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Charges of workplace sexual harassment have exploded into the news in recent months as allegations by dozens of women have forced the resignations of such high-profile figures as Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, Fox TV host Bill O'Reilly and — in perhaps the most spectacular fall from grace — iconic Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Many observers believe the scandals, which involve accusations of harassment, sexual coercion and in some cases rape, mark a turning point in the decades-long battle to change corporate culture so that sexual harassment is no longer tolerated. Human resource managers are beginning to evaluate whether anti-sexual harassment programs might be more effective if they focused on teaching employees to avoid and respond to all types of inappropriate and uncivil behavior rather than simply on teaching them the technicalities of anti-harassment law. At the same time, however, businesses increasingly are requiring employees to sign arbitration agreements that forbid them from taking sexual harassment claims to court, a practice some women's rights advocates say helps perpetuate the behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman arrested for reportedly improperly wearing her hijab in violation of the country's strict dress code for women, sparked widespread protests against the Islamic Republic's regime and prompted questions about the future of the country. Recently, the protests have quieted, but not stopped, within Iran and around the world. The latest demonstrations are in response to the mysterious suspected poisonings of hundreds of school-aged girls throughout the nation. So far, the anti-regime movement and government response have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 protesters, thousands more arrested and four executed. A number of opposition political leaders inside Iran are calling for a shift from an Islamic republic to a democracy. Iran's currency has hit an historic low, and the economy is severely strained, due to ongoing international sanctions and reported internal corruption. Meanwhile, Iran faces increasing tension with the West due to its closer ties with Russia and China and continued enrichment of uranium for nuclear development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pornography websites attract millions of users each month, reportedly more than either CNN, Amazon or Twitter. A recent phenomenon, "tube" sites, is competing with the traditional porn industry by providing large amounts of free pornographic content from amateur or pirated videos. Because the sites are easy to access through computers or cell phones, children can view hard-core, often violent, content that gives them a warped view of sex, say parents and some social scientists. Critics describe a porn-induced public health crisis that is contributing to divorce and normalizing sexual violence against women. But with rape, divorce and teen pregnancy at historic lows, other social scientists and porn defenders say these concerns are overblown and lack evidence of harm to society. Meanwhile, civil liberties activists criticize some child advocates' solutions, such as requiring websites to verify the age of users, as violating adult users' free-speech and privacy rights. So far, the Supreme Court has agreed, striking down previous congressional efforts to restrict internet access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A movement to protect and expand girls' rights around the world is gaining support from governments, international donors and advocacy groups. Improving girls' lives is not only a moral issue -- research shows it also speeds economic development. Activists are pushing to end child marriage, educate all girls, improve their reproductive health and reduce violence and discrimination against them. Although girls' mortality and school enrollment rates have been improving, obstacles remain. Nearly 120 million girls do not attend primary school, and 15 million girls under 18 marry each year, often under duress, ending their schooling and putting them at risk for domestic violence and health complications. In some countries girls' progress is threatened by religious extremists, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Activists say that to have lasting effects, girls' rights campaigns must establish effective on-the-ground programs that change societal attitudes as well as local policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-abortion activists have been lobbying heavily in recent years in the nation's state legislatures, which since 2010 have passed more than 200 laws imposing new regulations on abortion. Supporters of the procedure are challenging many of the new state laws in court, contending they are unreasonable and prevent women -- especially poor women -- from accessing safe, legal abortions. Proponents of the laws say one of their primary goals is to test the limits of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. Meanwhile, the federal government is implementing its sweeping health-care reform law, which requires health insurance plans to cover contraception, leading two companies whose owners oppose birth control on religious grounds to sue the government -- a case the Supreme Court will hear this month. Anti-abortion activists say they'll bring their arguments to a receptive electorate in 2014, while their opponents say polls show a majority of voters continue to support abortion rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 50 years since author Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique helped spark the feminist movement, American women have made phenomenal gains. Women now comprise more than half of the U.S. workforce, earn half of college degrees and hold half of management and professional jobs. Yet relatively few have gained top executive and political leadership positions, and women still earn less than men for comparable work. Moreover, flexible work arrangements, paid family leave and other accommodations designed to relieve domestic pressures shouldered largely by women remain elusive. Some argue that women have limited their own progress in the quest for full equality -- the controversial argument of a recent book by Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg. But others say persistent cultural and economic barriers are the main reasons the feminist movement remains a work in progress a half-century after it began. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The founders of the feminist movement some 40 years ago envisioned a glorious new era of equality for working women. But today more than half of employed parents can't take time off to care for sick children, and day care costs more than tuition at a state university. To be sure, women have made tremendous strides: Most mothers are in the work force today, and women account for half the managerial jobs and half the law-school graduates. But women still lag behind male counterparts in many ways, including wages. Many U.S. jobs are not "mother friendly," leading some women to opt off of the career treadmill and forcing out blue-collar workers. Some sociologists are asking whether feminism has failed, particularly in its inability to transform domestic life, where women still do the bulk of household chores. Indeed, some disparage women for returning to a 1950s mind-set -- when "a woman's place was in the home." But some young feminists assert that child rearing should be respected work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty years of modern feminism have shattered old barriers in employment, education, sports and military service, bringing uncounted changes in American life. Most Americans endorse the progress, but many women resist the term "feminist". They fear being stereotyped as strident, humorless and anti-male, or worry that feminists downgrade the importance of motherhood. The women's movement, meanwhile, has spawned an array of competing organizations that disagree over such issues as abortion, pornography and the proper role for government in American life. Most attacks on feminism nowadays are heard from conservative females. But feminist leaders say that an electoral "gender gap"and high levels of political activism show that the movement is alive and even growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]