Violence & Harassment

The GOP’s Next Target? No-Fault Divorce and Women’s Right to Leave

As the GOP ramps up its culture war, no-fault divorce is emerging as its latest target, with conservative politicians and activists calling for its restriction or elimination. While no-fault divorce has been law in all 50 states since 2010, its repeal would disproportionately harm women—especially survivors of domestic violence—by making it harder to leave unsafe or unhappy marriages. Framing divorce as “too easy,” right-wing leaders are pushing a regressive agenda that prioritizes traditional family structures over women’s autonomy and safety.

Sixty Years After Bloody Sunday, the Fight for Justice Continues

Sixty years after the Selma to Montgomery marches, the lessons of Bloody Sunday remain urgent. The brutal attack on marchers fighting for voting rights in 1965 exposed how laws can be weaponized to uphold inequality—a reality that persists today. From efforts to suppress voting rights to attacks on academic freedom, the struggle for justice continues. As history warns, democracy and the rule of law must be actively defended, not just written on paper.

Keeping Score: Executive Orders Attack Trans Community; Americans Need Paid Leave and Childcare Policies; Unvaccinated Measles Cases Soar

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Trump’s executive orders continue to threaten trans people’s safety, jobs and rights; policies like paid family leave and universal preschool are incredibly popular; measles spreads among unvaccinated populations; Congress signals their plan to cut SNAP and Medicaid; women’s college basketball teams will be paid for March Madness games; almost a quarter of Gen Z adults are part of the LGBTQ community; and more.

From Fear to Power: Women’s True Crime Podcasts Fight Back

For generations, true crime media served as a tool for men’s control over women, using lurid stories of violence to encourage women’s fear and submission. From Victorian penny dreadfuls to mid-20th-century pulp magazines, these narratives reduced female victims to passive objects while often subtly suggesting they were somehow responsible for their victimization.

Today, women are seizing control of these narratives and transforming them into powerful vehicles for resistance and collective action. Through podcasts, social media and community organizing, women reclaim the true crime genre that once sought to frighten them into submission, using it instead to build networks of solidarity and survival.

War on Women Report: ‘Fetal Personhood’ Bill Introduced in Congress; Trump’s Antiabortion and Pro-Project 2025 Cabinet

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MAGA Republicans are back in the White House, and Project 2025 is their guide—the right-wing plan to turn back the clock on women’s rights, remove abortion access, and force women into roles as wives and mothers in the “ideal, natural family structure.” We know an empowered female electorate is essential to democracy. That’s why day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report:
—A judge in Indiana has temporarily ruled to protect doctors from being forced to share abortion records with the government.
—Idaho became the sixth state to consider murder charges for abortion patients.
—U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson temporarily halted the Trump administration’s termination of DEI programs.

… and more.

And the Oscar for Best Documentary Should Go to … ‘Black Box Diaries’

Black Box Diaries is a powerful, Oscar-nominated documentary that follows journalist and survivor Shiori Ito’s fight for justice after being raped by a powerful media figure in Japan. Using cinéma vérité techniques, surreptitious audio recordings and intimate self-documentation, Ito exposes the systemic failures that silenced her while capturing the emotional toll of her struggle.

The film highlights the global reach of the #MeToo movement and the stark realities of patriarchal impunity, culminating in a historic victory: the 2023 inclusion of consent in Japan’s rape law.

Ten Warnings the New Gabby Petito Netflix Doc Reveals About Coercive Control

They were the “Insta-perfect” couple that captivated a nation.

But a new Netflix documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito includes text messages never seen before, journal entries, social media footage, family interviews and body cam video that give a foreboding picture of exactly what led to the 22-year-old’s death at the hands of Brian Laundrie. 

It’s called coercive control—and this deeper dive into Gabby’s story serves as a five-alarm warning to everyone, and their loved ones, about red flags to look for in relationships.

Justice on Their Terms: Empowering Plaintiffs Through Anonymity 

The day that a survivor of sexual abuse files a lawsuit is a difficult and painful day, but also one that starts a journey toward justice.  

For many plaintiffs, stepping forward is not only the start of a legal proceeding but also an act of immense courage. It often involves sharing deeply personal and traumatic experiences with the court and, potentially, the public. This is why plaintiffs must have the option and privacy protection to have their cases filed under pseudonyms.

This issue is at the center of a recent high-profile case against Sean “Diddy” Combs, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that a woman suing under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” must reveal her real name or face dismissal of her lawsuit.

Beyond Valentine’s Day: The Love We Celebrate and the Abuse We Ignore

The ways we recognize and talk about abuse, control and harm remain largely trapped in outdated narratives—ones that fail to account for the complexities of love beyond traditional partnerships. Expanding the definition of domestic violence is not about diluting its meaning; it’s about making it more accurate.

In recent years, Valentine’s Day has been reclaimed and reshaped to celebrate love in all its forms—beyond romance and sex. Galentine’s Day, self-love rituals and the celebration of deep platonic connections have gained mainstream recognition, expanding our collective understanding of what love can be. Slowly, we’ve made space for the friendships, chosen families and personal growth that shape our lives just as profoundly as romantic relationships do. But while our definition of love has evolved, our understanding of its darker sides has not. When we fail to name violence in queer relationships, in parent-child dynamics or in sibling abuse, we erase entire groups of survivors. Without recognition, they are left without language to describe their experiences and without access to the support they need.

Keeping Score: Devastating Attacks on USAID; Louisiana Indicts N.Y. Doctor; Autumn Lockwood Is First Black Woman Coach to Win Super Bowl

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Musk and Trump’s USAID attacks have devastating impacts; 80% of the clean energy investments from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—which Trump wants to roll back—are in Republican congressional districts; Louisiana indicts a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills; new executive orders go after workers and LGBTQ people; the Laken Riley Act was signed into law; childcare costs affect the health of parents; and more.