Domestic violence has intensified under Taliban rule since August 2021, as the regime has imposed more than 160 edicts and directives restricting the rights and freedoms of women and girls. By barring women from education and employment, severely limiting their freedom of movement, and denying them meaningful access to justice, the Taliban has deepened women’s […]
Beyond Indigenous Peoples Day: The Fight to Protect Indigenous Communities
The second Monday in October is federally recognized as Christopher Columbus Day, commemorating the arrival of colonizer Christopher Columbus to the Americas. It’s undeniable that Indigenous communities lived in America long before Columbus docked his ship. Why, then, is he celebrated as the man who “discovered” America? For years, public debate has challenged this Eurocentric […]
California Takes Action to Address Housing Barriers for Survivors
More than one in three women and one in six men in the United States have experienced sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. For survivors trying to leave abusive relationships, finding safe, stable housing can be a major obstacle. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first enacted in […]
The Cornell 57: How Educational Institutions Fail Women
Note: This article contains discussions of rape and sexual assault. If you or someone you have experienced sexual violence, help is available 24/7. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline or call 1-800-656-4673. On the night of October 19, 2024, a 20-year old Cornell University undergraduate student, identified as Jane Doe in court filings and media […]
Addressing the Economic Costs of Sexual Violence: The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act
On September 15, 2026, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), and Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02) introduced the Survivors Rights Restitution Act. This legislation would establish a federal restitution program for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government. The bill would include survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein […]
A Restraining Order Is Not Enough When an Abuser Has a Gun
October 1st marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a month dedicated to bringing attention to domestic violence and supporting efforts to prevent it. Domestic violence can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression. These forms of violence affect millions of Americans each year, with perpetrators often being current or former intimate […]
The Trump-Epstein Reading Room Hits The Road
A traveling exhibit is forcing the public to confront the Epstein files and the institutions that failed survivors. The exhibit features 3,437 books lining the walls of the rooms, together containing approximately 3.5 million pages of Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room, created […]
Helpful or Hurtful? The Growing Privacy Debate Over Meta Glasses
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, smart glasses have emerged as one of the newest technologies raising questions about privacy and consent. This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly banned employees from wearing Meta smart glasses over privacy concerns. Dubbed “pervert glasses,” Meta glasses are wearable computers, allowing users to take photos […]
Tate Brothers Face Growing Legal Reckoning Over Alleged Violence Against Women and Girls
Andrew and Tristan Tate will appear before a U.S. magistrate judge on Thursday, August 13, as they seek release from federal custody while they await potential extradition to the United Kingdom. The Tates’ lawyers have filed to release the brothers, writing that it would be “extraordinarily difficult for [them] to travel undetected or avoid attention.” […]
E. Jean Carroll Faces Investigation Amid Ongoing Legal Battles With Trump
On May 28, the Department of Justice launched a criminal probe into E. Jean Carroll, a journalist whom President Trump sexually abused in the mid-1990s. The probe is intended to investigate whether Carroll committed perjury during her testimony in two civil lawsuits against Trump. The first case, Carroll I, pertains to his assault of Carroll […]
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 […]
Virginia’s Bill Will Finally Give Survivors Justice
On February 10, 2026, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Chair of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus, Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), introduced Virginia’s Law, which would effectively require the federal government to remove the statute of limitations on sex abuse and trafficking survivors’ right to sue. The introduction comes in the wake of […]
We stand with Dolores Huerta
We stand with Dolores Huerta. Dolores has been a member of the Feminist Majority Foundation board and a close friend for decades. We have witnessed her extraordinary courage and moral clarity firsthand — which is precisely why we are not surprised she is speaking now, and not surprised she bore this alone for so long. Both facts […]
Elon Musk’s Grok AI and the Rise of Nonconsensual Sexual Abuse
Elon Musk’s Grok AI is being used to create nonconsensual explicit photos and videos of women and children. These range from photos of people in revealing garments to extremely graphic and violent pornographic material. Grok AI is “an AI assistant with a twist of humor and a dash of rebellion.” It can be used on […]
Every Eight Minutes: The Crisis of Sexual Assault in Uber Rides
Between 2017 and 2022, Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States almost every eight minutes. That adds up to 400,181 reports in just five years, far higher than the 12,522 “serious” incidents Uber had publicly disclosed. These findings, revealed by Emily Steel in a New York Times investigation […]
So That Shame Changes Sides: Gisèle Pelicot’s Forceful Resistance
Photo by Delia Giandeini 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 […]
30 Years of Progress: The Evolution and Impact of the Violence Against Women Act
Photo by U.S. Department of the Interior 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 […]
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Silenced No More
VA NOW President Lisa Sales stands for survivors at the SAAM press conference. On Wednesday, April 24th, survivors and activists gathered outside the Alexandria Federal Courthouse for a press conference organized by Lisa Sales, President of Virginia NOW, to raise awareness about the continued prevalence of sexual violence during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Speakers included […]
A Win For Youth in Virginia
On February 13th, the Virginia House of Delegates voted to pass House Bill 994, a bill that bans child marriage in all its forms. Virginia was one of the first states to ban child marriage in 2016, but there has always been a loophole allowing emancipated children between 16-18 years old to get married. Now, […]
U.S. Gymnasts Testify at Senate Hearing, Revealing How the FBI Mishandled the Larry Nassar Abuse Investigation
Four top U.S. gymnasts, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols, testified at a Senate hearing Wednesday on how the FBI botched the investigation into sexual abuse allegations made against former USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar. Nassar is currently serving a life sentence for molesting hundreds of women and girls during his time […]