Herstory

Americans Want a Feminist Future—But in Order to Make it Happen, We Have to Rethink Our Entire Political System  

Donald Trump has insisted that he has a “mandate” from voters to peddle his wildly unpopular policies—and, apparently, to stop at nothing to enforce them. But in reality, Americans by and large want a feminist future.

I talked to experts in gender and politics about the promise of a truly representative democracy—and what it will take for feminists to build one. The first episode of the brand-new Ms. podcast Looking Back, Moving Forward digs into the history and future of the feminist fight for both political representation and political power. The experts I spoke to for the episode reminded me that feminists have the power to redefine our democracy—and that rumors of our defeat have been greatly exaggerated.

You can listen to the episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Historic Cuts to SNAP Deepen the War on Women

 Republicans in the House and Senate scrambled to pass legislation that will cut $184 billion from SNAP through 2034—by far the largest cut to SNAP in the program’s history—to finance tax cuts for the wealthy big businesses. They also hope to increase funding for pursuit of immigrants. 

This extremist budget will drive millions of people into poverty and hunger. It also represents a full-throated assault on women—particularly single mothers, for whom SNAP has been a lifeline.

‘We Have to Break the Spell We Have Been Under About What This Country Is’: Why Aimee Allison Still Believes in a Multiracial Feminist Democracy

Aimee Allison founded She the People to empower more of us to envision an America redefined and inspired by women of color. As its president, she launches and spearheads efforts to demonstrate the political power of women as color and advance racial, economic, and gender justice.

As part of the first episode of the new Ms. Studios podcast Looking Back, Moving Forward, Allison talked to Ms. about her vision for a feminist future, rewriting the American story, and what it will take for us to build a better democracy. 

“We stand for something extremely powerful, and we have a legacy of women who came before us that are going to actually show us the way forward.”

As Support for Abortion Grows, the Court Doubles Down on Restricting Care

In its Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic ruling last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a devastating blow to reproductive health clinics across the nation. A substantial slate of decisions issued by the Court Friday dealt several more severe blows to the rule of law and our constitutional rights—though a silver lining was the Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s preventive-care mandate.

The Big Beautiful Bill? A Big Bad Blow to Maternity Care

The “Big Beautiful Bill” is really a Big Bad Blow to millions suffering an already inadequate and inequitable maternity care system.

While policymakers debate in distant chambers, local organizations and midwife-led community-based initiatives are bracing to weather the coming storm.

(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund highlighting the work of Groundswell partners advancing inclusive democracy.)

The Supreme Court Doesn’t Really Care About Originalism. ‘Medina v. Planned Parenthood’ Just Proved It.

By upholding a South Carolina order that strips Medicaid funding from abortion providers, the Supreme Court abandoned both patient choice and the original civil rights vision behind Medicaid.

Medicaid funding is crucial for low-income Americans—it’s the vital thread that connects them with healthcare in a society where universal healthcare does not exist. 

Kaila Adia Story on Why Queer Liberation Must Center Black Feminism

The Black Feminist in Public series continues with a conversation with Kaila Adia Story, professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at the University of Louisville, co-host of the award-winning podcast Strange Fruit and is the author of the recently published The Rainbow Ain’t Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity.

“Black feminist thinkers and scholars are the blueprint for not only Black feminist liberation but queer liberation, trans liberation,” said Kaila Adia Story.

From the Battle of Little Bighorn, to the Ballot Box: Native Resistance Then and Now

On June 25-26, 1876, a pivotal moment in Native history unfolded along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in present-day Montana: Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors stood against Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army to defend their way of life.

Today—nearly 150 years later—their same spirit of resistance and determination lives on … in legislative chambers, courtrooms and school board meetings. And while the battlegrounds may have changed, the stakes remain.

(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund.)