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Topical Alerts
Human Rights
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE
CIVIL, POLITICAL & RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
DISABILITY RIGHTS
PRISONERS' RIGHTS
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
PUTTING WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES ON THE MAP: EXAMINING RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES AT THE STATE LEVEL. Kaiser Family Foundation. June 2009.
Full Text: [PDF format, 112 pages]
The report documents the persistence of disparities on 25 indicators between white women and women of color, including rates of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, AIDS and cancer, as well as insurance coverage and health screenings. It also documents disparities in the factors that influence health and access to care, such as income and education. Women of color fared worse than white women on most measures and in some cases the disparities were stark. [Note: contains copyright material].
MINORITY RIGHTS
AA09206
Dempsey, Jason; Shapiro, Robert THE ARMY’S HISPANIC FUTURE (Armed Forces & Society, vol. 35, no. 3, April 2009, pp. 526-561)
Available on request
Using data from the CITIZENSHIP & SERVICE: 2004 SURVEY OF ARMY PERSONNEL, a probability sample of active duty soldiers and officers, this study examines key questions concerning success in the military for racial and ethnic minorities. It focuses on the degree to which Hispanics are integrated into the Army and compares the experiences of Hispanics to the experiences of whites and blacks. After assessing why Hispanics join the Army and choose their occupational specialties, the study looks at how Hispanics perceive Army life, their personal experiences with discrimination, and the progress of the Army in the area of racial and ethnic integration. By comparing the attitudes of Hispanics to those of whites and blacks, it explores the degree to which race and ethnicity influence life in the Army and the implication of this for the military's future.
WORKERS' RIGHTS
PAID SICK DAYS DON’T CAUSE UNEMPLOYMENT. Center for Economic and Policy Research. John Schmitt et al. June 2009.
Full Text: [PDF format, 5 pages]
Critics of legislation requiring employers to provide paid sick days frequently argue that these measures will lead to job loss and raise the national unemployment rate. However, the report shows that the experience of 22 countries with the highest level of social and economic development, as measured by the Human Development Index, suggests that there is no statistically significant relationship between national unemployment rates and legally-mandated access to paid sick days and leave.[Note: contains copyright material].
PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY THROUGH STIMULUS PACKAGES AND PUBLIC JOB CREATION. Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. Rania Antonopoulos. June 2009.
Full Text: [PDF format, 12 pages]
Beyond loss of income, joblessness is associated with greater poverty, marginalization, and social exclusion; the current global crisis is clearly not helping. The author explores the impact of both joblessness and employment expansion on poverty, paying particular attention to the gender aspects of poverty and poverty-reducing public employment schemes targeting poor women. The author presents the results of a Levy Institute study that examines the macroeconomic consequences of scaling up South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme by adding to it a new sector for social service delivery in health and education. [Note: contains copyright material].
CONSERVATIVES SHIFT IN FAVOR OF OPENLY GAY SERVICE MEMBERS. Gallup. Lymari Morales. June 5, 2009.
Full Text: [HTML format, various paging]
Americans are six percentage points more likely than they were four years ago to favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military, 69% to 63%. While liberals and Democrats remain the most supportive, the biggest increase in support has been among conservatives and weeklychurchgoers — up 12 and 11 percentage points, respectively. [Note: contains copyright material].
AA09190
Pope, Victoria FLIGHT OF THE WASP (American Heritage, vol. 59, no. 1, Spring 2009, pp. 62-69)
Currently available online
A pioneering group of aviators known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), comprising 1,000 women flyers who served as an Army auxiliary during World War II. It was created to make up for a shortage of male pilots, and proved that female pilots could serve in the military, surprising many Pentagon officials who doubted their capabilities. The program was emblematic of the many cultural changes ushered in by America’s entry into World War II. The WASP recruits amassed a stellar record of flying such challenging aircraft as B-17s, B-25s and B-29s, but as author Victoria Pope notes, the program “might have come too soon for an Army establishment ... that was still wary about women in the military.” Despite these accomplishments, there was strong public resistance to the idea of women pursuing military careers, and as the war drew to a close, the WASP program was terminated. The WASP flyers launched a campaign for full military recognition, and after three decades, their efforts paid off. In 1976, the U.S. Air Force announced it would accept women cadets into its corps. In 1977, Congress passed legislation formally honoring WASP contributions during World War II. Two years later, the secretary of the Air Force announced a further step toward recognition: Members of the WASP program were now considered to be veterans.
PUBLIC BACKS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, BUT NOT MINORITY PREFERENCES. Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. June 2, 2009.
Full Text: [HTML format, various paging]
With the Supreme Court expected to soon rule on a case involving job discrimination claims by white firefighters, and Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor's decision in a lower court ruling on the case drawing scrutiny, there is renewed focus on public opinion about affirmative action programs and overall efforts to improve the position of minorities in this country. The public has generally been supportive of such efforts, but is decidedly opposed to the idea of providing preferential treatment of minorities, in the recent surveys. [Note: contains copyright material].