Women Rights
The murder of George Floyd in May this year triggered uprisings against and conversations about racism in countries across the world. It felt as though the Black Lives Matter movement – founded in 2013 by three Black women in the US – had gone global on an unprecedented scale.
And while racism is an issue that transcends borders (White supremacy was, after all, a colonial project), it takes on different forms in different contexts. What constitutes racism in Canada may look quite different from racism in India or Brazil.
As part of our 12 Days of Resistance series, we take a look at seven forms of women-led anti-racist activism around the world.
In Germany, migrant and refugee women are drawing attention to police violence. In early June, a group called International Women* Space (IWS) highlighted violence by police officers against women living in Berlin’s lagers, where asylum seekers are housed. IWS also initiated the ‘Lager Reports’, which look to combat isolation and turn women into reporters on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in refugee accommodation centres.
Read the complete article at: LA Progressive
And while racism is an issue that transcends borders (White supremacy was, after all, a colonial project), it takes on different forms in different contexts. What constitutes racism in Canada may look quite different from racism in India or Brazil. As part of our 12 Days of Resistance series, we take a look at seven forms of women-led anti-racist activism around the world. In Germany, migrant and refugee women are drawing attention to police violence. In early June, a group called International Women* Space (IWS) highlighted violence by police officers against women living in Berlin’s lagers, where asylum seekers are housed. IWS also initiated the ‘Lager Reports’, which look to combat isolation and turn women into reporters on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in refugee accommodation centres. Resisted Racism Resisted Racism Resisted Racism
Five female anchors at NY1 said Thursday they have “mutually agreed” to leave the local news station after settling their age and gender discrimination lawsuit. Roma Torre, Kristen Shaughnessy, Jeanine Ramirez, Vivian Lee, and Amanda Farinacci had alleged that managers forced them off the air in favor of younger anchors with less experience.
Torre, one of NY1’s longest serving hosts, told The New York Times last year, “We feel we are being railroaded out of the place.” After filing the suit, they said they’d been shunned and further sidelined by colleagues.
The five women who filed the lawsuit collectively have more than 100 years of broadcasting experience. They were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of their settlement agreement and they no longer will appear on NY1.
Read the complete article at: The Daily Beast
Five female anchors at NY1 said Thursday they have “mutually agreed” to leave the local news station after settling their age and gender discrimination lawsuit. Roma Torre, Kristen Shaughnessy, Jeanine Ramirez, Vivian Lee, and Amanda Farinacci had alleged that managers forced them off the air in favor of younger anchors with less experience. Torre, one of NY1’s longest serving hosts, told The New York Times last year, “We feel we are being railroaded out of the place.” After filing the suit, they said they’d been shunned and further sidelined by colleagues. The five women who filed the lawsuit collectively have more than 100 years of broadcasting experience. They were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of their settlement agreement and they no longer will appear on NY1. Torre, one of NY1’s longest serving hosts, told The New York Times last year, “We feel we are being railroaded out of the place.” After filing the suit, they said they’d been shunned and further sidelined by colleagues. The five women who filed the lawsuit collectively have more than 100 years of broadcasting experience. They were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of their settlement agreement and they no longer will appear on NY1. Anchorwomen Anchorwomen Anchorwomen
Latoya Batty realized that she left behind a bag of items that she’d paid for at Walmart.
So on Jan. 27, 2019, Batty, a nurse and mother of three, called customer service, which was holding the merchandise. She later came back with a receipt to the store on East Market Street in Springettsbury Township.
But a Walmart employee accused her without evidence of shoplifting about $1,000 worth of items and summoned law enforcement. Police threw her to the ground, repeatedly punched her in the head, handcuffed her and fingerprinted her more than 10 times, a lawsuit claims, before later admitting that she was not the person who’d stolen from the store.
Later, Batty received a citation for retail theft, which was ultimately “dismissed or terminated” in her favor, the lawsuit alleges.
Read the complete article at: York Daily Record
Latoya Batty realized that she left behind a bag of items that she’d paid for at Walmart. So on Jan. 27, 2019, Batty, a nurse and mother of three, called customer service, which was holding the merchandise. She later came back with a receipt to the store on East Market Street in Springettsbury Township. But a Walmart employee accused her without evidence of shoplifting about $1,000 worth of items and summoned law enforcement. Police threw her to the ground, repeatedly punched her in the head, handcuffed her and fingerprinted her more than 10 times, a lawsuit claims, before later admitting that she was not the person who’d stolen from the store. Later, Batty received a citation for retail theft, which was ultimately “dismissed or terminated” in her favor, the lawsuit alleges.
Police threw her to the ground, repeatedly punched her in the head, handcuffed her and fingerprinted her more than 10 times, a lawsuit claims, before later admitting that she was not the person who’d stolen from the store. Later, Batty received a citation for retail theft, which was ultimately “dismissed or terminated” in her favor, the lawsuit alleges. Black woman Black woman Black woman
April Christina Curley, a queer Black woman and former Google employee, spoke up this week about the injustice she faced at the company while working there as a diversity recruiter. Curley recounts many instances of blatant disrespect from peers and managers — up to and including inappropriate and, at times, intense questioning of her identity.
