The Hymen Myth: Exploring the History, Science and Symbolism of Virginity

Of all the parts of the body associated with entering womanhood, the elusive hymen has perhaps come into play the most. The hymen has been presented as a clear, physical, nonnegotiable marker of virginity, its presence signaling purity and its loss marking womanhood.

In very many societies, virginity and the manner of its “loss” have mattered for women as well as for the men who use women’s bodies as currency in transactions between families. Projected on to specific body parts, this concern with virginity extends beyond the physical realm.

Feminist Wins and Firsts at the 2025 Golden Globes

This special edition of Ms.‘ “Keeping Score” highlights the feminist wins and milestones at the 2025 Golden Globes. From Nikki Glaser’s sharp, solo-hosted monologue that tackled sexism in Hollywood, to historic wins by women like Demi Moore, Karla Sofía Gascón and Fernanda Torres, the event marked a notable shift in celebrating diverse and older female talent. With awards for films like Emilia Pérez and Wicked, the night underscored progress in recognizing women’s contributions across genres.

2024’s Top Feminist Moments in Pop Culture

The year 2024 had promised an era of women rising to the top. This was spectacularly highlighted by the historic presidential run of Vice President Kamala Harris, who had mounted an unprecedented campaign in just over 100 days. Sadly, Harris fell short of the necessary votes.

2024 nonetheless demonstrated that women still hold powerful sway across our popular culture, even as they struggle for the highest political position. We continue to hold onto hope for a feminist future with more opportunities for gender and racial breakthroughs, which are still possible because they have been imagined and envisioned in our pop culture. Here are our picks for the year’s top 10 feminist moments.

When Nothing Bad Happens: Miranda July’s ‘All Fours’ Captures the Importance of Understanding Infant Health

When November’s announcement by the CDC that our infant mortality rate remains abysmal did not make even the tiniest of dents in the post-election news cycle, my thoughts pivoted from the patient’s I’ve lost as a doctor who cares for critically ill newborns to Miranda July’s blockbuster summer novel All Fours.

As I read, I could not help but wonder how to help parents like this narrator, the same parents I care for daily, feel in real time that NICU stories are a mainstream part of comprehensive reproductive healthcare.

Music as Medicine: The Ms. Q&A with Renée Fleming and Dr. Francis Collins

Music feels healing, but can it actually heal us? The answer is a resounding yes—according to Sound Health, a collaborative project run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Sound Health Network began in 2016 after a chance meeting of Dr. Francis Collins, the former NIH director, and Renée Fleming, the globally renowned and five-time-Grammy-award-winning American soprano. Over the past eight years, the partnership, in association with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), has raised awareness about the healing benefits of music and advanced research at the intersection of arts and wellness. 

Ms. recently spoke with Fleming and Collins about their journeys to connecting music with health, what we know so far about music’s effect on the brain, and how we can use that knowledge to heal ourselves.

‘Guerilla Storytelling’ and Joyful Resistance: Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández and the DWC’s Plan to Combat Project 2025

The Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) this week announced the election of Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) as DWC’s chair for the 119th Congress, which starts in January. Leger Fernández served as the DWC vice chair in the 118th Congress and will now lead the largest ever DWC, which includes a record-breaking 96 members in the new Congress. 

Ms. executive editor, Kathy Spillar, sat down with Rep. Leger Fernández, to discuss priorities for the DWC—both to fight back against what will be repeated attacks by the Trump administration on women’s rights and programs benefiting women and their children, as well as strategies for moving forward toward equality. 

Sahra Mani’s ‘Bread & Roses’: A Documentary ‘About Afghan Women, by Afghan Women, When the World Had Stopped Seeing Them’

In her new documentary, Bread & Roses (available now on Apple+), filmmaker Sahra Mani reveals the fierce and courageous resistance of Afghan women defying the Taliban—who wish to make them disappear.

It’s a documentary about Afghan women, by Afghan women, at a time when the world had stopped seeing them.