A newly published Taliban family law regulation is further institutionalizing discrimination and oppression against Afghan women and girls by codifying unequal rights in marriage, divorce, and family matters. The law also effectively removes Afghanistan’s previous minimum marriage age for girls by linking eligibility for marriage to puberty, which can begin as early as age nine. […]
Democratic Women’s Caucus Leads New Effort to Address Sexual Misconduct in Congress
Following the resignation of two members of Congress for sexual misconduct, the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) has launched a new initiative to reform the predatory environment of Capitol Hill. A bipartisan effort, Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Republican Women’s Caucus Chair Kat Cammack (FL-03) are taking the lead and had a […]
Rising Gas, Rising Bills: The Gendered Economic Impact of the Iran War
As the United States becomes increasingly entangled in military conflict with Iran, the costs are not only being felt overseas. At home, the economic consequences are hitting American households hard, and women, particularly single mothers, are bearing the brunt. On February 28, the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader. That same day, a primary […]
“Refusing to be Erased”: Bonnie Thornton Dill on Feminist Resistance in Higher Education
Editor’s note: The following is the transcript of a speech (lightly edited for length and clarity) given by Bonnie Thornton Dill, former President of the National Women’s Studies Association, at the 2026 National Young Feminist Leadership Conference. Good morning. Thank you all for being here and thank you Kathy, Ellie, and FMF for organizing this event. […]
Supreme Court Rules to Protect Access to Medication Abortion
On Thursday, May 14, the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone through telehealth and mail delivery, at least for now. The ruling blocked a decision from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals that would have restricted access by requiring patients to obtain the medication through in-person visits. The […]
Effects Beyond Reproductive Care: The Backlash of Overturning Roe
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has caused major issues for women and pregnant-able bodies all around the country. It has forced unwanted pregnancies, increased the number of children in foster care, and has caused women to pursue unsafe abortion alternatives. New research, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, shows that people are […]
Feminist Leaders Speak Out Against the Supreme Court’s Devastating Blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to decimate protections under the Voting Rights Act, one of the nation’s most important civil rights laws. The case, Louisiana v. Callais, centers on how states consider race when drawing legislative districts to comply with voting rights protections. In its ruling, the Court concluded that race […]
House Judiciary Hearing Targets FACE Act Despite Rising Threats to Clinics
On April 28, the House Committee on the Judiciary convened a hearing on the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, following a Department of Justice report alleging FACE was “weaponized” under the Biden administration. Subcommittee chair Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who introduced legislation to repeal FACE in January, presided. Enacted in 1994, FACE […]
Virginians Vote Yes for Redistricting to Reshape House Control
On April 21, Virginians voted yes on a ballot measure to allow the state to temporarily redraw congressional maps before the midterms. Virginia held a special election with only one question on the ballot: whether Virginia should be allowed to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections. The measure passed […]
Pennsylvania Court Recognizes Reproductive Autonomy Under State Equal Rights Amendment
On April 20, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued a landmark ruling for reproductive rights, striking down the state’s ban on Medicaid funding for abortion. The court held that the policy violates Pennsylvania Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the equal protection provisions of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The Pennsylvania Equal Rights Amendment, added to the state constitution […]
Uncertainty and Pressure: Afghans Who Aided the U.S. Fear Return to Afghanistan or Congo
Afghan refugees who have helped U.S. officials living at a former U.S. military base in Qatar have been left with an incredibly difficult decision: go back to Afghanistan under the Taliban or relocate to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration has been participating in talks with the […]
New Restrictions on the Youth Vote Hit Campuses
Recent federal actions have introduced new barriers for colleges and universities working to support student voter participation. In 2023, attorney Cleta Mitchell raised unfounded concerns about polling locations close to dormitories on campuses, citing fears of students voting without being properly informed. These sentiments have only grown since the current administration launched a probe into […]
The Clean Water for All Life Act: Policing Bodies, Not Protecting Water
The Clean Water for All Life Act (H. R. 7983) is simply another way for anti-abortion lawmakers to control women’s bodies — yet this time, under the guise of environmental regulations. This bill adds to a long list of arguments used to restrict abortion: religious objections, claims that fetuses should have full legal personhood, false […]
The DOJ Indicts the Southern Poverty Law Center in a Coordinated Attack on Civil Rights
On Tuesday, April 21, the Department of Justice indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a nonprofit that for more than 50 years has documented hate and political violence, taking on the Ku Klux Klan, systemic bigotry, and the rise of Christian nationalism. The move has drawn swift backlash from civil rights advocates, who warn […]
DOJ Targets FACE Act While Anti-Abortion Violence Rises
On April 14, the Department of Justice published an 882 page report claiming that the enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was “weaponized” under the Biden administration. FACE is a longstanding federal law designed to protect access to reproductive healthcare by prohibiting obstruction, threats, and violence directed at abortion providers, […]
UN Experts: Ban on Afghan Women Working With the UN Undermines Aid and Women’s Survival
UN experts are calling for the immediate reversal of Taliban policies that prevent Afghan women from working at or even entering United Nations offices as they warn that the ban is not only a violation of women’s rights but is also worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. According to UN experts, Afghan women, including UN staff, contractors, […]
Urgent Care Clinic in Michigan Fills Gaps in Abortion Access
As abortion clinics continue to close at alarming rates across the country, many community-based medical providers are stepping in to expand access to care. After a Planned Parenthood clinic in Marquette, Michigan shut its doors, the Marquette Medical Urgent Care, under the direction of Dr. Shawn Brown, began offering medication abortion. As Dr. Brown explained […]
From Privacy to Conversion Therapy: A Troubling Month for LGBTQ+ Rights at the Supreme Court
Over the past month, the Supreme Court of the United States has consistently made decisions that threaten the LGBTQ+ community. These attacks are rooted in the rise of Christian nationalism, which appears to be bleeding into judicial reasoning. The first major development emerged in early March, when the Court intervened in a lower court dispute […]
Texas Issues Guidance for Abortion Providers
For the first time since sweeping abortion bans reshaped reproductive care, Texas has issued guidance clarifying when physicians may legally provide abortions to protect a patient’s life. While this may reduce some uncertainty for doctors making urgent decisions, it is barely a step forward. Since 2021, when the Texas Heartbeat Act was enacted, physicians and […]
Trump Administration Revokes Protection from Greenhouse Gases
The Trump Administration has reversed a key decision from the Obama Administration, reshaping the future of climate protection in the United States. The rule in question, known as the “endangerment finding,” served as the legal foundation for federal regulations for greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Now, under the Trump Administration, all greenhouse […]