Curley’s contract with Google was terminated in September despite “stellar performance metrics,” she writes in a Twitter thread. She believes her firing was “the best way to shut [her] up.”
Curley’s six-year stint at Google was focused on partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), specifically by recruiting HBCU students for engineering roles. Before her addition to the company, Curley says, Google had never hired an HBCU student into a tech role.
What Curley witnessed in her time at Google is nothing short of damning for the tech giant. We can only hope Google is taking serious action in the wake of the allegations.
Read the complete article at: Input Mag
Curley’s six-year stint at Google was focused on partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), specifically by recruiting HBCU students for engineering roles. Before her addition to the company, Curley says, Google had never hired an HBCU student into a tech role. What Curley witnessed in her time at Google is nothing short of damning for the tech giant. We can only hope Google is taking serious action in the wake of the allegations. Curley’s six-year stint at Google was focused on partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), specifically by recruiting HBCU students for engineering roles. Before her addition to the company, Curley says, Google had never hired an HBCU student into a tech role. What Curley witnessed in her time at Google is nothing short of damning for the tech giant. We can only hope Google is taking serious action in the wake of the allegations. Google employee Google employee
Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination at Work and How to Fight It
Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination at Work and How to Fight It
When speaking on the topic of general equality at work and the various types of discrimination that women in particular face in today’s society, pregnancy discrimination is one of the big issues that is often underrepresented in these types of discussions.
Women account for over 50% of the U.S. workforce and according to The American Community Survey (ACS), working mothers account for 32% of all working women.
Additionally, recent data shows that prenatal care, pregnancy, and caretaking affect many of the work-related decisions that working mothers have to make during the course of their careers.
It should then be clear to employers who want to build a well-balanced and successful business why reducing potential stressors and maintaining working mothers’ motivation to stay employed during and after pregnancy is so vital.
Read more at: Embroker
When speaking on the topic of general equality at work and the various types of discrimination that women in particular face in today’s society, pregnancy discrimination is one of the big issues that is often underrepresented in these types of discussions. Women account for over 50% of the U.S. workforce and according to The American Community Survey (ACS), working mothers account for 32% of all working women. Additionally, recent data shows that prenatal care, pregnancy, and caretaking affect many of the work-related decisions that working mothers have to make during the course of their careers. It should then be clear to employers who want to build a well-balanced and successful business why reducing potential stressors and maintaining working mothers’ motivation to stay employed during and after pregnancy is so vital. It should then be clear to employers who want to build a well-balanced and successful business why reducing potential stressors and maintaining working mothers’ motivation to stay employed during and after pregnancy is so vital.
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Settles Part Of Gender Discrimination Suit
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Settles Part Of Gender Discrimination Suit
The U.S. Soccer Federation has reached a proposed settlement with the Women’s National Team in a legal battle over working conditions but a dispute over equal pay with that of their male counterparts continues.
The agreement, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, is a partial victory for the World Cup champion U.S. women’s soccer team, who will see an improvement in hotel accommodations, venues, travel and staffing that will put them on equal footing with players on the Men’s National Team.
“This is a good day. I hope everyone sees that we are a new U.S. Soccer,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone told reporters in a press conference.
She noted a slew of internal personnel changes, including herself and new CEO Will Wilson, saying their “fresh approach” is helping to rebuild the strained relationship between the players and the federation.
Read more at: npr
The U.S. Soccer Federation has reached a proposed settlement with the Women’s National Team in a legal battle over working conditions but a dispute over equal pay with that of their male counterparts continues. The agreement, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, is a partial victory for the World Cup champion U.S. women’s soccer team, who will see an improvement in hotel accommodations, venues, travel and staffing that will put them on equal footing with players on the Men’s National Team. “This is a good day. I hope everyone sees that we are a new U.S. Soccer,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone told reporters in a press conference. She noted a slew of internal personnel changes, including herself and new CEO Will Wilson, saying their “fresh approach” is helping to rebuild the strained relationship between the players and the federation.
Justice Dept. appeals ruling barring it from Trump defamation case
Justice Dept. appeals ruling barring it from Trump defamation case
The Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a court’s decision to block it from interfering in a defamation case brought against President Donald Trump by E. Jean Carroll, who said the president raped her in the 1990s.
Lawyers with the Justice Department’s Civil Division filed the notice of appeal Wednesday afternoon.
The Justice Department attempted to protect Trump from prosecution by stepping into the case, arguing it had the right to do so as the defamation allegations were made during his presidency.
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York ruled against the department last month, writing in his opinion that Trump is not an employee of the United States and even if he were his statements concerning Carroll do not fall within the scope of his employment.
