The ‘Subway Shirt’: How Young Women Are Dressing to Deflect Unwanted Attention

An excerpt from Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today’s Toxic, Sexist Culture, in which Leora Tanenbaum offers an incisive exploration of why many young women wear body-revealing outfits and share sexy selfies and what these choices say about our toxic, sexist culture:

“As temperatures in New York City climbed, young women faced a dilemma: They wanted to wear summery tank tops and miniskirts but were concerned that as they traveled around the city, especially on the subway, they would be met with predatory stares, harassing, ‘Hey baby, won’t you give me a smile?’ comments, and even unwanted touches and gropes.

“And so, being resourceful New York women, they hatched a solution: the ‘subway shirt’—an oversized, shapeless shirt one slips over her ‘real’ outfit.”

Sean Combs’ Defense Leans on Familiar Tropes About Women. Will the Jury Believe His Accusers?

Casandra Elizabeth Ventura has described years of alleged physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs has denied the charges, insisting that the sex acts were consensual.

The women’s credibility is therefore critical to the trial’s outcome.

As Combs’ lawyer already previewed, his team will endeavor to convince the jury that the accusers are lying. The courtroom becomes a stage for the oldest stories we tell about women and truth.

Profiles in Courage: Jocelyn Samuels and the Fight to Save the EEOC

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Ms.‘ Profiles in Courage spotlights women in the Department of Justice, federal agencies and the military whose careers have been defined by integrity, resilience and reform. Their quiet heroism—often at personal cost—reaffirms the enduring role of public servants who choose justice over self-interest. Through their stories, Ms. pays tribute to a tradition of service that safeguards democracy and inspires the next generation to lead with courage.

As a commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Jocelyn Samuels spent a lifetime defending democracy and workers’ rights. Now she’s fighting to protect the agency she helped lead.

Adriana Smith and the Legal Horror of Reproductive Servitude in the U.S.

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Three months ago, 30-year-old Adriana Smith was declared brain-dead. But a hospital in Georgia is keeping her “alive” on life support because of the state’s strict abortion ban.

“In what universe does a hospital in Georgia … believe that they can take ownership of Adriana Smith’s body?” asked Michele Goodwin on a recent emergency episode of On the Issues: Fifteen Minutes of Feminism. “According to the hospital, she is now an incubator. … This is not science fiction, though I wish that it were.”

“I think every woman should have the right to make their own decision,” Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, said. “And if not, then their partner or their parents.”

Worldwide, Many Women Relied on the U.S. for Financial Support. This Afghan Woman Dares to Speak Out.

I’ve been writing for decades about America’s on-again-off-again support for the reproductive healthcare of women around the world, focusing on the Republican presidents who have slashed funding and jeopardized women’s lives.

When I spoke by phone to Seema Ghani in February, there was something more. Unlike many women I had reached out to this year in countries that have relied on the United States for financial support, Ghani was not afraid to speak to me—even though her homeland, Afghanistan, is the world’s most oppressive for women.

Apply Now: Online Summer Training Camp Empowers High School and First-Year College Students to Lead Change

Do you know a high school student or first-year college student passionate about social justice, democracy and creating positive social change? If so, invite them to apply for the Summer Activist Training Camp—a free online program for students of any gender who want to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their advocacy skills. 

In a landscape where young people’s human rights are under attack, we need to unite, educate and amplify the youth voices.

Fired *Again*: HHS Employees Told Their Work Isn’t in the ‘Public Interest’

On Mother’s Day weekend, many probationary employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who had been reinstated under court order, received an unwelcome surprise—a new notice of termination, effective immediately, because their employment “does not advance the public interest.”

I received these letters; it is hard to describe what was more galling—to be told that my role as the Ombuds for Unaccompanied Children was not advancing the public interest or to be fired yet again with no justification, review or opportunity to challenge the decision.

Tariff Tantrum: Why Trump’s Trade War Hits Women Hardest

President Donald Trump’s trade wars continue to create global turmoil and churn for financial markets. Monday, May 12th’s move—a temporary suspension of his “Liberation Day” bombast and 90-day pause until massive tariffs are fully imposed on China—seemed in part prompted by warnings of a dire toy shortage and the sour reaction to Trump blathering about … dolls.

Incoherent as it sounds, it so happens that toys geared to girls indeed are among the consumer products most likely to be subject to an upcharge—tariff mania notwithstanding.

Now in the face of Trump’s tariff frenzy, reports indicate we can expect to see yet another version of the pink tax—aka “pink tariffs”—given that women make the vast majority (80 percent) of all consumer purchases.