Author: Kathy Spillar

Katherine Spillar is the executive director of Feminist Majority Foundation and executive editor of Ms., where she oversees editorial content and the Ms. in the Classroom program.
"We Have Had Abortions": A Sneak Peek Into Ms. Winter 2022 Issue

“We Have Had Abortions”: A Sneak Peek Into Ms. Winter 2022 Issue

January 22 marks the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. But it may very well be its last. In a few short months, we face the likelihood the Supreme Court will overturn Roe, endangering abortion access nationwide. 

In the Winter issue of Ms., we delve deep into the current state of abortion access and rights in America. We make the case that abortion is essential to democracy. We relaunch a historic Ms. campaign from 1972: “We have had abortions.” And we examine how to ensure our rights are protected—reminding you that without the Equal Rights Amendment, women still do not have full constitutional equality!

2021 Feminist Year in Review: It's Been a Hell of a Year—But We Didn't Just Sit Around

Feminist Year in Review: It’s Been a Hell of a Year—But We Didn’t Just Sit Around

It’s been a hell of a year for feminists.

But we didn’t sit around. We took to the streets, to protest the attacks on our right to decide what happens to our own bodies. To protest the lack of progress on voting rights, immigration, police and gun reform, and on finally enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. We wrote letters, sent messages, tweet stormed, rallied, called Congress, and gave money to support our causes in a year when budgets were tight—because we knew it was the right thing to do.

Happy new year from all of us at Ms., and thank you for sticking with us through the hard times.

build back better

House Passes the Historic Build Back Better Act: “A Giant Step Forward”

On Friday, the House passed President Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) Act—the largest expansion of the U.S. social safety net since the 1960s. The bill includes elements that feminists have worked literally decades for.

The BBB bill is “monumental, it’s historic, it’s transformative, it’s bigger than anything we’ve ever done,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a press conference. “We will be telling our children and grandchildren that we were here this day.”

The End of Roe? A Sneak Peek into Ms. Fall 2021 Issue

The End of Roe? A Sneak Peek into Ms. Fall 2021 Issue

In her blistering dissent from the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay Texas’s Senate Bill 8, Justice Sotomayor points out what we already knew: The Texas law, which bans virtually all abortions after six weeks is unconstitutional. In our new Fall issue, constitutional law scholar Michele Goodwin delves into the court’s decision; we take Ms. readers inside the Jackson, Miss., clinic challenging the state’s law that bans nearly all abortions after 15 weeks; and more.

If you’re not already a member of the Ms. community, you can join today and you’ll get the Fall issue delivered straight to your mailbox.

Women's Equality Day Rally for equal rights amendmentNo Time Limit for Equality

Rally for ERA on Women’s Equality Day: No Time Limit on Equality

As we witness the renewed attacks on women’s fundamental rights in Afghanistan and remember how quickly women’s rights in this country were rolled back during the Trump administration, we are reminded how critical it is that we secure final ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution.

On Thursday, Aug. 26, leaders and activists working for the Equal Rights Amendment will gather in front of the Supreme Court, across from the U.S. Senate, to rally for the ERA.

Summer 2021

Sneak Peek into Ms. Summer 2021 Issue: Don’t Filibuster Democracy

A glimpse at what you’ll find inside the upcoming Summer issue of Ms.:

In “Don’t Filibuster Democracy,” Jennifer Weiss-Wolf explains how advancements for women’s and civil rights hinge on eliminating an anti-democratic Senate rule: the filibuster; “The Women in the Room” provides a firsthand account of the Afghan peace talks from negotiators Fawzia Koofi and Fatima Gailani; Carrie Baker breaks down why abortion rights are in a “code red”; stories of period-positive activists; and more.

Putting Poor Black Mothers Front and Center

Putting Poor Black Mothers Front and Center

Almost 50 years after its founding, Ms. is continuing its commitment to inclusive feminism with a new series called Front and Center—featuring pieces written by the women of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. The program provides more than 100 Black mothers living in extreme poverty in Jackson, Miss., a guaranteed income of $1,000 a month for a year.

Beginning Thursday, you’ll hear first-hand about their struggles, their children, their work, their relationships and their dreams for the future.