Read more at: UPI
The Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a court’s decision to block it from interfering in a defamation case brought against President Donald Trump by E. Jean Carroll, who said the president raped her in the 1990s. Lawyers with the Justice Department’s Civil Division filed the notice of appeal Wednesday afternoon. The Justice Department attempted to protect Trump from prosecution by stepping into the case, arguing it had the right to do so as the defamation allegations were made during his presidency. Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York ruled against the department last month, writing in his opinion that Trump is not an employee of the United States and even if he were his statements concerning Carroll do not fall within the scope of his employment. Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York ruled against the department last month, writing in his opinion that Trump is not an employee of the United States and even if he were his statements concerning Carroll do not fall within the scope of his employment.
Will Trump’s Accusers Finally Get Their Day In Court?
Will Trump’s Accusers Finally Get Their Day In Court?
One chilly afternoon in November 2019, a process server stepped through the gold-rimmed doors of Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue to deliver a copy of an explosive lawsuit and a court summons to President Donald Trump.
In those papers, E. Jean Carroll declared that Trump had raped her in a department store dressing room in late 1995 or early 1996. Carroll, a veteran advice columnist at Elle magazine and one of at least 26 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct since the 1970s, claimed that Trump had subsequently smeared her when he denied he knew her, accused her of fabricating her story to sell books, and insulted her appearance in statements to reporters. She was now suing him for defamation, demanding a retraction and damages. “Nobody in this nation is above the law,” her complaint began. “Nobody is entitled to conceal acts of sexual assault behind a wall of defamatory falsehoods and deflections.”
But before her claims could be heard in a New York state court, Trump needed to be served. First, the process server made his way through a Secret Service checkpoint. Then he spoke to the concierge, who called upstairs to a legal office before refusing to accept the documents. The server tried to leave the sheaf of papers and head back toward the lobby’s golden doors, but Secret Service officers stopped him, ordered him to take the papers, and kicked him out. One officer said they had instructions to keep process servers from leaving documents with the concierge, according to an affidavit. Three subsequent attempts to serve papers at Trump Tower and one at the White House ended similarly.
Read more at: Mother Jones
IA Firefighter Sues City, Fire Chief for Sexual Discrimination
IA Firefighter Sues City, Fire Chief for Sexual Discrimination
An Iowa firefighter claims she faced sexuel discrimination and harassment while on the job, according to a lawsuit.
Dubuque firefighter Jami Brooks is suing the city and the fire chief, alleging that the Iowa Civil Rights Act was violated on multiple incidents, The Associated Press reports. The act prohibits gender discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, education and other areas.
According to the lawsuit, male firefighters allegedly walked in on Boss while she was using the women’s restroom. A coworker also is accused of putting his hands down the back of Boss’ pants.
Read more at: Firehouse
An Iowa firefighter claims she faced sexaul discrimination and harassment while on the job, according to a lawsuit. Dubuque firefighter Jami Brooks is suing the city and the fire chief, alleging that the Iowa Civil Rights Act was violated on multiple incidents, The Associated Press reports. The act prohibits gender discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, education and other areas. According to the lawsuit, male firefighters allegedly walked in on Boss while she was using the women’s restroom. A coworker also is accused of putting his hands down the back of Boss’ pants. An Iowa firefighter claims she faced sexaul discrimination and harassment while on the job, according to a lawsuit. Dubuque firefighter Jami Brooks is suing the city and the fire chief, alleging that the Iowa Civil Rights Act was violated on multiple incidents, The Associated Press reports. The act prohibits gender discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, education and other areas. According to the lawsuit, male firefighters allegedly walked in on Boss while she was using the women’s restroom. A coworker also is accused of putting his hands down the back of Boss’ pants.
Salesperson asked ‘can I get you pregnant?’ wins sex discrimination claim
A salesperson at a courier firm who was subjected to ‘demeaning’ and explicit sexual comments has won her claim for sex discrimination, harassment and constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal.
Ms S Stannard, who worked at Overseas Courier Service (London), was given nicknames including “legs” and “stretch” by other employees, and at one point was asked by a colleague: “can I get you pregnant?”.
The claimant said a “sexist” culture existed at the male-dominated transport company, which was reflected in the comments often directed at her and other women. She told the tribunal: “It was just the norm, ‘double entendre’ were a regular feature of conversations with sexualised comments being made again and again.”
When she was pregnant in 2013, colleagues made comments about the size of her breasts, including claims that she was “busting out of [her] shirt” and had “sexy curves”.
When she informed the company directors of her pregnancy, one allegedly joked that she should take back her comment so that he could make her redundant.
One colleague said that he and the claimant could “tone up together in bed” and made several other explicit comments. The claimant said the colleague became impossible to deal with and hard to manage when he realised there would not be a relationship with her, and she lodged a grievance about his behaviour. The colleague later resigned.
In 2017, Stannard suffered a slipped disc and was off work for three weeks. Upon returning, she needed to attend physiotherapy sessions during her work hours.
Her work came under scrutiny at this point, with the company directors claiming that she needed to work additional hours to make up the physiotherapy time and work in the office on Fridays, rather than at home as she had been doing to several years.
She said that after her injury there was a “step change” in the way she was treated at the firm.
Read the complete article at: Personnel Today
Also Read: Half of Black and mixed-race employees ‘have experienced workplace discrimination’