Digital Commons Network^™

The Obama Administration’S Policy Change Grants Asylum To Battered Women: Female Genital Mutilation Opens The Door For All Victims Of Domestic Violence, David Z. Ma

David Z Ma

ABSTRACT Throughout his Presidential campaign in 2008 and at his inauguration on January 20, 2009, President Obama repeatedly promised the American people one absolute: change. Change would come in many forms, and on April 13, 2009, change came to immigration law and to victims of domestic violence. President Obama’s administration filed a supplemental appeal brief outlining its policies for victims of domestic violence seeking asylum in the U.S. This policy completely reversed the Bush administration’s position on the issue. Yet, how did this change come about? In the preceding decade before President Obama took office, the Board of Immigration Appeals …

Women Of Childbearing Potential In Clinical Research: Perspectives On Nih Policy And Liability Issues, Karen H. Rothenberg, Eugene G. Hayunga, Vivian W. Pinn

Karen H. Rothenberg

No abstract provided.

Partner Notification And The Threat Of Domestic Violence Against Women With Hiv Infection, Karen H. Rothenberg, Richard L. North

Karen H. Rothenberg

No abstract provided.

Law's Expressive Value In Combating Cyber Gender Harassment, Danielle Keats Citron

Michigan Law Review

The online harassment of women exemplifies twenty-first century behavior that profoundly harms women yet too often remains overlooked and even trivialized. This harassment includes rape threats, doctored photographs portraying women being strangled, postings of women's home addresses alongside suggestions that they are interested in anonymous sex, and technological attacks that shut down blogs and websites. It impedes women's full participation in online life, often driving them offline, and undermines their autonomy, identity, dignity, and well-being. But the public and law enforcement routinely marginalize women's experiences, deeming the harassment harmless teasing that women should expect, and tolerate, given the internet's Wild …

Marriage, Property And [In]Equality: Remedying Erisa's Disparate Impact On Spousal Wealth, Paula A. Monopoli

Paula A Monopoli

Congress is considering pension reform in the wake of the tremendous loss in market value of retirement plans during the current recession. This article suggests that this is a historic moment to remedy a previously unidentified, unintended but profound gender disparity embedded in the federal law governing retirement plans in this country. It explores the common perception that while contemporary law and policy aim to facilitate equality within marriage, including in the area of property ownership, embracing equitable distribution in reallocating property upon divorce, the Employment Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA) structuring of retirement asset accumulation runs counter to this …

Sex Is Not Enough: How Schroer Teaches Us That Transgender Employees Need Explicit Protection From Discrimination, Heron Greenesmith

Heron Greenesmith

In Schroer v. Billington, Judge Robertson of the DC District Court held that transgender employees are protected from discrimination by Title VII's prohibition on discrimination "because of . . . sex." While the decision was a ground breaking one, this article argues that it is not enough to truly protect transgender employees from discrimination. The article advocates that to provide true protection, Congress should pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which provides explicit protection for employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Does Gender Specificity In Constitutions Matter?, Laura E. Lucas

Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Women And The Constitution: An Historical Argument For Recognizing Constitutional Flexibility With Regards To Women In The New Republic, Samantha Ricci

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Health And Reproductive Rights In The Protocol To The African Charter: Competing Influences And Unsettling Questions, Rachel Rebouché

UF Law Faculty Publications

In 2005, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Protocol) came into force. Since that time, the Protocol has received scant attention in legal scholarship. Where the Protocol has been mentioned, by and large it has received praise as a major step forward for women's rights on the continent. Much of that praise is merited. The Protocol includes broad rights to non-discrimination, equality, and dignity, and it addresses a variety of areas such as labor and employment, marriage and the family, the legal system, the political process and …

Rape As A Weapon Of Peace: A Legal And Psycological Analysis Of How The Pervasive Violence Against Women Leads To The Deterioration Of A Country’S Economy, Health And General Welfare., Lucette Pierre-Louis

Lucette Pierre-Louis Ms.

