Dozens of Democratic congresswomen wore white to last night’s State of the Union address in honor of the American suffragette movement and the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The symbolic move references the white outfits 20th-century suffragists often wore to represent purity and nonviolence as they fought for women’s right to […]
New York, California Legislatures Introduce Bills Banning “Virginity Testing”
Lawmakers in New York and California are considering new legislation that would ban virginity testing—the first such bills in the nation. The two bills were introduced after rapper T.I. said he subjects his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah Harris to an annual gynecological exam to see if her hymen is “still intact.” The practice is condemned by […]
Finland Introduces Reforms to Paid Parental Leave Program
Finland’s government announced reforms of the country’s paid parental leave program, giving both partners in a family equal amounts of leave and increasing the total amount of leave available to both. Under the old system, maternal leave was 4.2 months, and parental leave was 2.2 months. The new plan is gender-neutral, referring only to parental […]
Illinois Workers Vote to Form First Instacart Union in the United States
Workers for grocery delivery service Instacart in the Chicago, Illinois, suburb of Skokie voted on Saturday to unionize. The vote at Mariano’s grocery store, part of a local chain, was 10-4 to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1546, making it the first Instacart union in the country. The successful move to unionize […]
Brooklyn State Park Honors Black Transgender Activist Marsha P. Johnson
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to rename a Brooklyn state park after Marsha P. Johnson on Saturday in a speech at a Human Rights Campaign gala. Calling on New York’s progressive leadership, Cuomo made promises of support for LGBTQ issues. Marsha P. Johnson is a queer icon and pioneer. One of the leaders […]
Staffers Say Sexism Runs Deep At The Washington Post
Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez has been receiving death and rape threats following a tweet she sent out with a link to a story about sexual assault allegations against Kobe Bryant, shortly after the NBA player’s death. Sonmez’s home address was published online by an angry member of the public. Upon receiving this information, Sonmez’s […]
New Oxfam Study Shows Women’s Labor is Underpaid and Undervalued
A recent study by international nonprofit Oxfam shows that the state of global economic inequality is out of control. Oxfam highlights the severity of this inequality and the negative impacts it has on women by shining a light on the fact that: the world’s richest 22 men having a greater combined wealth than all of […]
Actor David Schwimmer Says ‘There Was A Lot of Overreacting’ in #MeToo Movement
Actor David Schwimmer said in a recent interview that the #MeToo movement created an atmosphere of “terror” for all men. David Schwimmer credits his social activism with having grown up in a strong female household, citing both his mother-a feminist activist and lawyer-and sister as examples of women who have shaped his perspective. Schwimmer, in […]
New Maryland Bill Proposes Parental Consent Requirement for IUDs
On January 8th the Maryland House of Delegates introduced a bill, House Bill 53, that would require minors to have written parental consent to get insertive contraceptive devices, such as the intrauterine device (IUD) and implantable rod. This bill does not require parental consent for minors to receive other forms of birth control, such as […]
Representative Ayanna Pressley Releases Inspiring Video About Living With Alopecia
Representative Ayana Pressley, a Democrat from the 7th district of Massachusetts, released a video yesterday via The Root’s Twitter revealing that she has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. For Ms. Pressley, she felt as though her hair story was both personal and political. She described her decision to publicly address her condition […]
First Woman Appointed to Management Position in the Vatican
This Thursday, Pope Francis named Francesca Di Giovanni the Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs for the Secretariat of State, an important Vatican office. Di Giovanni will be the first woman to hold a management position in the Roman Catholic Church. Leadership positions in the Vatican are largely male-dominated, in part because many are reserved for priests, […]
Nearly One Million Americans Will Lose Access to Food Stamps under New Trump Rule
Under a new rule enacted by the Trump administration, close to 700,000 people will lose SNAP benefits due to regulations that make it more difficult for states to waive the requirement that “able bodied” recipients work at least 20 hours a week. The rule will affect people aged 18-49 who do not have children and […]
Taliban Releases Two Kidnapped AUAF Professors in Zabul
The Taliban has freed two Western hostages Tuesday, American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, after holding them hostage for more than three years, a U.S. official and the prime minister of Pakistan said Tuesday. Kevin King, 63, from the United States, and Timothy Weeks, 50, from Australia, were professors at American University of Afghanistan […]
Japanese Companies Ban Glasses For Women At Work
Some Japanese companies are enforcing sexist dress code policies, including banning glasses and makeup requirements, sparking a social justice movement amongst Japanese women. Women are reporting on their companies’ sexist dress code policies and the lengths they have had to reach to comply with them. These policies range from shoe styles to hair and nail […]
At the Height of the Opioid Crisis Walgreens Handled Nearly 20 Percent of the Most Addictive Pills Shipped to Pharmacies
At the height of the opioid epidemic, Walgreens handled nearly one out of every five oxycodone and hydrocodone pills shipped to pharmacies across the United States, according to a new report from The Washington Post. Walgreens dominated the country’s retail opioid market from 2006 to 2012, with the company buying about 13 billion pills — […]
Three Statues of Historic Women To Be Put Up In Central Park
New York City will put up the first statues of women in Central Park among the male statues, featuring famous suffragists Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth. The 23 statues of men in Central Park include Alexander Hamilton, Christopher Columbus, William Shakespeare, and Sir Walter Scott. The only statues that feature women […]
Art Exhibit Uses Women’s Pantyhose To Explore Feminist Issues
22 international artists came together to create an art exhibit in the U.K. that uses women’s stockings to explore feminist issues. The Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate showcases the work of these artists whose subject matter is traditionally stockings. The exhibit is meant to explore themes of race, gender, femininity, and subversion. The curator of […]
Charities Dedicated to Women and Girls Receive Only 1.6% of All Donations, Study Finds
A new report finds that American philanthropic support dwindles when it comes to nonprofits dedicated to addressing breast cancer, women’s entrepreneurship, domestic violence and childhood malnutrition — all primarily women’s issues. According to a comprehensive report released Thursday from the Women and Girls Institute, Americans gave $6.3 billion to nonprofits focused on women and girls […]
World’s First Vagina Museum Opening in London
The world’s first vagina museum is opening in London this November, hoping to educate about and break the stigma around vaginas. The vagina museum will feature all different types of art forms that “spread the message that there is nothing shameful or offensive about vaginas or vulvas” including art, plays, workshops, and comedy nights. The […]
Sandy Hook Promise Releases Another Haunting Video about Gun Violence in Schools
The Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization led by the families of the Sandy Hook primary school, released another heart-wrenching video about gun violence in schools. This new video titled “Back to School Essentials” shows elementary school kids showing the new school supplies they got for the school year in the midst of a shooting. […]
