Herstory

Arizona and Missouri Legalize Abortion; New York Passes ERA

Amid devastating news in the election, there are some bright spots. Of the 10 states with abortion ballot questions, seven passed constitutional protections for reproductive rights, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and New York.

Three states defeated abortion rights measures: South Dakota, Florida (which required 60 percent to pass) and Nebraska.

Voters in Amarillo, Texas, defeated a local ballot measure that would have designated Amarillo as a “sanctuary city for the unborn” and enact local regulations and restrictions on abortion.

What Renee Bracey Sherman Wants You to Know About Liberating Abortion and the People Who Make It Possible

Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone recently released their co-authored book, Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. In it, they offer a new perspective on the history of abortion and imagine a future where reproductive justice is realized.

Bracey Sherman and Mahone ask us to build a better future that begins with building community around abortion and reproductive freedom now.

Ms. sat down with Renee Bracey Sherman to discuss her new book, Liberating Abortion, the history of abortion and where we go from here.

Free Screening: World War I Documentary ‘The Hello Girls’ Introduces the First Women Allowed to Serve in the U.S. Military

In honor of Veterans Day (celebrated each year on Nov. 11), the nonprofit organization Foundation for Women Warriors is set to host a screening of the powerful documentary The Hello Girls on Nov. 6, 2024. This screening aims to shed light on the extraordinary stories of women who broke barriers and paved the way for women’s role in the military.

The documentary tells the inspiring tale of 223 women who answered President Woodrow Wilson’s call to serve their country during World War I. The Nov. 6 event will feature a screening of the documentary, followed by a panel discussion with experts on women’s history and feminism. Attendees will gain insights on the Hello Girls’ experiences and their enduring impact on society.

A ROAR for Awareness: Empowering Women Through Education and Open Dialogue on Perimenopause

As Perimenopause Awareness Month (September) and Menopause Awareness Month (October) close out, Ms. has been proud to cover a series of events that brought together experts to expand the conversation. Among these, “Perimenopause ROAR” held last month in New York City marked a powerful moment in women’s health advocacy by Perry and the National Menopause Foundation. 

The event brought together a diverse panel of experts, advocates and community members, united in a mission to break the silence surrounding perimenopause. 

‘Rhoda’ Was on the Front Lines of Seismic Change for TV Women

Having TV’s most celebrated single hitched, on what was just the eighth episode of her new sitcom, ended up dooming Rhoda only as it had begun. But the wedding itself? The ceremony? That was a massive television success. Am era-defining cultural happening. The whole country attended.

Fifty years ago: Oct. 28, 1974.

While the show ended with a whimper in December 1978, it advanced a primetime movement in the 1970s—playing out within the greater movement—that led to increased representation of women and gender issues on screen.

For Three Decades, ‘Remember My Name’ Has Memorialized Those Lost to Domestic Violence

Created in 1994 in partnership with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and Ms. magazine, the “Remember My Name” project continues to raise awareness of individuals who have died from domestic violence.

We owe it to those who have died because of domestic violence, to every survivor, and every person actively planning for their safety, to do better. As we near the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and reflect on the 30 years since “Remember My Name” launched, we remember the people who have died because of domestic violence by saying their names. Loudly. Often. We need people to hear their stories, demand better tracking and reporting at all levels to fully understand this crisis, and work towards a day where we can stop adding names to the list. 

It’s the Season of the Witch. No, Not Halloween—Election Day!

The persecution of witches has never been about magic, it’s always been about punishing (mostly) women who do not conform to patriarchal standards. It’s as true today as it was in 1692. 

Are you a witch? If you wear trousers, can read, and want control over your own body and money, you bet your pointy-hat you are. As you prepare for this scary season, don’t despair—use your magic power. In 2024, don’t cast a spell, cast a vote. 

Rest in Power: Lilly Ledbetter, Trailblazing Icon for Women’s Equal Pay

Lilly Ledbetter, an equal pay activist whose legal fight against her employer led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, died this weekend. She was 86. 

“One of the next steps in reaching pay equity is the Paycheck Fairness Act—a bill that would amend the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to give workers stronger enforcement tools and remedies to help close the pay gap between men and women once and for all,” wrote Ledbetter in an op-ed for Ms. in January. “But things have been frustratingly stagnant in Congress.”

The Size of Discrimination: Racism and Bias in the Fight Against the ‘Obesity Epidemic’

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The thread of social stigmatizing and racism has long woven through the fabrics of science and medicine. Sarah Baartman, an indigenous South African woman born in 1789, was subjected to profound cruelties, specifically associated with her body size and shape—placed at first in a cage alongside a rhinoceros, and later in circuses and so-called “freak-shows” throughout Europe under the name Hottentot Venus.

To this day, women experience weight discrimination at significantly higher rates than male peers.