Since 50% of our population are females, and reputable studies show that better outcomes occur when there is more balanced decision-making within the leadership ranks, I support this new "5050 by 2020" (50% men & 50% women for gender-balance leadership by the year 2020) and encourage those who care to sign the free pledge at 5050x2020.org

Today, the South Dakota legislature passed an abortion ban that stigmatizes Asian American women. If Governor Daugaard signs it into law, South Dakota will become the 8th state with such a measure. Tell Governor Daugaard to veto the bill right now! We know this "sex selective abortion" ban is a wolf in sheep's clothing — a discriminatory attempt to undermine women's health masquerading as an equal rights measure. Proponents of the bill say that Asian immigrants, who they claim are bringing the problem of sex selective abortion to the United States, are the reason this needed to be passed. The people behind these laws consistently vote against our interests, and we won't be fooled into believing that this is about helping Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls. We know this is about attacking women's personal decision-making. If they truly wanted to end sex selection, they would be addressing the root cause- gender inequity- instead of undermining women's health. Don’t let the South Dakota Legislature get away with this -- urge Governor Daugaard to veto the bill today!

I'm a Mother, a provider, survivor, protector, caretaker, educator, that needs hope in a matter very crucial to her family.

4WCW was in Beijing, 1995. 5WCW would be a 21st Century conference with the internet, smart phones, satellite technology, simultaneous conferences; fostering feminist networks, ongoing women's circles including virtual ones. This would energize a global women's movement, which creates political will, without which women and women's issues are sidelined. Since 2009, I have been working toward this at the UN. Active support from the White House looks to be all that is needed for passage of a consensus resolution in the General Assembly, preparation takes 2 -3 years, with 2017 the likely date.

HB 4588 passed the West Virginia House on Tuesday, February 25, 2014. We must do everything we can to stop it in the Senate before the legislative session ends on March 9, 2014.

Don’t let South Dakota pass a racist anti-Asian abortion ban! Last week the South Dakota House voted 60 to 10 to pass an abortion ban which they say is necessary because of Asian immigrants in the state. Stace Nelson, one of the Representatives that voted in favor of the bill, warned of an invasion of abortion-seeking Asians in South Dakota: “Let me tell you, our population in South Dakota is a lot more diverse than it ever was. There are cultures that look at a sex-selection abortion as being culturally okay. And I will suggest to you that we are embracing individuals from some of those cultures in this country, or in this state.” This measure, like other similar measures we are seeing across the country, are nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The people behind these bans have never been friends to women and they are simply trying to underhandedly pass an anti-choice measure on the backs of Asian American women. Don’t let this kind of racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric go unanswered. Tell the South Dakota Legislature NOT to pass HR 1162.

Marcus Brandon has crossed the line. In today’s Charlotte Observer, Marcus is quoted calling me “a cheerleader instead of a legislator.” Comments like Marcus’ are paramount to the sexist culture I’ve dedicated my life to beating back. We cannot let this slide by unnoticed.

Right now, politicians at the West Virginia statehouse are attempting to ban abortion before the point in a pregnancy where a woman may discover serious health complications. Every pregnancy is different, and a woman and her doctor -- not politicians on the House Judiciary Committee -- should have the ability to make the best decision for her personal circumstances. Politicians should not endanger West Virginia women by blocking access to safe and legal medical procedures. Tell our representatives to keep their hands off our reproductive health care! Act now against House Bill 4588.

Judy Cox, a mother in Utah, walked with her teenage son past a PacSun store in the mall that displayed in the front window T-shirts with near naked young women in hypersexualized poses. When the manager wouldn't remove them, Judy bought out the entire stock. I support that action, but Judy shouldn't have to pay $600 to keep pornography out of the mall. PacSun has signed on to a social responsibility statement that says they don't support human rights violations or practice gender discrimination. But marketing products at teenaged boys that portray young women as primarily sexual playthings contributes to an unsafe environment for women and a climate of discrimination.

Rape culture is a significant problem in America, affecting the lives of every woman living here. In the news recently, you can read of the problems the DOJ is having with Missoula County in Montana. Women in every state should feel safe. It is blatant that a rape or sexual assault is a criminal offense motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against women. If our local and state prosecutors refuse to protect us, we should at least have the security that the federal government will step in when these offenders are given a slap on the wrist. The 1994 Violence Against Women Act recognized gender-motivated violence as a hate crime and provided a new federal civil rights remedy, enabling rape victims and battered women to sue their attackers for compensation and punitive damages. But in 2000 the Supreme Court called that provision unconstitutional due to the lack of a "distinction between what is truly national and what is truly local." Twenty-four of 50 states currently include gender as a protected category under hate crime statutes, but few cases have ever been prosecuted. It is time to give women this protection again at the federal level.

It is time to recognize American women not only as citizens but also as equal partners with inalienable and legal rights in the creation of this great democracy. It is time to pay tribute to all the women’s rights activists who suffered, were imprisoned, and died fighting for equal rights. It is time for women to appreciate not only the fundamental laws they enacted which liberated females from the dismal life of subordination but also gave ladies a voice: the right to speak in public; the right to an education; the right to employment, personal income, property and possessions; the right to divorce and custody; the right to enter into contract; the right to sue, or be sued; the right to serve on juries; and most importantly the right to participate in governing by securing the ballot. It is time to pay homage to these heroines, it is time for a Susan B. Anthony Day!

A new investigation shows that TED – the very same organization dedicated to changing attitudes by sharing ideas – doesn’t allow talks that cover abortion rights. Why? Because TED doesn’t consider abortion rights to be an issue “of justice, inequality and human rights.” It’s shocking. There’s a wide range of feelings and opinions on the issue of abortion, but the fact that TED is silencing all conversation around abortion does not help us move forward on this critical human rights issue and runs counter to their own policy. We’ve sent a letter to TED content curator Chris Anderson encouraging him to do the right thing and allow speakers to talk about abortion rights.