What’s Current: Writer accused of rape on ‘Shitty Media Men’ list sues author for $1.5 million

  • One year after making the “Shitty Media Men” list, Stephen Elliot, accused of rape and sexual harassment, is filing a defamation lawsuit against its creator, Moira Donegan. Elliot is also demanding that his 30 anonymous accusers be identified, claiming their speaking out was “malicious in nature.”
  • A study shows that girls in developing nations are being systematically restricted access to mobile technology. Findings show that girls are often shamed for using mobile tech and boys are 1.5 times more likely to own a smartphone.
  • Michelle Obama is launching the Global Girls Alliance, an organization “seeking to empower adolescent girls around the world through education.” Obama aims to support grassroots leaders in communities who are “clearing away the hurdles that too many girls face.”
  • The National Sexual Assault Hotline has seen a 201 per cent increase in calls since Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford’s testimony against Brett Kavanaugh, according to Huffington Post. Local rape crisis centres are also reporting above average numbers of calls.
  • Lawmakers are pushing for a change in a French abortion law that allows doctors to refuse to provide abortion services on moral grounds. The French government is asking for a review of the so-called “conscience clause” to determine if its use is limiting women’s access to abortion in France.
Meghan McCarty

Meghan McCarty is an undergraduate student and aspiring journalist living in the United States.