Violence & Harassment

Floods, Fear and Family Crisis: The Impact of Texas’ Natural Disasters on Domestic Violence

Devastating floods began sweeping across Central Texas on July 4, causing the Guadalupe River to surge at an alarming rate: 20 feet in the first three hours. The disaster ranks among the deadliest and most catastrophic in the state, claiming at least 136 lives, with four individuals still missing.

The floods captured national attention and served as yet another chilling reminder of the real and rising consequences of climate change. And as climate-driven disasters only grow more frequent and intense, Texans continue to suffer the fallout—both seen and unseen.

Among these unseen and overlooked consequences: increased risk of domestic violence.

Extreme weather events—floods, heatwaves and hurricanes—not only displace families and destroy homes, but they also strain financial resources and fracture essential support systems. These stressors can intensify existing inequalities and create volatile conditions increasing the risk of violence, particularly against women and girls. 

Thank You, Cassie Ventura. Your Voice Broke the Silence for Millions of Survivors.

Dear Cassie Ventura,

Millions who do not have the celebrity, resources or platform to speak out are exceptionally grateful for your voice, and the voice of all the courageous women who literally take the stand. 

The millions of women who have experienced rape and sexual assault are grateful at a time when resources for them are in danger of elimination.

Trump’s History of Misogyny Was Obvious Long Before the Epstein Files Scandal

The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files has rattled his MAGA base unlike any other issue, and caused the president a major political headache. It remains to be seen whether he or the Republican Party he leads will suffer any lasting damage.

But for the many millions of Americans who are not fans of the current president, one of the truly astounding features of this scandal is how long he has been able to evade meaningful accountability for his history of misogyny—as well as serious scrutiny of his long friendship with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s close association with the disgraced pedophile has been a matter of public record for more than two decades.

What’s even more tragic is that despite all of this, Trump has managed to get elected president of the United States not once, but twice. He has then used the awesome power of the presidency to roll back feminist gains in a number of different ways. His administration’s regressive agenda has included, during the early months of his second term, a dramatic reversal of progress in federal support for sexual assault prevention initiatives.

No-Rehire Clauses Let Employers Retaliate Against Harassment Victims … Legally

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For Charlotte Bennett, alleged harassment at the hands of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) led to years of costly litigation and “extraordinary pain.” Bennett’s state-level case was finally settled in April, with a little-known clause included: If a worker settles a case accusing their employer of sexual harassment, discrimination or any form of abuse, their employer may legally include a “no-rehire” clause in the settlement. This clause bars accusers from seeking future jobs with their employer.

No-rehire clauses can also bar workers from employment with any affiliates, subsidiaries or partners of their ex-employer’s organization. If another company hires an employee, and it is later acquired by or merged with a company that employee has a no-rehire clause with, a federal court affirmed in 2023 that the worker can legally be terminated from that new job, too.

In an age of mergers and monopolies, the consequences of a no-rehire clause may follow a victim of workplace harassment forever. Depending on the size of their former employer, an ex-employee could be barred from hundreds of different companies if their settlement includes a no-rehire clause.

New York state Assemblymember Catalina Cruz (D) introduced AB 293 to fully ban such clauses across the state. If the Assembly bill and its Senate counterpart were passed, New York would join California and Vermont as the only states prohibiting or limiting these clauses.

Gender-Based Violence Rises in Gaza, Case Workers Tell of Harrowing Conditions: ‘There Aren’t Enough Safe Spaces for Women and Their Children’

“There’s been a sharp increase in survivors seeking help,” said Suhair, who works at a safe space for women and girls in Gaza’s central Deir El-Balah Governorate.  “We’re working under extremely difficult conditions, including repeated incursions. There aren’t enough safe spaces for women and their children,” she told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. 

Repeated, forced displacements, movement restrictions and a prolonged lack of fuel and electricity have also made it more difficult to help those most at risk. “We’re providing services over the phone because survivors can’t reach safe spaces,” added Suhair.

Widespread illness, poverty, mass displacement and depleted healthcare and social services are all heightening stress levels within households. These exacerbated conditions have led to rising reports of increased domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse. Many are turning to child labor and forced marriages to cope with devastating levels of hunger.

With over 714,000 people—one third of Gaza’s population—forced to move again over the past three months, families are being separated and the local support structures they once relied on have crumbled. Women and girls in particular describe feeling afraid on the street, at aid delivery points and in overcrowded, makeshift shelters that lack privacy, sanitation or basic security measures.

What Happens When Law Enforcement Is the Threat? Immigrant Women Are Left With Nowhere to Turn

The horrifying stories in the Ms. article, “Men Are Impersonating ICE to Attack Immigrant Women,” are not isolated incidents—they reflect a deeper, long-standing erosion of human rights and protections for immigrant communities. Immigrant women of color are disproportionately targeted and bear the brunt of the violence.

Immigrant survivors are more afraid than ever to seek help from the police or the courts. And these reports of violence committed by ICE impersonators and accounts of violence committed by real ICE and law enforcement officers—many of them now in plainclothes—show that immigrants have good reason to be afraid.

At the Tahirih Justice Center, where we serve immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence, we’ve seen firsthand for years the impact of dehumanizing language and actions by politicians and the media, leading to cruel policies and paralyzing fear that traps survivors in abuse. There’s no question that in the last six months, things have gotten much worse.

Now is the moment for all of us as citizens and neighbors to loudly declare that what’s happening to immigrants is unacceptable—whether through protest, contacting our representatives or walking with our immigrant neighbor as she takes her child to school so she’s not alone.

Black Activists Say Trump Administration’s ICE Raids Revive Jim Crow Tactics

“The ICE crisis is a Black issue, too,” said Myeisha Essex of Black Women for Wellness (BWW) at a recent press conference in Los Angeles. Essex was joined by leaders from other Black- and Latino-led grassroots organizations, including the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and the California Black Power Network (CBPN). Together, they warned that Trump’s crackdown threatens the safety and civil rights of immigrants and citizens alike, underscoring the need for solidarity across communities of color—and with allies—amid deepening political and racial divides.

The uncertainty and fear of this political moment intensified last month when the Supreme Court upheld the federal government’s ability to deport immigrants to third-party countries—even when individuals have not had a fair chance to contest removal or raise credible fears of torture or harm. Advocates argue the ruling undercuts due process and erodes bedrock democratic principles, leaving both immigrants and U.S. citizens questioning what rights remain secure.

“We are the ones—Black people, regardless of citizenship—who must define what resilience and resistance look like in this moment,” said Nana Gyamfi, executive director of BAJI. “The first human beings who migrated, allowing people to exist all over this planet, were Black people.”

‘No More Shame!’ The Transformative Lesson of Gisèle Pelicot, the French Survivor of Mass Rape

A phone call one autumn morning from local police requesting that Dominique Pelicot, then 67, husband to Gisèle, also 67, report to the local station interrupted their daily routine. A surprised Gisèle listened as her husband told her not to worry: “It won’t be pleasant, but by noon we will be home,” he said. But the next time she saw him was at his trial.

Like many countries, France has a protective privacy act guaranteeing anonymity for crime victims. Gisèle’s lawyers warned what would happen in a public trial—the intense media attention that would surely follow every development in the case, the probable attacks on her testimony in court and possible threats to her life. Undaunted, Gisèle chose to waive her right to anonymity.

“When you’re raped, there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame,” she told the court. “It’s for them.”

Her insistence that her trial be public surprised both her lawyers and the presiding judge—and transformed Gisèle into a feminist hero and icon.