Much has been written about rape and how it has been used as a weapon of war. In Haiti, the subject of rape has falsely been used as a tactic of peace due to the miniscule role of women. Haiti has neglected to take action to prosecute rape offenders since it is an accepted practice and unmentioned silent crime. This paper will use Haiti as a case study demonstrating how a third world underdeveloped country’s lack of protection against women has a direct impact on the viability of the country.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act: An Argument For H.R. 3685, Deborah L. Cook

Deborah L Cook

This article examines the language of H.R. 3685 and compares it to an earlier version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was introduced in April of 2007 as H.R. 2015. Drawing upon arguments from both conservative and liberal perspectives challenging the Act, this article argues that the latest version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, proposed in September of 2007 as H.R. 3685, offers greater promise for protecting gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans from discrimination in the workplace. The revised Employment Non-Discrimination Act will act to ensure that individuals will be protected regardless of their sexual orientation by the same fundamental …

A Civic Critique Of Democracy: Civic Organizing As The Generating Force Of A Civic Concept Of Law, Palma Joy Strand

palma joy strand

A Civic Critique of Democracy: Civic Organizing as the Generating Force of a Civic Concept of Law Palma Joy Strand ABSTRACT Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s controversial “wise Latina” comment embodies the view that law is socially constructed—that “we” make it and that it thus may vary according to who “we” are. Current theories of “popular constitutionalism,” “democratic constitutionalism,” and “demosprudence” take this several steps further and begin to explore the idea that the “we” that makes constitutional law is not just judges but society more broadly. These theories matter because they envision an active role for citizens in law creation, but …

An Act Of Resistence: Reconceptualizing Andrea Yates' Killing Of Her Children, Shelby A.D. Moore

Shelby A.D. Moore

The definition of domestic violence is broad and includes physical as well as psychological and sexual abuse. The legal system, however, gives considerably less attention to these latter forms of abuse. One reason for the relative neglect of these types of domestic abuse is the assumption that physical abuse causes more harm than do psychological and sexual abuse. In reality these forms of abuse may have a far greater impact on their victims. Apart from physical abuse, greater attention must be given to those who suffer on-going psychological and sexual abuse at the hand of a spouse or intimate partner. …

An Act Of Resistence: Reconceptualizing Andrea Yates' Killing Of Her Children, Shelby A.D. Moore

Shelby A.D. Moore

The definition of domestic violence is broad and includes physical as well as psychological and sexual abuse. The legal system, however, gives considerably less attention to these latter forms of abuse. One reason for the relative neglect of these types of domestic abuse is the assumption that physical abuse causes more harm than do psychological and sexual abuse. In reality these forms of abuse may have a far greater impact on their victims. Apart from physical abuse, greater attention must be given to those who suffer on-going psychological and sexual abuse at the hand of a spouse or intimate partner. …

An Act Of Resistence: Reconceptualizing Andrea Yates' Killing Of Her Children, Shelby A.D. Moore

Shelby A.D. Moore

The definition of domestic violence is broad and includes physical as well as psychological and sexual abuse. The legal system, however, gives considerably less attention to these latter forms of abuse. One reason for the relative neglect of these types of domestic abuse is the assumption that physical abuse causes more harm than do psychological and sexual abuse. In reality these forms of abuse may have a far greater impact on their victims. Apart from physical abuse, greater attention must be given to those who suffer on-going psychological and sexual abuse at the hand of a spouse or intimate partner. …

Body And Soul: Equality, Pregnancy, And The Unitary Right To Abortion, Jennifer S. Hendricks

Jennifer S. Hendricks

This Article explores equality-based arguments for abortion rights, revealing both their necessity and their pitfalls. It first uses the narrowness of the “health exception” to abortion regulations to show why equality arguments are needed—because our legal tradition's conception of liberty is based on male experience, and we have no theory of basic human rights grounded in women's reproductive experiences. Next, however, the Article shows that equality arguments, although necessary, can undermine women's reproductive freedom because they require that pregnancy and abortion be analogized to male experiences. The result is that equality arguments focus on either the bodily or the social …

