The Week in Women
E. Jean Carroll verdict, new guidance on mammograms, Japan approves medication abortion, North Carolina abortion ban
Hi readers, and welcome to The Week in Women, a rundown of this week’s major women’s rights stories from around the world. Here we go!
US News
A jury in a civil case found Donald Trump guilty of sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million for battery and defamation. The jury did not find that Carroll produced the evidence to show that Trump raped her. Trump is appealing the judgment, denying all of the claims. Carroll may sue Trump for a third time for his lewd and defamatory comments about her and the case at a CNN town hall.
Advisors to the US Food and Drug Administration unanimously voted in support of over-the-counter access to Opill, a birth control pill by drugmaker Perrigo. The advisory panel approved the proposal to make the contraceptive available over the counter by 17-0. The FDA is expected to make a final decision on the matter this summer.
Abortion clinics in Virginia, Montana, and Kansas filed a federal lawsuit in Virginia suing the FDA, in a case to protect access to the abortion pill, mifepristone, in those states. The lawsuit argues that the FDA must discard burdensome restrictions on how mifepristone is prescribed and asks the court to keep the drug available under the current regulations in the states while the case proceeds.
The US Preventive Services Task Force revised its guidance on when women should start to get regular mammograms, reducing the advised age from 50 to 40. The new guidance comes out of concern for increased rates of breast cancer in young women and high death rates among Black women in particular.
Goldman Sachs will pay $215 million to settle a 2010 gender bias lawsuit that accused the Wall Street bank of systematically discriminating against thousands of women employees. Each of the 2,800 plaintiffs in the case will receive about $47,000. The bank also agreed to change some of its practices and work to promote greater gender equality in the company.
North Carolina’s House and Senate passed a restrictive abortion bill limiting abortion to 12 weeks of pregnancy. While the state’s Democratic governor is expected to veto the bill, the legislature can override the veto with one more Republican vote. North Carolina has been a haven for women across the South for abortions and this would decimate access even further.
A state court judge in Utah temporarily blocked a law that would have restricted abortions to hospitals only, which would have likely stopped the majority of abortions in the state. Abortion continues to remain legal up until 18 weeks in Utah and abortion clinics can continue to provide care.
Both South Carolina and Nebraska’s Republican majority legislatures failed to pass bills that would have severely restricted abortion in the states. The defeats of these bills shows that pro-abortion arguments can avail even in deeply red states.
The Florida legislature passed a bill prohibiting gender transition care for minors and restricting it for adults, joining a growing list of states that have passed anti-LGBTQ legislation targeting trans youth. Doctors who violate the ban and provide care would face up to five years in prison.
The Attorneys General of New York and California opened up an investigation of the NFL’s treatment of female employees. The investigation comes a year after a report revealing claims that women workers in the league faced discrimination, pay inequity, and a hostile work environment.
Global News
Lawmakers in the European Union got closer to ratifying the Istanbul Convention - a treaty that obliges states to protect women from gender-based violence and prosecute perpetrators for abuse. A majority of the lawmakers approved the endorsement of the treaty at a recent convening. The EU signed the treaty six years ago, but has yet to ratify it into law because of the opposition of six member states.
Spain announced a new law requiring more equal representation of women in politics, business, and public life. Introduced by Spain’s Prime Minister, the law aims to increase gender equity by applying gender parity requirements to electoral lists, boards of major companies, and governing boards of professional associations.
Japan’s health ministry approved a drug used to end early-stage pregnancies, which will make abortion pills available for the first time in the country. The two-step pill regimen was green-lighted to end pregnancies up to nine weeks. While abortion is legal in Japan up to 22-weeks, the surgical procedure had been the only option to this point and other consent requirements made access challenging.
Women in politics across Sierra Leone have been speaking out against the violence and abuse they face ahead of national elections in June. This will be the first election after a quota law was passed requiring 30% representation for women on candidate lists. Female members of parliament and local officials have faced intimidation, threats, and legal action for their advocacy on social justice issues and for simply being women in politics.
After extremely low offers from the top five European football countries for the rights to the Women’s World Cup this summer, FIFA has threatened a broadcast blackout in those countries unless they increase their bids. The president of the international alliance said that the offers were a “slap in the face” to the players and women worldwide. Broadcasters had only offered $1-10 million for the rights compared to $100-200 million for the rights to the Men’s World Cup.
Irina Matvienko, a prominent women’s rights activist in Uzbekistan, was forced to flee the country after experiencing online violence and death threats for her advocacy. Matvienko is the creator of a website and Telegram channel that reports on domestic violence and violence against women in Uzbekistan.
Data and Reports
A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that two thirds of Americans say that mifepristone should remain on the market. About 44% of those polled said access to mifepristone should be kept as is.
The National Abortion Federation released new data showing that abortion clinics have faced an increase in violence since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. The report found a spike in attacks including arson, burglaries, and death threats against clinics and providers in the past year.
Researchers from the Guttmacher Institute found that in the US, a growing majority of women said that their pregnancies came at the right time, with a decline in unwanted or mistimed pregnancies. The analysis, which looked at pregnancies from 2009-2015, also found that an increasing number of women, particularly those over the age of 35, reported they were getting later than they wanted to.
…and that’s it for now. Have a great week ahead!
xx Tamar + Jill
The Week in Women comes to you thanks to research from Tamar Eisen (she/her/hers), an advocate for reproductive justice and gender equity. She lives in New York City where she works for the Center for Reproductive Rights and teaches yoga.