New York Times journalists Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly have published the results of their nearly year-long investigation into Brett Kavanaugh and the allegations against him by Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez in “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh.” Unfortunately, the authors bend over backwards to be fair to Kavanaugh—at the expense of fairness to Ford and Ramirez.
Author: Carrie N. Baker
Carrie N. Baker is Professor and Director of the Program for the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College. Her 2007 book The Women's Movement Against Sexual Harassment won the National Women’s Studies Association Sara A. Whaley Book Prize. Her second book, Fighting the US Youth Sex Trade: Gender, Race and Politics, tells the story of activism against youth involvement in the sex trade in the United States between 1970 and 2015.
Killing Us Softly: Then and Now
For generations, Jean Kilbourne’s documentary film Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women has been transforming consciousness by revealing how the advertising industry promotes impossible beauty norms to make women insecure so they will buy products. To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, feminists across the generations gathered at Smith College to celebrate Kilbourne’s legacy.
The Ms. Q&A: Cynthia Lowen Puts Cyber Harassment in Focus in “Netizens”
“How is this happening? How is this possible that people can send really specific death threats and that there is nothing being done? This project started so I could understand why and how that was happening. What were the systems that were allowing this to proliferate?”
The Climate Crisis is a Feminist Issue
We’ve heard stories about natural disasters time and time again as global warming has intensified, resulting in more “worst-ever weather events.” But we are less likely to hear what happens next.
The Gag Is in Place
Across the country, low-income and young women are facing increasing barriers to reproductive health care because of a gag rule recently imposed by Donald Trump’s administration on recipients of Title X.
Sexual Assault and Sham Investigations: Inside the Latest Headlines About Brett Kavanaugh
A new book by reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly reveals just how inadequate the FBI investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh was—and what the Republicans hoped to bury.
Three Billboards Outside Her Abuser’s Workplace
The billboard in Massachusetts featured a man’s silhouette and declared that “the truth will be revealed.” After his name was made public, Kat Sullivan’s abuser reportedly resigned from the town historical commission, quit his job at Whole Foods and moved out of state.
Abortion Bans Violate the Thirteenth Amendment’s Prohibition of Involuntary Servitude
Abortion bans place pregnant people seeking abortion under state control and require them to perform involuntary labor. This is a violation of the Thirteenth Amendment.
Survivors Sue Child Sex Abusers in Droves Under New NY Law
The New York State Assembly passed the Child Victims Act, extending the time survivors have to file civil suits against perpetrators until they turn 55 years old. The law opens up a one-year “lookback window,” allowing survivors to file civil actions against perpetrators no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.
What the Epstein Case Means for the Fight to End Sex Trafficking
Years of hard work by feminist survivors and the #MeToo awakening have shifted public consciousness about who’s to blame for youth involvement in the sex trade and given survivors courage to speak out about sexual abuse and hold perpetrators accountable.