Penny Harrington—the chief of the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau in the mid-’80s and the first woman to lead a major U.S. city’s police department—died at her home in Morro Bay, Calif., on September 15, 2021, at the age of 79.
Harrington became a police officer in 1964 in Portland and headed the Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Center for Women and Policing at its founding in 1995. Harrington served in Portland in the Women’s Protective Division and began to challenge discriminatory policies after a few years in the force. She became chief of police in 1985 and was the first woman in America to lead a police department in a major city.
Author: The Team
The team is a collection of Ms. print and digital editors and writers.
The Taliban Further Tightens Its Grip on Afghan Women and Girls: “These Young Women Have Fought for Themselves”
As the world watches the Taliban seize and tighten their grip on power in Afghanistan, women’s lives come under greater threat each day. What is the reality for women and girls on the ground in Afghanistan? What do Afghan women stand to lose? How are feminists fighting back?
Rally for Reproductive Rights: Women’s March Returns Saturday, Oct. 2
The day after Texas’s new abortion law went into effect, the Women’s March announced its return to Washington and across the nation on October 2 to rally in support of reproductive rights.
Model Martha Hunt and Author Alyson Gerber Unpack Scoliosis, Self-Worth, Body Image and Learning to Value Yourself
Alyson Gerber and Martha Hunt initially became friends bonding over their experiences with scoliosis; Hunt had a fusion and Gerber wore a brace. They came together for an honest conversation about self-worth, body image and learning to value oneself.
New Campaign Urges Biden To Eliminate Hyde Amendment in Budget
On Monday, abortion justice nonprofit All* Above All launched a week-long campaign urging President Biden to submit his first budget without the Hyde Amendment and related abortion coverage bans. Within the U.S., the Hyde Amendment essentially bars federal abortion coverage through Medicaid. Proposed as a response to Roe v. Wade, Hyde is known for its devastating impact on millions of low-income women and families.
#FreeNasrin and #FreeLoujain Campaigns Unite to Demand Freedom for Political Prisoners
The #FREELOUJAIN and #FREENASRIN campaign is a global plea for the full freedom of Iranian attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh and Loujain al-Hathloul of Saudi Arabia, as well as a call for the release of all political prisoners.
The First-Ever Black Survivor Week of Action: Monday, April 26–Friday, April 30
Monday, April 26, marks the beginning of a five-day virtual week of action to center and amplify the voices of Black survivors of sexual assault and harassment.
‘Half the Board’: Demanding Gender Parity in Tech Boardrooms by 2025
Women have made up less than 25 percent of the hires in tech over the past 20 years. That needs to change, says Girls in Tech, a global nonprofit committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the tech sector.
For Women’s Day, the group is launching a campaign called “Half the Board: 50/50 by 2025″—and is kicking off with an open letter to the tech community from its board members demanding gender parity in tech boardrooms.
Nasrin Sotoudeh’s Latest Dispatch from Prison to the U.N. Is a Desperate Plea
At some risk to herself and her family, Iranian human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh has written a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sounding the alarm about rampant executions in Iran.
Exclusive Screening of ‘Women in Blue,’ February 4: Gender Equity Is One Way to Reduce Police Violence
With the national conversation around police reform still resonating loudly around the country, documentary film “Women in Blue” shines a spotlight on the women within the Minneapolis Police Department working to reform it from the inside by fighting for gender equity.
Join Ms. for an exclusive screening of “Women in Blue” on Thursday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m PT / 7:00 p.m. ET. Then, stick around after the film for a live Q&A discussion.