The 'I' In Indigenous; Enforcing Individual Rights Guaranties In An Indigenous Group Rights Context, Rebecca Gross

Rebecca Gross

This article suggests that the international trend toward supporting legal autonomy from state control for indigenous communities under the guise of “self-determination,” as embodied in the recently enacted Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has created a manifest legal conflict within the body of international human rights laws between the rights of individuals and the new concept of collective group rights. The article highlights one indigenous woman’s recent struggle in Mexico to assert her right to participate in a local election contrary to her tribe’s customary law forbidding women to do so, in order to illustrate the potential human …

Her Last Words: Dying Declarations And Modern Confrontation Jurisprudence, Aviva A. Orenstein

Aviva A. Orenstein

Dying declarations have taken on increased importance since the Supreme Court indicated that even if testimonial, they may present a unique exception to its new confrontation jurisprudence. Starting with Crawford v. Washington in 2004, the Court has developed strict rules concerning the use of testimonial statements made by unavailable declarants. Generally, testimonial statements (those made with the expectation that they will be used to prosecute the accused) may be admitted only if they were previously subject to cross examination. The only exceptions appear to be dying declarations and forfeiture by wrongdoing if the accused intentionally rendered the declarant unavailable.

This …

From Lily Bart To The Boom Boom Room: How Wall Street’S Social And Cultural Response To Women Has Shaped Securities Regulation, Christine Sgarlata Chung

Christine Sgarlata Chung

In Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel House of Mirth, Lily Bart learns in one brutal moment what happens to women who get tangled up with the stock market. Though she is beautiful and well-born, Lily is vulnerable when she seeks salvation in the stock market – she has no family to support her, no fortune of her own, no training in business matters, and no socially acceptable means of acquiring money, save marriage. When the husband of a friend (Gus Treanor) offers to help Lily by speculating in the stock market, Lily agrees. And when Treanor begins presenting Lily with money, …

Restructuring The Labor Market To Democratize The Public Forum, Jessica A. Knouse

Jessica A. Knouse

Restructuring the Labor Market to Democratize the Public Forum makes the provocative argument that the identities we construct in the labor market prevent us from creating a democratic public forum. The labor market, where we spend most of our time as adults, wields tremendous influence over our identities, yet its influences are deeply undemocratic. Employers work to create hierarchy and ideological conformity – through many mechanisms, including sex-based pay scales and stereotypes – rather than to promote equality and ideological diversity. When employer-created hierarchies and ideologies are internalized and reproduced within the public forum, they diminish the possibility of democratic …

From Lily Bart To The Boom Boom Room: How Wall Street’S Social And Cultural Response To Women Has Shaped Securities Regulation, Christine Sgarlata Chung

Christine Sgarlata Chung

In Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel House of Mirth, Lily Bart learns in one brutal moment what happens to women who get tangled up with the stock market. Though she is beautiful and well-born, Lily is vulnerable when she seeks salvation in the stock market – she has no family to support her, no fortune of her own, no training in business matters, and no socially acceptable means of acquiring money, save marriage. When the husband of a friend (Gus Treanor) offers to help Lily by speculating in the stock market, Lily agrees. And when Treanor begins presenting Lily with money, …

From Lily Bart To The Boom Boom Room: How Wall Street’S Social And Cultural Response To Women Has Shaped Securities Regulation, Christine Sgarlata Chung

Christine Sgarlata Chung

In Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel House of Mirth, Lily Bart learns in one brutal moment what happens to women who get tangled up with the stock market. Though she is beautiful and well-born, Lily is vulnerable when she seeks salvation in the stock market – she has no family to support her, no fortune of her own, no training in business matters, and no socially acceptable means of acquiring money, save marriage. When the husband of a friend (Gus Treanor) offers to help Lily by speculating in the stock market, Lily agrees. And when Treanor begins presenting Lily with money, …

