We hear a lot about political reform – and election and campaign finance reform in particular. This year in New York one race for the state senate was a stunning illustration of just how badly the election process needs review.
Former state assemblyman GeorgeAmedore, a Republican, was expected to trounce Democratic challenger CeciliaTkaczyk for New York's 46th senate district. And though the race was close – closer than anyone expected, it did look like he'd won. In fact, he declared victory and went to Albany to take his seat in the Senate. But a final count of previously challenged paper ballots in January gave the win to Tkaczyk by a nose – and now she's been appointed to committees where her experience with this election will be remembered.
Coming up, the US trails in family friendly work policies...and a country where a charge of witchcraft can still be used to take a woman's land.
March is women's history month. But there's still no pay equity, only 16% of Fortune 500 company directors are women and just 8% of the Fortune top earners are women.
In addition, The United States is one of the only countries in the world that doesn't offer paid parental leave. Veteran public radio reporter Anne Garrels looks at what this means for American families.
That report comes to us from Human Rights Watch.
A 20-year-old woman accused of sorcery in Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea, was reportedly tortured and killed on 6 February, says the spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Officein Geneva.
Cécille Pouilly says Kepari Leniata was burnt alive in front of a crowd by relatives of a six-year-old boy whom she was accused of using sorcery to kill, despite attempts by law enforcement officials to intervene.
Cécille Pouilly tells UN Radio's Mamadou Alpha Diallo in Geneva that cases of women being brutalized and killed due to accusations of sorcery are a growing trend in Papua New Guinea to deprive them of land and property.
That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our theme music is by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.
