Femicide: The Need To Name Gender-Based Killing of Women in the United States

Femicide: The Need To Name Gender-Based Killing of Women in the United States

The U.S. downplays the growing issue of gender-based killings and violence by failing to call it what it is: femicide.

Recent high-profile murders have received immense media coverage, but the reality is they aren’t rare events. Femicide is a global issue that disproportionately impacts BIPOC women and requires urgent action to prevent. The U.S. needs to adopt a language of femicide that recognizes the gendered nature of ongoing murders of women in the nation, as well as the larger social patterns connecting them.

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Paid Leave to Save Your Life

The paid leave proposal in the Build Back Better plan would specifically provide paid leave for people who need to “find safety from assault, stalking and sexual violence.”

The recognition and inclusion of people who experience intimate partner violence in the Build Back Better plan’s proposal for federal paid family and medical leave is a path-breaking step in supporting a population who is often invisible in the workplace.

Think Build Back Better Is Expensive? Wait Till You Hear the U.S. Defense Budget.

Think Build Back Better Is Expensive? Wait Till You Hear the U.S. Defense Budget.

The main objection to President Biden’s Build Back Better plan by Republicans and so-called “moderate” Democrats is the price tag—$3.5 trillion over 10 years. If that sounds like a lot of money, it is—until you compare it to the boys and their toys.

We don’t need a rocket scientist to tell us why women’s jobs aren’t recovering: a lack of childcare and universal pre-kindergarten, a lack of paid family leave. The Build Back Better Act would go a long way toward fixing that.

We Need More Women in Leadership at the Fed: Personnel Is Policy

We Need More Women in Leadership at the Fed: Personnel Is Policy

Senior officials at the Federal Reserve—all white men—were recently caught in an insider trading scandal, epitomizing what happens when government officials prioritize their own interests over what’s best for the public good.

The president now has a historic opportunity to remake the all-white Federal Reserve Board in the image of the coalition that won him the White House and to promote the racial and gender justice necessary for a fully realized Build Back Better agenda. Let’s put powerful women in power and reshape the Fed into an institutional force for race, gender and economic progress.

California Leads the Way in Educating Students on Racial History—But Vigilance Is Still Needed

California Leads the Way in Educating Students on Racial History—But Vigilance Is Still Needed

When it comes to progressive politics, the Golden State can’t be messed with, historically leading the way in many areas including the environment, labor and education.

But while the state is known for liberal, progressive politics, we should not be lulled into thinking that those politics are without blemish. In California in 2019, Black teenagers accounted for 60 percent of the deputy contacts on campuses—but made up only about 20 percent of the enrollment in those schools.

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Anti-Racism Should Be Taught to Students—And Their Parents: “This Is About the Future of Our Schools”

It was an important step forward when the North Kingstown School Committee in Rhode Island unanimously approved the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) Subcommittee. But by the time it held its third meeting, it was already under fire.

We must allow children to think critically, ask questions and draw conclusions for themselves—even in topics that do not reflect proud moments of history.

Nobel Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee Fights for the "Unknown Women" Leading Nonviolent Protests in the Face of Civil War

Nobel Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee Fights for the “Unknown Women” Leading Nonviolent Protests in the Face of Civil War

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Leymah Gbowee talks about her experiences with war and journey to being a peacemaker.

“I did what I had to do, at a time that was necessary. I wasn’t looking for any accolades. I would do it again, even if there wasn’t a Nobel Peace Prize. … That prize, that has my name on it, says we recognize the role of grassroots, rural, community women as nurturers and sustainers of their society.”