Earlier this week we asked the question, “Can a ‘feminist anthem’ ever truly be feminist?” after the women of Saturday Night Live poked fun at women’s empowerment songs. Well, one of the nation’s most powerful women just offered up an answer to that question—and it’s a resounding yes. As part of the Obamas’ Let Girls Learn […]
Author: Stephanie Hallett
Stephanie hails from Toronto, Canada. She is a Ms. writer, a master of journalism candidate and a hip hop dancer/instructor/choreographer. She got her start in feminist journalism at the age of 16 when she was a member of the first editorial collective at Shameless magazine—and she has never looked back.
10 Feminist Netflix Shows to Binge Watch Tonight
Netflix lovers, rejoice! The trailer for season two of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has arrived and it’s got us popping popcorn and throwing on our sweats in preparation for a marathon. If you missed the first season, here’s the gist: A group of women were locked away in a post-disaster bunker for 15 years—where they were forced to do “weird […]
Can a “Feminist Anthem” Ever Truly Be Feminist?
What makes a song feminist? And what’s the best way to acknowledge the movement’s complex and storied history without erasing anyone’s contributions or appearing ill-informed? Those were the tough questions tackled by the women of Saturday Night Live this weekend in a catchy tune called “This Is Not a Feminist Song.” The cast members—along with singer Ariana Grande—explain in […]
New Ad Campaign Delivers Powerful Message to Rape Survivors
A new ad campaign is taking aim at sexual assault, but not in the way you might think. Instead of telling women to protect their drinks or offering bystander intervention tips, the ads have a powerful message for survivors: “You did not deserve it,” “There is healing. There is hope” and “Your voice matters.” Created by activist group […]
Women Who Inspire: 15 Iconic Ms. Covers You’ll Want to Frame
Over the past 40-plus years, Ms. has put everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Aung San Suu Kyi on our cover. We’ve celebrated political leaders, celebrities and everyday women who are fighting on the front lines of the feminist movement. So on this International Women’s Day—and the sixth birthday of the Ms. Blog!— we decided to take […]
The Fight to Protect Reproductive Health Care Has Begun
Thousands of reproductive-rights advocates gathered outside of the Supreme Court today as the eight justices heard oral arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the biggest abortion-related case to go before the court since 1992. The case centers around two provisions of Texas’ omnibus 2013 anti-abortion bill, HB2: one that requires abortion clinics to meet the […]
Abortion Access: Terrible in Pretty Much Every Super Tuesday State
How hard is it to get an abortion in the 12 Super Tuesday states? According to a must-watch new video from Lady Parts Justice, a group founded by The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead, restrictive laws make it nearly impossible to access care in the majority of states holding primaries or caucuses today. In Alaska—which is twice […]
6 Great Feminist Moments from the 2016 Oscars
Well, the Oscars happened. And while a lot of white people won awards, there was also plenty of commentary on racism and exclusion in Hollywood. Some of the night’s jokes were executed perfectly, others were downright offensive. Luckily, there were a few very powerful, stand-out feminist moments we’re proud to salute. Take a look at […]
Why Sheryl Sandberg Is Applauding This Detergent Commercial
You might not expect the founder of the “Lean In” movement to call an ad for laundry soap one of the “most powerful videos” she’s ever seen, but that’s exactly how Sheryl Sandberg described detergent company Ariel’s new spot. It’s not hard to see why Sandberg was impressed. The ad, aimed at consumers in India, calls out […]
Five Great Super Bowl 2016 Moments
We sat through an array of diarrhea-related pharmaceutical spots, “aww”ed over wiener dogs in bun costumes and questioned that “Super Bowl babies” claim—and we can say confidently that this year’s selection of Super Bowl ads was decidedly less sexist than in years past. What’s more, the whole event featured a number of feminist fancies—from Queen Bey running the halftime […]