Women This Week: Expanded Access Comes as Iowa Moves to Enact Six-Week Abortion Ban

FDA Approves Access to Birth Control Without Prescription 

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first birth control pill—called Opill—to be sold without a prescription in the United States. Available in early 2024, this medication will become the most effective contraceptive available over the counter. The company’s vice president, Frédérique Welgryn, said that the company is committed to making the pill “accessible and affordable to women and people of all ages.” This news comes on the heels of efforts by lawmakers in Iowa to pass a six-week abortion ban. Republican lawmakers, who make up the majority in both the house and senate, voted in favor of the legislation late Tuesday night after the governor, Kim Reynolds, called for a special one-day legislative session. Unless a court blocks its enactment, the legislation will go into effect on Friday upon Gov. Reynolds signature, effectively banning abortions after the first sign of cardiac activity. The legislation allows exceptions in the case of miscarriage, severe fetal abnormalities that will result in death, and rape and incest (with time limitations).  

Women’s Empowerment Initiative in Pakistan  

This week, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the Initiative for Women Empowerment, which will provide approximately $40 million (Rs 10.4 billion) to efforts aimed at securing women’s rights in Pakistan. In particular, the funds will be used on issues including inheritance rights and creating opportunities in a conducive environment to empower women’s meaningful participation in society. “Look around the Muslims world and the West, the women have played their due role for the progress and prosperity of their respective nations.” He went on to say, “The women segment of our society is the driving engine for the country’s economy and serve as builders of nation.” Women in Pakistan continue to struggle with a lack of opportunity and resources. The Pakistan Population Council has reported that 48 percent of women in the country are illiterate, 79 percent are not in the workforce, and only 10 percent are able to make decisions about their own health.  

Taliban Orders Closure of Beauty Salons 

The Taliban has intensified its draconian crackdown on women in Afghanistan by announcing the forced closure of beauty salons. Officials have confirmed that some three thousand salons in Kabul will have their licenses revoked. Beauty salons are one of the last remaining female-dominated businesses in the country and have become a place where Aghan women can congregate outside their homes. They have also been a source of pride for female entrepreneurs, who often employed other women. The spokesperson for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue said that the closures were a response to the extravagant cost of un-Islamic wedding makeovers. An anonymous Afghan woman commented, “It seems the Taliban do not have any political plan other than focusing on women’s bodies. They are trying to eliminate women at every level of public life.” The United Nations and Western governments have condemned this ban.  

Survey Finds that One-Third of Men in Germany Condone Violence Against Women 

The German branch of Plan International—a charity focused on advancing children’s rights and equality for girls—released the results of a survey that revealed harmful patriarchal and misogynistic views held by men in Germany. One thousand men were interviewed for the project, thirty-three percent of whom said it was ok to engage in violence against women. Specifically, the men supported the idea that it was ok for their hand to “slip” during an argument with their female partner. Additionally, thirty-four percent of men admitted that they had been violent against women at some point in their lives, and over half of men stated that they supported traditional notions of gender roles with men as breadwinners and women responsible for domestic responsibilities in the home. According to federal police data, more than 115,000 women were victims of partner violence in 2021, including over three hundred women who were killed by their current or former partner. “It’s problematic that a third of the surveyed men trivialise physical violence against women. This urgently needs to change,” said Karsten Kassner from the Federal Forum Men, a group that advocates for gender equality.