By Emily Park

At Catcall, we’re all about turning catcalling on its head and calling out the patriarchy with stories that inspire the shes, theys, gays and highlight the work that needs to be done to dismantle systemic inequalities. We’re proud to bring you the Babe Weekly with the latest headlines, stories, and stats in feminist news.

The road to equality

Arkansas Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban — And A Possible ‘Roe V. Wade’ Test 

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed one of the country’s most restrictive abortion bans into law on March 9. The bill — which could challenge Roe v. Wade — prohibits all abortions except in cases where terminating a pregnancy is necessary preserve the life of the pregnant person Read more here.

Sarah Everard’s Death Feels Terrifyingly Personal

Sarah Everard was wearing a bright-green raincoat, walking in a well-lit area, and speaking to her boyfriend on the phone when she disappeared while walking home from a friend’s home in London. Police have now arrested a Metropolitan officer as the murder suspect, and on March 12 they identified Everard’s body in the woods of a neighboring county. Everard’s death not only highlighted the reality of the dangers of begins a woman, but also highlighted the gap between rage of the death of white vs. black women. Read more here.

Cuomo Refuses to Resign Amid Democratic Uproar Over Sexual Harassment Accusations

After increasing sexual harrassment claims have surfaced involving New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, prominent Democrats including the states two representatives in the US Senate, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, are calling on the governor to resign. Read more here.

On International Women’s Day, Women In Mexico Marched To Protest The Country’s Ongoing Crisis Of Gender-Based Violence

Thousands of women protested Mexican President Andrés Manual López Obrador on March 8 after he endorsed Félix Salgado Macedonio for governor of Guerrero. Macedonio has been accused of raping several women, and protesters want their country to crack down on sexual assault. Between 2014 and 2018, only five percent of the country’s sexual assault allegations resulted in a criminal sentence. Read more here. 

2021 Becomes Record Year For Anti-Transgender Legislation

Anti-transgender legislation filed in the last week alone includes South Carolina HB 4047 (an anti-transgender medical care ban), Texas SB 1311 (an anti-transgender medical care ban), and Michigan SB 218 (an anti-transgender sports ban). These were the 80th, 81st, and 82nd anti-transgender bills filed in the US in 2021, surpassing 2020’s record of 79. Read more here.

A Year After Breonna Taylor’s Killing, Family Says There’s ‘No Accountability’

One year ago, Louisville police gunned Breonna Taylor down in her home. And while Taylor’s story has become a pinnacle of advocacy for police reform and Black Lives Matter, none of the officers who fired their service weapons — a total of 32 rounds — face criminal charges directly over Taylor’s killing. Read more here.

The Pandemic Has Given Women a New Kind of Rage

Women have borne the brunt of joblessness in 17 of the 24 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries that reported an overall rise in unemployment last year. The pandemic has sent many families back to the 1950s, with a revival of the breadwinner/homemaker divide. Read more here.

Chelsea Becker, Woman Incarcerated for Pregnancy Loss, Released on Bail

Chelsea Becker had a stillbirth in 2019, and at the time Kings County District Attorney Keith L. Fagundes claimed that the stillbirth was caused by methamphetamine use, on no scientific basis. The District Attorney charged Becker with murder, despite the law stating that it “cannot be used to prosecute the ‘mother of the fetus.’” Read more here.

Stories and achievements

Michelle Obama to be inducted into National Women’s Hall of Fame

Advocate, author, lawyer, and 44th First Lady of the United States—the first Black person to serve in the role—Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most influential and iconic women of the 21st century. That’s why she’s going to be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Read more here.

KU Health Doctor invents CardioBra to Solve Stress Test Challenges For Women

After hearing multiple women complain about feeling unforgettable without a bra during stress tests, Dr. Ashley Simmons set out to develop the CardioBra. The bra features a design that limits breast motion, promotes accurate ECG lead placement, and reduces ECG lead artifact. Read more here.

In the numbers

Young women of Color Are More Likely to Get COVID Than Their Peers. Here’s Why That Might Be

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, among young people between the ages of 15 and 24, women of color were most likely to contract the virus over the last year. Rates of infection were highest among young women who identified as Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, followed by Native American women and Latinas. Read more here.

Violence Against Women is ‘Devastatingly Pervasive,’ a WHO Report Confirms

A new report from the World Health Organization found that 1 in 3 women will be subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner in their lifetime. That violence, they said, starts early: One in 4 young women between 15 and 24 have already experienced intimate-partner violence before reaching their mid-20s. Read more here.

Wounded Warrior Project Research Uncovers Women Veterans’ Needs

New research from Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) shows that women veterans face additional challenges to their male counterparts in transitioning to civilian life, accessing care, and receiving quality care that meets their needs. Less than half of women warriors agree the VA was able to meet their needs following military service and the top barriers in receiving care are appointment availability; poor quality of care; and lack of services. Read the full report here.

Quote of the week

“I just kind of spiraled today because this is a white woman who seems like she ticked all the boxes: She was walking on a main road, she was wearing brightly-colored clothes, she was fully covered, she was on the phone. What about the women who aren’t palatable enough for the mainstream news to cover?”

Mariam Khan, 28, London, a Gender Studies Student comments on Sarah Everard’s murder

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