U.S. Women to Rally April 7; Libyan Lawyer Missing

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Jeers Amnesty International has called for the release of Eman al-Obaidi, the young Libyan lawyer who made international headlines by entering a Tripoli hotel on March 26 and telling a gathering of Western journalists that Moammar Gadhafi's government forces had raped her. With cameras rolling, al-Obaidi was forcibly taken out of the hotel and she hasn't been seen since.  It is believed she is being held and pressured to withdraw her accusations. The men accused of raping al-Obaidi have filed counter charges against her for slander, reported CNN March 29. More News to Jeer This Week: State abortion bills moved forward across the country in . . . Arizona Kansas Oklahoma Idaho North Dakota Last week, South Dakota also became the first state to require women seeking an abortion to visit anti-abortion counseling centers, reported The Christian Science Monitor. South Dakota may end up paying Planned Parenthood if this goes to court, like previous lawsuits in which the state has paid the group ${esc.dollar}625,000, reported the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D., March 28. Meanwhile Indiana state Rep. Eric Turner argued March 31 that there should be no loopholes in the state's abortions laws for victims of rape or incest, because then "someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they've been raped or there's incest," according to a report by Talking Points Memo. A federal bill, with no co-sponsors so far, also benefits organizations that counsel women against having an abortion by providing ${esc.dollar}5 million in federal funds for the purchase of sonogram machines at crisis pregnancy centers, Mother Jones reported March 28 in a blog post by Kate Sheppard. For information about pregnancy crisis centers, read these Women's eNews articles: 1 , 2. The StartOver! Coalition, a group of more than 250 trade associations, is backing a senator's plan to halt health care reform implementation until legal challenges are completely settled, The Hill reported March 29. Noted: In Nigeria, 750,000 mostly married women undergo abortions each year, due to what critics describe as the government's poor approach to family planning services, the Vanguard of Lagos, reported March 29. Women in Toronto, Canada, will march April 3 in a "SlutWalk," protesting comments stigmatizing rape made by a cop in February at a school campus safety session, reported the Toronto Star April 1. Black Women for Reproductive Justice spoke out against the anti-abortion billboard aimed at black women and children placed in Chicago March 29. It depicts President Barack Obama with the words, "Every 21 minutes, our next possible leader is aborted," reported RH Reality Check. For more background on this billboard and others check out NBC Chicago and WeNews' story. Activists for women's rights in Saudi Arabia say its decision to keep a voting ban in place was "outrageous" at a time that Arab governments are taking steps to avert pro-democracy revolts, AFP reported March 29 A skeptical Supreme Court began hearing arguments March 29 in the largest employment-discrimination case in history, involving 1.5 million female employees accusing Wal-Mart of unfair treatment in promotions and pay, reported All Headline News March 28. The court must first decide if all the women can be tried in a single case, according to a March 29 report by The Los Angeles Times. For more on the Wal-Mart discrimination case, visit related stories by WeNews: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4. Hundreds of pregnant women are fleeing Japan's east coast, as well as Tokyo, over fears that radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant will harm their unborn babies, South Africa-based IOL News reported March 29. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says advances for Afghan women will "definitely, affirmatively" be maintained in any reconciliation talks with the Taliban, who severely repressed and brutalized women, but some Afghan women are skeptical of their government's efforts, according to a March 31 report by Forbes. KV Pharmaceuticals lowered the cost of Makena, a brand-name drug to prevent preterm birth, from ${esc.dollar}1,500 to ${esc.dollar}690 a dose, after the FDA allowed compounding pharmacies to sell generic brands of the drug, reported the Washington Post April 1. In Memoriam: The first female candidate for vice president of the United States, Geraldine Ferraro, died at age 75 from blood cancer, reported Politico March 31.