SUMMER 2021
held that Congress had acted within its constitutional authority to raise and regulate armies and navies.
Congress eliminate the male-only registration requirement and expand it to all individuals of applicable age.
The website for the Selective Service Commission says that “if given the mission and modest additional resources, it is capable of registering and drafting women with its existing infrastructure.” And the March 2020 report of the Commission on Military,
Former members of Congress Duncan Hunter and Ryan Zinke, who vehemently disagreed with the military’s decision to open combat positions to women, reduced the issue of women serving in the military to a joke, according to a 2020 law review article. It says that in 2016 the two proposed legislation that would require women to register for selective
National and Public Service recommends that
service “as a dare,” and then voted against their own proposed statute. 89 UMKCLR 217 The military provides valuable job training, and often acts as a steppingstone to respected civilian career opportunities. Bias against and safety for women who seek to serve their country is a serious issue that deserves thoughtful consideration. It is no joke. Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal March 9, 2021
NAWJ and IFPSD Day at the UN On June 4, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) virtually hosted its fourth annual Day at the United Nations with the International Federation for Peace and Sustainable Development (IFPSD). The program was co-hosted by Col. Linda Murnane, Hon. Lisa Walsh, and Sally Kader. This year’s program focused on women in the Middle East and Africa, as well as on the global impact of COVID-19 on women. The event began with a welcome session that included prominent diplomats and dignitaries, followed by moderated discussions about witness protection in Rwanda and the issues of inheritance and statelessness of women. The program wrapped up with NAWJ’s popular “Tea and Ethics” seminar, a joint effort of NAWJ and the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Following the Tea and Ethics, IFPSD offered an optional virtual tour of the United Nations, led by a docent. Col. Linda Murnane announced the beginning of this year’s Day at the United Nations to the fiftydomestic and international judges, diplomats, and governmental dignitaries gathered eagerly in the virtual waiting wings. Offering thanks to NAWJ, IFPSD, and INL, Col. Murnane passed the podium to Hon. Lisa Walsh, who set the tone for the day’s discussion by screen-sharing a video created by IFPSD founder Salwa Kader. The video opened with the
phrase “you can take nothing with you, it’s about what you can do to help each other now.” This phrase was especially poignant when taken in conjunction with the event’s focus on the disparate and discriminatory effects that COVID-19 responses have had on women internationally. Kader urged viewers to take to heart that we should not be idle or indifferent in the face of hate and discrimination, but rather it is our duty to stand up and change injustices towards women. The video closed with an emphasis on the work Kader and IFPSD do with children to help dismantle generational hate and prepare for an inclusive future. Following Mrs. Kader’s video, Hon. Walsh introduced the next honored speaker, Hon. Judge Vagn Pruesse Joensen. Hon. Joensen, a judge of the International Residual Mechanisms Criminal Tribunals, provided a
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detailed discussion of the effect of gender on access to humanitarian and civil rights. He highlighted the interesting discrepancies in gender equality, specifically in Tanzania, where women are gaining more political power, but are still subject to discriminatory practices in the home. Hon. Joensen pointed to the fact that when a Tanzanian woman gets married, she must move to her husband’s home and forfeit her rights to familial inheritance. However, these practices are being challenged by Tanzania’s first female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan. Since she stepped into the role three months ago, Pres. Hassan has generated a comprehensive plan to amend her government’s policies; one of her first acts was to expand the country’s high court and selecting new judges specifically with gender equality in mind. In closing, Hon. Joensen noted that this push for women’s rights almost
