Texas will regain federal Medicaid funding for its state family planning program despite refusing to reinstate Planned Parenthood’s coverage, a move which threatens to embolden attacks on Planned Parenthood in other states. Texas lost its Title X federal funding under the Obama administration in 2012 after removing Planned Parenthood and other “affiliates of abortion providers” […]
Afghan President: No Gender Apartheid Under My Responsibility
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan reiterated his commitment to women’s rights and human rights. In response to a question on the ongoing talks between the Taliban and the US, he stated that there are some questions that need to be answered, and the top question is gender. […]
South Dakota Bill Restricting Medical Treatment for Transgender Youth Passes First Major Vote
In South Dakota, a bill which will ban doctors from providing puberty blockers and prevent them from performing other treatments related to gender expression in children under the age of 16, has passed in the House State Affairs Committee by an 8-5 vote. Three conservatives broke with their party to vote against this bill, which opposes […]
New State Department Regulations Could Restrict Pregnant Women’s Ability to Come to the U.S.
A department official from the State Department and a congressional aide reportedly said Wednesday that the U.S. State Department has a plan that could potentially make it more difficult for pregnant women to acquire visas to visit the United States. These impending regulations are presumably the most recent in a string of attempts by the […]
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Idaho Legislator to Introduce Bill Banning Transgender Women from Women’s Sports
Idaho legislator Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) says that she is planning on introducing legislation that would ban transgender individuals from competing on high school sports teams that do not correspond with their birth sex. While claiming that the legislation has “nothing to do” with anti-LGBT legislation, Ehardt is calling on the Idaho legislature to […]
Idaho Legislator to Introduce Bill Banning Transgender Women from Women’s Sports
Idaho legislator Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) says that she is planning on introducing legislation that would ban transgender individuals from competing on high school sports teams that do not correspond with their birth sex. While claiming that the legislation has “nothing to do” with anti-LGBT legislation, Ehardt is calling on the Idaho legislature to […]
New Gallup Poll: Three Out of Five Americans Dissatisfied with Restrictive Abortion Laws
A new Gallup poll found that nearly three out of five Americans are dissatisfied with U.S. abortion policies—a record number driven by Democratic and Independent dissatisfaction towards increasingly strict abortion laws. From 2001 until 2016, a roughly equal proportion of Americans were dissatisfied with abortion laws as Americans satisfied with with abortion laws. The latest […]
Elizabeth Warren Pledges Half Her Cabinet Will Be Women
Massachusetts Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pledged that at least half of her top executive branch positions would go to women or non-binary people if she wins the presidency. Senator Warren continues in a recent push to convince voters that a woman can win the presidency. As the pivotal early primaries in Iowa and […]
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 […]
#MeToo Activist Released by Chinese Authorities
After being detained for nearly three months, a Chinese #MeToo activist and journalist, Sophia Huang Xueqin, has been released by authorities in China. Police detained Huang in mid-October of last year in Guangzhou on the vague charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Huang has been a prominent figure in China’s emerging #MeToo movement, which […]
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, […]
WNBA and Players’ Union Propose Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement
In a time where female athletes across sports are speaking out against gender discrimination and pay inequalities, the WNBA has positioned itself as a leader by coming to a potential collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players’ union that features salary increases, maternal and family leave benefits, and improved travel accommodations. This agreement takes steps […]
Women Lead Protests in India Over Islamophobic Law
Women are leading the charge with protests against India’s new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which provides a path for citizenship for many “persecuted minorities” – but specifically leaves out Muslims as one of those minorities. People are upset that India, an officially secular nation, is singling out Muslim people and not providing them the same […]
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U.S. Ranked 15th Best Country for Women in the World
U.S. News and World Report released a report ranking the best countries for women this Wednesday, and the report placed the United States 15th, behind not only countries like #1 Denmark, #2 Sweden, or #3 Netherlands, but also the U.S.’s close neighbor Canada, who came in at #5. In the United States, 90 percent of […]
Virginia Becomes the 38th State to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
The United States has never been closer to officially creating an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, January 14, a Virginia statehouse committee approved a measure to “bring the amendment to a full vote” which was voted upon by the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate on Wednesday, January 15. […]
New FX Series Follows the Movement that Birthed the Equal Rights Amendment
A new FX series starring Rose Byrne as feminist leader Gloria Steinem and Cate Blanchett as antifeminist Phyllis Schlafly will premiere in April. The series, called Mrs. America, will center on the fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s at the height of the women’s liberation movement. Conservative lawyer Phyllis Schlafly […]
Equal Rights Amendment advanced in Virginia
Today, January 9, a Virginia Senate committee passed a resolution to ratify the ERA in the state. The vote passed 10-5, with Republican Senator Jill Vogel joining the Democrats in passing the measure. If Virginia passes the ERA, the state would become the 38th and final state necessary to ratify the Amendment in the United […]
Delaware Man Charged after Allegedly Throwing Molotov cocktail at Planned Parenthood Clinic
A Delaware man has been arrested and charged with federal crimes after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Delaware Planned Parenthood clinic last Friday night. 18-year-old Samuel James Gulick has been charged with maliciously damaging a building with fire or a destructive device and intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services. If […]
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Women Gave Feminist Voice to 2020 Golden Globes
On Sunday, January 5, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the 77th annual Golden Globes, celebrating the year’s most impressive entertainment. While host Ricky Gervais told the Hollywood audience not to use acceptances “as a platform to make a political speech,” many artists, mostly women, did use their privilege and spotlight to express political […]