In a pivotal moment for reproductive rights in America, the Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the clash between federal emergency care law and Texas’ near-total abortion ban. This decision marks a significant setback for advocates of reproductive rights and has far-reaching implications, particularly for women of color in Texas. The high court’s rejection […]
Defending Title IX and the Future of Gender Equality in Education
In 1972, American education underwent a monumental shift with the passage of Title IX. This landmark civil rights law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. Emerging from the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Title IX was crafted to ensure equal opportunities for women in education. […]
Rest in Power: Equal Pay Advocate Lilly Ledbetter Dies at 86
From left to right: Katherine Spillar, Lilly Ledbetter, former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, and Eleanor Smeal. Lilly Ledbetter, a remarkable equal pay advocate, passed away at age 86 on October 12, 2024. Her journey began in 1979 as a dedicated employee at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where she worked for nearly two decades. However, it […]
How Raising the Minimum Wage Can Narrow the Gender Pay Gap
The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009. While the majority of states have increased their minimum-wage laws since then, there are still 20 that have maintained the federal minimum. In April of this year, California raised their minimum wage to $20 an hour for fast food employees, granting half a million […]
Three Years Without Education: Its Impacts on Afghan Girls and Afghanistan
September marked 3 years since the Taliban banned education beyond the secondary level for Afghan girls. More than 1,100 days have passed and there is no progress in reinstating education for girls in Afghanistan. The absence of education has also led to mental health issues – teenage girls struggling everyday not being able to go […]
The Criminalization of Pregnancy
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022 has profoundly influenced how pregnancy is viewed in the United States, leading to an increase in the criminalization of pregnancy-related behaviors. Pregnancy Justice released their September 2024 report “Pregnancy As a Crime: A Preliminary Report on the First Year After Dobbs” by Wendy Bach and Madalyn Wasilczuk, outlining […]
So That Shame Changes Sides: Gisèle Pelicot’s Forceful Resistance
Gisèle Pelicot demands to be heard in a system that stifles the voices of sexual violence victims. Now garnering attention from the world, Pelicot, 72, has become a hero and a symbol of resistance for many women, young and old, who see themselves in her. In Avignon, France, Pelicot insists she receives justice in “the […]
Kentucky Bans Conversion Therapy for Minors
On September 18th, 2024, the governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, outlawed conversion therapy for minors in the state. Licensing boards can also take official action against anyone found practicing conversion therapy on minors. Beshear spoke about his decision saying the following: “Kentucky cannot possibly reach its full potential unless it is free from discrimination by […]
Proposition 1: New York’s Next Step Toward Equality in a Post-Roe World
New York stands at a crossroads of history as election signs sprout like late-blooming flowers. This year’s ballot holds more than names; it carries the weight of generations of struggle, hope, and relentless pursuit of equality. New York Proposition 1 isn’t just another line item—it’s the latest chapter in a story that began long before […]
Four Countries Take Taliban to the International Court of Justice Over Gender Apartheid
In a historic move, four countries — Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands — are taking the Taliban to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over their severe violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. The announcement at the UN General Assembly marks a significant international response to what many are calling “Gender Apartheid,” […]
The Gender Gap Among Gen Z is Rising. What Will it Mean for the 2024 Election?
The divide between young men and women’s political preferences are growing at unprecedented rates. While this divergence, coined “the gender gap” by founder and President of the Feminist Majority Foundation Eleanor Smeal, is not new, older generations have not witnessed as striking a contrast between men and women voters. Young women see Harris as a […]
Body Neutrality as a Form of Resistance
In a world where diet culture pervades nearly every aspect of our lives, the emergence of body neutrality offers a refreshing perspective. Body neutrality emphasizes acceptance of our bodies for their functionality rather than their appearance, encouraging a focus on well-being instead of aesthetic ideals. Instead of the body positivity approach saying, “I love my […]
The Gender Wage Gap Has Increased for the First Time in 20 Years
In 2024, it’s nothing short of outrageous that we’re still grappling with a wage gap between men and women. This persistent disparity isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet – it’s a glaring symbol of the systemic sexism that continues to plague our society. For the first time in over 20 years, the gender pay […]
The Deadly Cost of Racial Bias: Addressing the Disparities in Black Maternal Healthcare
The disparities in medical treatment for women of color, particularly Black women, starkly reflect the deep-rooted racial inequities in the U.S. healthcare system. These disparities are evident in higher rates of C-sections, elevated maternal mortality rates, and a lack of adequate pain management compared to white women, even when receiving care from the same doctors […]
Afghanistan’s Health System in Decline: More Clinics Forced to Close Under the Taliban Rule
Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on international aid to […]
The Strategy and Advocacy of the Modern ERA Movement
Since Virginia ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on January 15, 2020 — becoming the 38th and final state needed to ratify the constitutional amendment — there has been a resurgence in enthusiasm among activist groups to finish the job that was started more than 100 years ago: publishing the ERA in the Constitution once […]
30 Years of Progress: The Evolution and Impact of the Violence Against Women Act
On September 13th, 1994, thirty years ago, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was signed into law. The monumental act has been a lifeline for women across the country, making history as one of the most influential pieces of legislation for women’s rights ever to be passed. Enacted and upheld for the last three decades, […]
Rolling Back Progress: What the End of Affirmative Action Means for Women’s Equality and Racial Justice
In a devastating blow to progress, the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions has begun to unravel decades of hard-won gains for women and students of color in higher education and beyond. Recent statistics from Brown University reported a 40% drop in Black student enrollment in their 2024 freshman class, […]
Abortion Rights on the 2024 Ballot: Key States Where Voters Will Decide the Future of Reproductive Freedom
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, reproductive rights are now in the hands of the states. Advocates have begun working to enshrine abortion rights in state constitutions across the nation. Since the Dobbs decision, voters in 6 states, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, […]
The Impact of Gender Violence on Kenya’s Female Athletes
Ugandan Track and Field Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered by her partner, Dickson Ndiema, just weeks after returning from the Olympic games. The initial dispute between the couple concerned land she had purchased in Kenya to live closer to training facilities; Ndiema quickly turned violent and doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her on fire. […]
