By Nicole Williamson* August 2020 marks one hundred years since the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote in the United States. As stated quite simply in the Amendment’s text, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” These foundational words ushered in a new era of women’s rights in the United States, as enfranchisement further empowered women to voice ... continue reading...
#MeToo in China: Social-Media Driven Activism in the Face of Government Censorship
By Becky Prager There are news reports that say #MeToo has been slow to take off in China. Well, what do you expect? China’s not a normal country. This is a hashtag campaign in a country where there is no internet freedom. The hashtag is routinely censored. Women’s personal stories of sexual abuse are routinely deleted within hours if not minutes. There is no press freedom, which was essential to #MeToo taking off in the U.S. —Leta Hong Fincher, author of Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist ... continue reading...
Collective Adjudication and Sexual Misconduct: Class Actions in the #MeToo Era
By Alexa Richardson Although acts of sexual assault and harassment are rooted in power, the law has failed to adequately address the issue of power imbalance.[1] Prior to major shifts in the legal conception of sexual misconduct in the seventies and eighties, such acts were also considered too “private” for state interference.[2] Not only has the recent #MeToo wave of survivors speaking out thrust formerly private acts into the public spotlight, but it has highlighted how sexual misconduct is ... continue reading...
Goop and the Legal Pitfalls of Women’s Wellness
Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s e-commerce empire, recently settled a consumer protection lawsuit to the tune of $145,000 in civil penalties. The suit was brought in September of 2018 by ten prosecutors from the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device (FDMD) Task Force in response to what they characterized as false medical advertising claims. Prosecutors focused on two particular Goop wellness products: a (now-infamous) vaginal egg said to “balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent ... continue reading...
After Kavanaugh: Gender Bias on the Bench, and a Call to Diversify the Judiciary
In the months since Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court of the United States, popular, legal, and political discourse has continued to explore the now-Justice and his conduct[1] within the context of the current #MeToo era. Some observers have argued that the fact that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations against him were treated as at least potentially credible and shown deference[2]—rather than dismissed outright—marked a victory for the #MeToo movement and demonstrate that ... continue reading...