The Taliban recently enacted a sweeping new penal code that explicitly permits husbands to physically punish their wives and children, as long as the abuse does not result in broken bones or open wounds The provision is embedded in a sweeping 119-article decree signed in January by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and circulated to courts […]
The SAVE Act: New Barriers for Women to the Ballot Box
The Senate is preparing to vote on S.128, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the “SAVE Act.” Supporters argue the bill is necessary to protect election integrity. In practice, however, it would make it significantly harder for millions of eligible Americans to register and cast a ballot, particularly women and marginalized communities. […]
Major Medical Group Pushes to Restrict Trans Youth Healthcare
On February 3, 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released a new position statement. It recommended that gender transition surgeries involving the chest, genitals, and face be limited to patients aged 19 and older. This made ASPS the first major American medical association to narrow its guidance on pediatric gender-affirming care. In its […]
Reproductive Freedom Is On the Ballot in Virginia This November
On February 6, 2026, newly-elected Governor Abigail Spanberger signed four bills to place constitutional amendments on Virginia’s ballot this November. Two of the proposed amendments would protect reproductive rights and same-sex marriage. The other two would restore voting rights to former incarcerated individuals and change the state’s redistricting process. Together, these measures center on one […]
Arizona Court Strikes Down Abortion Restrictions After Voter Amendment
On February 6, an Arizona state court struck down several abortion restrictions, ruling that they violated an abortion rights amendment. This amendment, Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative, was approved by voters in 2024. The case, Isaacson v. Arizona, was brought by a group of physicians, the Arizona Medical Association, and other medical organizations. They […]
Shield Laws vs. Vigilante Lawsuits: The New Abortion Battleground
A new threat to abortion rights is emerging nationwide: the ability of private citizens to sue over out-of-state abortion care. Jerry Rodriguez, a Texas citizen, has sued Remy Coeytaux, a doctor who practices in California, for prescribing abortion pills to Rodriguez’s girlfriend on two separate occasions. While this lawsuit may be the first of its […]
Walking for Peace: How Buddhist Monks Reminded America of Compassion
Peace, compassion, and unity are simply ideals. Yet in a society shaped by polarization, noise, and division, they often feel distant. In a moment when nearly everything is politicized, a group of Buddhist monks set out to remind us that peace does not have to be complicated, we make it so. Starting on October 26th, […]
Taliban Order Gender Segregation in Hospital Operating Rooms Across Afghanistan
The Taliban have issued a new directive ordering teaching hospitals across Afghanistan to fully segregate male and female medical staff in operating rooms, a move that health professionals warn will further weaken an already strained healthcare system. The Taliban enforced the same policy when they were in power in the late 1990s until they were […]
Taliban’s New Penal Code Institutionalizes Exclusion and Threatens Afghanistan’s Vulnerable Communities
In January, the Taliban released a new law authorizing executions across eleven categories of people. Article 16 gives the Taliban the ability for “discretionary execution” for Taliban-defined crimes such as “armed opposition to the Taliban, promoting beliefs contrary to Islam, sorcery and repeat criminal acts.” The provision’s broad and vague language has sparked serious concerns […]
Illinois Faces Federal Defunding Over The State Law Requiring Abortion Referrals
On January 21, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), issued a Notice of Violation to the State of Illinois. This notice alleged that the 2016 Amendment of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA) violates the Weldon and Coats-Snowe Amendments as they relate […]
With LA Maternity Wards Closing at Alarming Rates, Patients Are Giving Birth in ERs
Los Angeles County has seen five maternity wards close since 2023, bringing the total number of closures to 16 over the past decade. As a result, hospitals across the county are struggling to meet the needs of pregnant patients. Los Angeles General Medical Center, a teaching hospital, has treated approximately1,400 pregnant patients who arrived through […]
Removal of “Option 3” on the 988 Suicide Hotline Poses Extreme Mental Health Risk for LGBTQ+ Youth
The foundation of LGBTQ+ mental health support is crumbling. This past summer, the current administration decided to remove “Option 3” from the 988 Suicide Hotline, which was specifically for LGBTQ+ people in crisis. The elimination of this option puts already vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth and adults at serious risk. Launched in 2022 with bipartisan support, the […]
Investors’ Undervaluation of Women’s Health Mirrors America’s Devaluation of Women’s Bodies
For decades, women’s healthcare has been narrowly framed around reproduction and fertility, despite the reality that women’s health extends far beyond these boundaries. At the same time, women are expected to drive the economy, working, caregiving, and managing the health of their families, while the healthcare system continues to undervalue their needs. Until 1985, women’s […]
Shortage of Midwives Globally Increases Health Risks for Pregnant People
Around the world, there is a shortage of nearly one million midwives. The midwife shortage is not just a workforce issue, it is a human rights and safety issue. Mothers, pregnant people, and babies are experiencing deaths at alarmingly high rates due to improper labor care. A midwife is a trained healthcare provider that specializes […]
Black History Month Celebrates 100th Anniversary
Black History is world history. Although it is the shortest month, February is recognized in the United States as Black History Month to honor and celebrate the profound contributions Black people have made, and continue to make, to society. Since its inception, Black History Month has been guided by an annual theme, and this year […]
Taliban’s New Penal Code Codifies Violence, Obedience, and Gender Apartheid
The Taliban has quietly enacted a sweeping new penal code that fundamentally reshapes Afghanistan’s legal system, formalizing violence, criminalizing dissent, legalizing slavery, and stripping women of legal personhood under the guise of religious law. On January 7, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada signed off on the “Penal Principles of Taliban Courts,” a document spanning 119 articles […]
Supreme Court Weighs Landmark Cases on Transgender Students and School Sports
On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two landmark cases that could dramatically reshape the future of transgender rights in education and athletics: Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. The cases challenge state laws that categorically bar transgender girls and women from participating in school sports, raising fundamental […]
Mamdani and Hochul Announce Plan to Make N.Y. Child Care Universal
It has only been a few weeks since the new Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, took office, and he is already putting new initiatives into action. Both the New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Mamdani announced on January 8 a new investment in affordable health and child care in the state. New […]
Bogota Implements Care Blocks: A Monumental Shift Away from Unpaid Labor
Bogota, Columbia has been making historic strides towards gender equity by investing in government-provided care labor through programs known as “care blocks.” These “care blocks” provide an opportunity for women to drop off their children to create more free time. With this free time, mothers have an opportunity to run errands, meet with different consultants, […]
The Women Intertwined in Venezuela’s Fate
On January 3, 2026, a military operation carried out by U.S. armed forces in the capital of Venezuela resulted in the capture of Cilia Flores and her husband, President Nicolás Maduro. This has led to an ongoing state of emergency and authoritarian measures, which have impacted political dissent and civil society. Yet much of the […]