US: The abortion saga continues
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13409
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13410
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13411
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13413
The Feminist Majority Foundation is doing excellent work in collating these stories from across the US, showing how anti-abortionists are continuing to weaken protections for women by chipping away at them state by state. Each item by itself is worrying; put them all together and it’s clear something very bad is happening. I’m starting to wonder if a national initiative to bolster Roe v. Wade is required in order to put a stop to these insidious attempts to undermine what should be a fundamental right.
UK: Potential change to definition of domestic violence
From Women’s Aid:
The government has launched this consultation to ask for views on whether the current cross-government definition of domestic violence should be widened. It also seeks views on whether the current definition is being applied consistently across government, and if it is understood by practitioners, victims and perpetrators.
…
The consultation seeks the views of key partners and directly affected parties, including the police, practitioners, other government departments and organisations with a direct interest in preventing domestic violence. This consultation closes on 30 March 2012.
My first thought was ‘well, that’s good news’, but this was followed immediately by ‘what’s the catch?’ Lo and behold:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16175167
Domestic violence is currently defined as “any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members”.
In theory, cases in which one partner exerts excessive control over the other – preventing them going out, or visiting friends or relatives, for example – could be pursued under the “psychological” element of the existing definition.
…
Labour’s shadow home office minister Stella Creasy said it was right for the government to be considering a wider definition, but it was contradicting that by trying to increase the level of proof required before legal aid was agreed.
“Instead of widening the definition of domestic violence, they are narrowing it and making it extremely hard for victims to demonstrate that abuse has taken place before getting the help they need in child custody or divorce cases so they can leave violent relationships,” she said.
Under the forthcoming Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill, only domestic violence victims who can prove “a high risk of violence” will qualify for legal aid.
The government says “objective evidence” should be obtained before taxpayers’ money is spent.