Abortion Post-Glucksberg And Post-Gonzales: Applying An Analysis That Demands Equality For Women Under The Law, Mary Kathryn Nagle

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

Because the government has historically enacted laws criminalizing abortion to preserve traditional stereotypes regarding a woman's domestic and subordinate position in society,22 abortion regulations necessitate an Equal Protection Clause analysis. [...] this article will examine first how Gonzales and Glucksberg forecast Roe's now inevitable demise, and accordingly, why abortion regulations must now be evaluated under an Equal Protection Clause analysis- in place of the crumbling Due Process Clause framework.23 Finally, this article will explain how and why the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

What’S The Constitution Got To Do With It? Regulating Marriage In Pakistan, Karin Carmit Yefet

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

[...] the supreme law of the land seems to embody a blatant contradiction. The Pakistani Constitution extends protection to an impressive catalog of fundamental rights, placing Pakistan in line with some of the most western-minded constitutional regimes in the world.3 At the same time, in contrast to the American-style constitutional commitment to separate church and state,4 the Pakistani regime is constitutionally committed to integrate the two, in the sense that all laws must conform to the injunctions of Islam as a condition of their constitutional validity.5 So the same Constitution that protects western fundamental rights also elevates Islamic law, a …

All The Difference In The World: Listening And Hearing The Voices Of Women, Phoebe A. Haddon

Phoebe A. Haddon

No abstract provided.

An Act Of Resistence: Reconceptualizing Andrea Yates' Killing Of Her Children, Shelby A.D. Moore

Shelby A.D. Moore

Abstract The definition of domestic violence is broad and includes physical as well as psychological and sexual abuse. The legal system, however, gives considerably less attention to these latter forms of abuse. One reason for the relative neglect of these types of domestic abuse is the assumption that physical abuse causes more harm than do psychological and sexual abuse. In reality these forms of abuse may have a far greater impact on their victims. Apart from physical abuse, greater attention must be given to those who suffer on-going psychological and sexual abuse at the hand of a spouse or intimate …

Piercing The Veil: Using Microfinance Initiatives To Promote Female Entrepreneurship In Muslim Countries, Patrick F. Madden

Patrick F. Madden

This paper argues that microfinance initiatives are an attractive aid mechanism to promote gender equality in Muslim countries because such initiatives both alleviate poverty and provide women with economic empowerment without violating Muslim customary banking laws. By promoting female entrepreneurship, microfinance initiatives are, perhaps, the most effective means of achieving the Millennium Development goal of gender equality without upsetting the Islamic governments or the prospective borrowers.

Abortion Across State Lines, Joseph W. Dellapenna

Working Paper Series

In this Article, I propose to analyze conflicts of law precedents and theory to explore the extent to which a state can apply its law on abortion to abortions performed outside the state but bearing a significant connection to the state. In attempting to resolve such questions, we enter into the domain of choice of law, part of the field of conflicts of law. This domain is notoriously unstable and contested. This instability allows legal commentators to project their attitudes towards abortion (and many other matters) in analyzing and construing the relevant authorities to resolve choice of law issues. I …

Fulfilling Technology's Promise: Enforcing The Rights Of Women Caught In The Global High-Tech Underclass, Shruti Rana

Shruti Rana

In the early 1980s, Malaysian women working in electronics factories began to experience hallucinations and seizures. Factory bosses manipulated their employees' religious and cultural beliefs, convincing the women that their bodies were inhabited by demons. In this manner, they avoided confronting the more likely causes: the rigid, paternalistic work environment, the intense production pressures placed on the women, and the lengthy shifts and potentially hazardous conditions that the women were forced to endure. This example illustrates the use of gender, religion, and to control and exploit women's labor in the high-tech industry. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated situation. This …

The Common Law Is Not Just About Contracts: How Legal Education Has Been Short-Changing Feminism, Charles E. Rounds Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.