India Elects First Female Prez

Domestic violence ruling marks women's rights breakthrough

(NEWSER) - Europe’s human rights court has ruled against Turkey in a key gender-discrimination case, holding that the country was too lenient toward a man who attacked his wife and killed his mother-in-law. The case marks the first time the Court of Human Rights has labeled such a case gender discrimination, a move that gives the court a say in domestic violence cases, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

His comments are met with protest at domestic violence conference

(NEWSER) - A Saudi judge says women who spend lavishly on items like designer abayas (black gowns) deserve to be slapped by their husbands, Arab News reports. His comments at a domestic violence conference invoked loud protests from women in the audience. The judge also lamented that "nobody puts even a fraction of blame" on women for the nation’s rising domestic abuse problem. More»

(NEWSER) - Pressure from British and German leaders over legalized rape in Afghanistan has pushed President Hamid Karzai to order a review of a law governing Shiites, Reuters reports. Karzai said the Justice Ministry would scrutinize the Shiite Personal Status Law and send it back to parliament if necessary. But he said Western officials had misunderstood the law, which has been approved but not enacted. More»

Immigrant daughters forced into marriage, even killed for 'honor'

(NEWSER) - Violence in the name of family honor affects at least 17,000 women every year in Britain, and the number of unreported incidents may be drastically higher, the Independent reports. Forced marriages, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and so-called "honor" killings are reaching crisis levels, British officials say; they are calling on their consulates abroad to ramp up rescue efforts when daughters, some as young as 11, are sent abroad to marry against their will. More»

A state-by-state strategy to abolish the electoral college

(NEWSER) - E.J. Dionne wants electoral college reform, and now he's got a model to offer—a new Maryland law that requires the state's electors to support the winner of the nationwide popular vote. The law wouldn't take effect unless other states follow suit, creating "a compact among states genuinely committed to popular rule." More»