GOP Lawmakers Hope to Limit Further Women's Reproductive Rights

GOP Lawmakers Hope to Limit Further Women's Reproductive Rights

State lawmakers will reconvene to kick off their new sessions this week, and Republican legislators are already gearing up for the new abortion restrictions they hope to introduce this year, Think Progressreported Jan.7.

The states of Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas are expected to introduce measures to impose additional burdens to abortion access. While Texas already approved the defunding of Planned Parenthood that is currently forcing thousands of low-income women to find new doctors, a Republican lawmaker in Virginia is gearing up for a bill that would “eliminate state funding for abortions for low-income women who learn of gross fetal deformities.” 

These states are also pushing for provisions requiring insurers to offer plans that don’t include contraceptive coverage.

Last year, 19 states passed 42 different abortion restrictions, second only to the record-breaking 92 anti-abortion provisions enacted in 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Anti-Abortion Group Loses Appeal Over PAC Status

An anti-abortion group will not get a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court on its appeal of federal law designating it as a political nonprofit that must disclose information about its financial donors, CNNreported Jan. 7. The Justices rejected the case involving the The Real Truth About Abortion, Inc. without comment on Monday. The Virginia-based group, formally known as The Real Truth About Obama, argued that its "issue advocacy" was protected free speech and not subject to federal regulation, since it did not "expressly advocate the election or defeat" or "make any contribution" to a political candidate.

Judge Orders Trial in Abortion Insurance Case in Kansas

Kansas' law that restricts private health insurance coverage for abortions will go to trial to resolve whether it poses a substantial obstacle to women seeking to end pregnancies, Associated Press reported Jan. 7. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson rejected an argument by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri that the 2011 law should be summarily invalidated because the Legislature's predominant purpose in passing the act was to impede access to abortion. Robinson considered that the ACLU failed to provide any evidence about lawmakers' motivation. However, the judge said, a trial is necessary to determine the larger question of whether the significant costs for abortions many women must now pay for themselves create a substantial burden on the federal right to an abortion.

Women To Be Hit by Economic Reforms in England 

New figures reveal that 4.6 million women who receive child tax credit directly will be affected by the reforms on benefits and tax credits in England, The Guardian reported Jan.6. This number that includes 2.5 million working women, and more than a million women who care for children while their partners work. In addition, low-paid new mothers on £12,000 a year are losing £1,300 during pregnancy and the baby's first year via cuts to maternity pay, pregnancy support and tax credits. They are also losing a further £422 from cuts to child benefit over the same period.

Domestic Violence Reported Every 21 Minutes in Northern Ireland

Domestic abuse is reported every 21 minutes in Northern Ireland, The Belfast Telegraph reported Jan.7.. Around a quarter of women suffer from violence which can be physical, emotional, financial or sexual, Women`s Aid Federation Northern Ireland said. The number of domestic abuse incidents is at its highest level recorded in the last two years, according to statistics revealed last year.

Women on Boards Bring More Aggressive Action

Having more women on corporate boards is important for performance because they make the boards more aggressive, a new report “When All Are Aboard: Does the Gender of Directors Matter?,” shows, Forbesreported Jan. 7.  Researcher Miriam Schwartz-Ziv, who analyzed corporate board meetings of Israeli companies, found that boards that had at least three directors of each gender in attendance, and in particular three women, had a significantly larger ROE (return on equity) and net profit margin. That mirrors findings by a recent Credit Suisse study that found companies with gender diverse boards outperformed male-only ones by 26 percent over a period of six years.

Saudi Arabia Rejects Suspension of Rizana Nafeek Execution

Saudi Arabia has revoked the suspension on the execution of Sri Lanka’s housemaid Rizana Nafeek and it has now become imminent that she will be executed anytime, the Asian Tribune reported Jan. 7. Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa issued another appeal to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, requesting his intervention in suspending the decision. Rizana Nafeek faces death sentence on charges of murdering an infant. She was 17 years old when she arrested in May 2005. 

Indonesia to Ban Women Straddling Motorbikes

Authorities in Indonesia's Aceh province are pressing ahead with a proposed Islamic law that would ban female passengers from straddling motorbikes despite reported opposition from the central government,CBS News reported Jan. 7. The Aceh laws regulate women's dress and public morality, require shops and other places to close at prayer time, and are enforced by a special unit. Punishments can include public caning. Aceh introduced a version of Shariah, or Islamic law, in 2009, after it gained autonomy from the government in a 2005 peace deal to end a long-running separatist war there. .