We must address this moment and reflect on our democracy by examining post-Soviet state’s numerous battles for free and equal democracy. While recognizing post-Soviet culture often limits women and their agency, efforts have been made to increase female representation through the introduction of gender quotas and the adoption of international gender equality strategies on national levels. Similar initiatives have long been quickly rejected by the U.S., but with their success in challenging these nations’ dominant patriarchal motifs we should reconsider adopting similar policies in our own government.
New Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Take Down Crib Bumpers: ‘The Key Is Keeping Our Babies Safe’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced bipartisan legislation alongside Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) that would stop the production, distribution and sales of crib bumpers in the U.S. This legislation, called the Safe Cribs Act, is similar to a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019. Duckworth anticipates the Safe Cribs Act will soon pass the Senate.
“The regulations, the laws around these things have changed over the years, it’s hard for people to keep up with what they are,” Duckworth said. “But the key to all of this is just keeping our babies safe.”
Breastfeeding in a War Zone
As Ukrainian families flee Russian brutality, women, children and especially infants are vulnerable to another scourge of war: disease and hunger. Health experts advocate breastfeeding over infant formula to keep babies healthy in the midst of bombardment and displacement.
“It felt like my breasts were empty and daughter was always crying,” said Mariia Ismahulova, who was forced to flee underground with her family to escape missile strikes.
The Feminist Legacy of Mills College Must Not Be Forgotten
The future of Mills College is uncertain, but its legacy as an inclusive historically women’s college must not be forgotten.
Citigroup Becomes First Bank to Cover Travel Costs for Texas Employees Seeking Abortions Out of State
Citigroup is the only Wall Street bank led by a woman. It’s also the first U.S. banking company to comment publicly on anti-abortion legislation in the U.S., which has been reaching new extremes in states like Texas and Idaho. Citi joins Match Group and Austin-based Bumble as the three publicly traded companies helping cover travel costs for Texas employees seeking abortions out of state—a necessity in the wake of S.B. 8, which bans abortions after six weeks.
Come June, when the Supreme Court announces the end of Roe v. Wade as many experts predict, even more business leaders will feel the pressure to take a stand on the issue.
Judge Jackson’s Nomination Bends the Arc of the Moral Universe Toward Justice
On March 21, 1965, thousands of marchers left Selma, Alabama, headed to the capital city of Montgomery in their quest for the freedom to vote. Fifty-seven years later—on March 21, 2022—the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider, for the first time, the nomination of a Black woman to serve on the highest court in our nation.
10 Warning Signs Your Partner May Become Abusive
Domestic abuse has skyrocketed in the last two years as victims became trapped at home with their abusers, and lifelines to help closed off.
While the onus of preventing or ending domestic abuse should never fall upon victims’ shoulders, there are some red flags you can look out for in your own relationship.
As Book Bans Target LGBTQ+ Writers and Writers of Color, Here’s What Banned Books We’re Reading
Talk (and action) around what books kids and young people should be able to read and when has been on the rise the last couple of years. Attempts at banning books in schools and libraries are occurring at a furious rate.
Here’s a list of some of the most recent challenged and banned books by women, queer and trans writers and writers of color.
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Attacks on Women in Elected Office Ramp Up; Why’d Equal Pay Day Come a Week Early This Year?
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: the growing pro-woman movement in South Korea; read a full transcript and listen to the recordings from the inaugural Democracy Solutions Summit hosted by RepresentWomen last week; women’s rights and a healthy democracy are linked; attacks on women in elected office are becoming all too frequent; why Equal Pay Day for women fell more than a week earlier than last year; and more.
Congress Finally Reauthorizes VAWA After Years of Republican Stalling
This week, we celebrated the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which was included with the fiscal year appropriations package approved by Congress. VAWA is a crucial support for women across the country experiencing violence, more so than ever in this current moment. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its economic stressors and repeated lockdowns, has compounded domestic violence problems, leading advocates to name it a “shadow pandemic.”