Photo by Aiden Frazier on Unsplash Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president and life-long feminist activist, passed away Monday, January 20, from brain cancer at 67. Richards was a leader in progressive politics for decades and was most known for cementing Planned Parenthood as a political powerhouse during contentious right-wing attacks leading up to and […]
Trump Sets the Tone for Second Term
Photo by rob walsh on Unsplash On January 20th, in front of his family, billionaire tech CEOs, and Cabinet members, Donald Trump was once again sworn in as President of the United States. His inaugural speech laid out his extreme policy priorities, ranging from immigration to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and more. He moved […]
Democratic Women’s Caucus Announces Executive Steering Committee, Fighting for Women’s Rights Amidst a Second Trump Term
Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash Yesterday, Tuesday, January 21, the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) announced its Executive Steering Committee for the 119th Congress. The DWC brings together Congresswomen from across the nation to create state and local support for women’s rights and opportunities, no matter where they live. Spearheading this mission are Chair Teresa […]
Trump Immediately Attacks the LGBTQ Community in First Set of Executive Actions
Photo by Unsplash On January 20th, 2025, a new executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” was issued marking a significant shift in federal policy on sex and gender. The order, presented as a measure to protect women’s rights, redefines sex as a biological characteristic […]
Gender Disparities in the Wake of the Los Angeles Wildfires
Photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash As increasingly severe natural disasters rage across the globe, such as the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, their devastating consequences extend beyond burned landscapes and lost homes. These disasters reveal stark gender disparities in their impact, underscoring why climate change must be viewed through a gender-sensitive lens. Natural disasters, […]
The Laken Riley Act Signals a New Era of Immigration Policy
Photo by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash Republicans in Congress are moving toward reshaping U.S. immigration policy with a harsh immigration detention law, The Laken Riley Act. This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain non-citizens who have been arrested for nonviolent crimes including burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting of $100 or more. […]
The Continued Attack on Transgender Student Athletes
Photo by Thiago Rocha on Unsplash Along with over 400 other human rights organizations, the Feminist Majority Foundation has signed on to a letter written by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to oppose H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. This House bill would alter Title IX to […]
The Hidden Anti-Abortion Agenda of H.Res.7
Photo on Unsplash On January 3rd, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) introduced House Resolution 7 in the 119th Congress, titled “Recognizing the importance of access to comprehensive, high-quality, life-affirming medical care for women of all ages.” Despite appearing to support women’s healthcare, the wording, particularly “life-affirming,” raises significant concerns. The phrase “life-affirming medical care” isn’t as […]
President Biden Awards Ellie Smeal with the Presidential Citizens Medal
President Joe Biden awarded FMF President Eleanor Smeal the Presidential Citizens Medal. (Jenny Warburg) On January 2nd, Eleanor Smeal, president and co-founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation, received the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal, an honor given to individuals who have performed “exemplary deeds of service to their country and fellow citizens.” In a moving ceremony […]
Celebrating President Jimmy Carter’s Enduring Commitment to Gender Equality
President Jimmy Carter ceremoniously signing the Equal Rights Amendment extension with FMF President Ellie Smeal behind. As we join the world in mourning President Jimmy Carter’s passing, the Feminist Majority Foundation is also honoring his steadfast dedication to human rights, equality, and justice. Among his many contributions, President Carter’s unwavering support for the Equal Rights […]
The Path to Certifying the ERA Lies With Congress—Not the Archivist
In a statement released on December 17th, the Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan, and the Deputy Archivist, William J. Bosanko, clarified their position on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the constitutional process for ratifying amendments. The press release highlighted their legal responsibilities and the current limitations preventing the ERA from being […]
Afghan Women Denounce Taliban’s Ban on Medical Training
The Taliban has banned education for Afghan girls and women beyond the 6th grade for over three years and higher education for two years. Until recently, the only pathway for education that remained was medical institutions for Afghan women. Two weeks ago, the Taliban announced that female students would be barred from attending medical institutions […]
Human Rights Day – A Day of Mourning for Afghan Women
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. It is a day to commemorate human rights for all regardless of their background, ethnicity, and gender. In Afghanistan, this day stands as a stark reminder of the fundamental rights Afghan women have been denied by the Taliban regime. Afghan women are mourning the loss of their fundamental […]
Gender Affirming Care at Stake in U.S. v. Skrmetti
More than 90% of transgender youth are being denied — or at risk of being denied — critical, age appropriate gender-affirming care. In a country where 24 states have banned hormone therapy and 16 more are in the process of placing bans, approximately 280,300 youth have been affected by the limited protection afforded to them. […]
Proposed Bill Would Lower Iraq’s Age of Consent to 9 Years Old
The Iraqi parliament is facing mounting pressure from civil society, women’s rights groups, and activists as it considers amendments to the Personal Status Law that could drastically affect the rights and well-being of women and girls in Iraq. If passed, these amendments would lower the legal marriage age from 18 to as young as nine […]
Beverly Hills Blocks All-Trimester Clinic
In a stark reminder that threats to abortion access lurk even in progressive strongholds, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken unprecedented legal action against Beverly Hills for systematically obstructing the opening of an abortion clinic. This battle in one of America’s wealthiest cities highlights how the war on reproductive rights extends far beyond red […]
What Just Happened? Insights from the Post-Election 2024 Panel Discussion
On November 12th, an all-woman panel convened at American University to unpack the results of the 2024 elections at the event titled “What Just Happened?: Voting is over — What Did We Learn from Election 2024?” Moderated by Betsy Fischer Martin, Executive Director of the AU School of Public Affairs Women & Politics Institute, the […]
Abortion Rights Win Big in Seven States Despite Challenges
Despite the disappointing election results, valuable ground was gained for the pro-abortion movement. Of the 10 states where abortion was on the ballot, seven passed referendums supporting abortion rights. These states are now taking legal action to remove barriers and enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions. Abortion Wins Across Seven States Arizona:Arizona voters successfully […]
Taliban: “80 Percent of Women’s Rights have been Provided”
When the Taliban took power in 2021, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, promised that “the Taliban would honor women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law.” Three years later, Sait-ul-Islam Khyber, the Taliban’s spokesman for their Ministry of Vice and Virtue, said “80% of women’s rights have been provided to them. These rights include marriage, […]
The Alt-Right Pipeline and the Rise of Trump: How Digital Radicalization Found Its Political Voice
When Trump descended the escalator at Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his presidential campaign, he tapped into something that had been brewing in online spaces for years. What made Trump unique wasn’t just his message, but his ability to speak the language of internet culture – his unfiltered tweets, his willingness to be politically […]
