firmly conservative was a resounding blow to political leftists. The rapid replacement of revered feminist Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett created great anxiety regarding Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges, and other civil rights issues. Even deeper, her confirmation reflects a tension between feminist intentions of having women occupy positions of ... continue reading...
CRIMINALIZING PREGNANCY: WYOMING SEEKS TO PROSECUTE NEW MOTHER FOR DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY UNDER EXISTENT STATE LAW
By Hannah Hubbard Wyoming charged Leigh Stewart with child endangerment six days after she gave birth to her baby in Cheyenne. The State alleged that Ms. Stewart violated state law W.S. § 6-4-403(b)(iv), which provides that “[n]o person shall knowingly…[s]ell, give or otherwise furnish a child any drug prohibited by law without a physician’s prescription.” According to Wyoming, Ms. Stewart had “furnished” a child, her newborn baby, with drugs via the umbilical cord connecting the two of ... continue reading...
The U.S. Code and Implicitly Biased Language
“And when I meet Thomas Jefferson . . . I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!” – Angelica Schuyler[1] ********** The nation is beginning to reckon with darker features of its history. The grappling process has run the gamut from racism to LGBTQ+ discrimination. Thankfully, these conversations have extended to include systemic sexism and gender discrimination. But one wave for which this tide has not crested is that of our nation’s historic—and continued—use of the word “He” to ... continue reading...
COVID-19, Lockdowns and Street Harassment: what we can learn from empty streets
"You're maybe the last person I could rape; come here." “A month ago, as I was leaving to do my shopping, a man in a car ran me over as I was about to cross the street, stopped at my level, insulted me, and threatened me with rape, because I had not responded to his heavy flirting.” “Today I decided to walk home from my jog, to enjoy the sun. A very tall and muscular man with his medical mask, which only showed his eyes, saw me arriving in the distance; he put his hand in his ... continue reading...