Global

How One Haitian Mother Rebuilt Her Life After Gang Violence—with Courage, Determination, Enterprise and a Small Loan

PUBLISHED 6/2/2026 by

Over the past 25 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside communities in Haiti, traveling there 35 times through my work with the Raising Haiti Foundation. I have met many people like Mirlanda Sully—women and men whose resilience, dignity and determination challenge the way we understand hardship. Her story is extraordinary, but it is not unique.

After armed gangs overtook her hometown, Sully fled with her husband and young son, leaving behind their home, business and possessions.

Arriving in a remote mountain community with nothing, she rebuilt her life through a women-focused microcredit program that provided small loans, business training and a network of support.

Today, she runs a thriving market business, mentors other women and helps ensure her neighbors can access essential goods closer to home.

Again and again, I have seen that lasting change does not come from outside solutions. It comes from investing in the strength, ingenuity and leadership that already exist within communities.

Sully’s story is a powerful reminder that transformation often begins with something small—a loan, an opportunity, a belief in what women can accomplish when given the tools to succeed.

Divya Mathur Holds One of Fashion’s Most Influential Jobs. Here’s How She Earned Consumers’ Trust.

PUBLISHED 6/1/2026 by | UPDATED 6/5/2026 at 7:22 A.M. PT

When Divya Mathur’s team puts a brand no one has heard of, on online fashion site REVOLVE—no big launch, no marketing push and no household name—it sells out, at roughly 90 percent full price. That’s not supposed to be possible in 2026.

In a crowded marketplace where the conventional response is to spend louder—bigger campaigns, more influencers, more reach—Mathur’s results suggest the opposite: In an attention economy oversupplied with everything, the scarce asset isn’t reach. It’s trust. As chief merchandising officer and fashion director at REVOLVE, Mathur serves as what she calls “a gatekeeper to the consumer,” helping determine which brands earn a place in front of millions of women shoppers.

Mathur’s path to helping steer one of fashion’s most powerful retail engines was built across nearly two decades in buying and merchandising, from Gap’s training program to Saks Fifth Avenue, Michael Kors, Shopbop and INTERMIX. A self-described “right-brain/left-brain kid,” she approaches merchandising as equal parts art and science—combining data, intuition and cultural fluency to understand not only who her customer is, but how she spends her time, what she values and what she will want next.

Raised between Silicon Valley’s first wave of Indian tech immigration and summers spent with family in India, Mathur learned early to navigate seemingly opposite worlds.

In an industry where women are often the consumers but less often the executives making the decisions, Mathur’s ability to synthesize analytics, instinct and cultural nuance has become its own competitive advantage.

“I’m always asking my team, ‘where is she [the consumer] wearing it?’ If they can’t answer in one second, it doesn’t make the cut. Doesn’t matter how pretty it is. If you can’t immediately picture the woman who loves this and exactly where she’s wearing it, the product isn’t differentiated enough.”

(This piece is part of an ongoing series, “Redefining Power: How Indian American Women Are Rewriting the Rules of Leadership, Identity and Care.” The series explores what it means to modernize without losing our roots—through candid conversations with Indian American women reshaping culture, power and possibility. Have a story to share or want to be interviewed? Reach the series author Jaime Patel at redefiningpower@msmagazine.com.)

Dispatches From Ukraine’s Frontlines, Where Feminist Organizing Has Become an Act of Survival

PUBLISHED 5/28/2026 by

A lecture and discussion were about to begin in a local public library. It could have been a scene in New York, London or Melbourne. Yet this event was in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, just 25 kilometers from invading Russian forces, where most of the attendees had fled from Russian occupied cities and villages.

The meeting was one of many organized by Natalia Lobach and the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ human rights group, Insight. Lobach said these events aim to create “safe community spaces for people from different age and social groups,” but they are especially “a good way for vulnerable groups to socialize.”

“Putin’s military is trying to destroy us not only physically, but psychologically as well—to take away our identities,” she said. “We are surviving physically, but we are also preserving our identities and our pride. … Isn’t that a kind of miracle, what we continue to do despite the pressure of such a brutal enemy?”

Survivors of Torture Rewrite the Rules Banning It

PUBLISHED 5/27/2026 by

There is no shortage of cases of torture in the headlines. Across today’s crises—from Ukraine to Sudan, Myanmar to Gaza—the allegations are graphic and devastating. But once a legal case closes or the news cycle moves on, another story begins: What happens to those who survive torture?

As U.N. special rapporteur on torture, I have met survivors around the world who carry its effects long after the physical wounds have healed. Survivors spoke to me about stigma, economic struggles, permanent disabilities, fractured relationships and the exhausting fight to be believed, gain access to care and secure justice. Too often, torture is treated as an event that ends when the abuse stops. That is far from survivors’ realities.

That is why survivors themselves helped create the first global Charter of Rights for Victims and Survivors of Torture and other cruelty—a framework demanding access to specialized healthcare, long-term psychological support, legal recognition, financial stability and meaningful involvement in shaping the laws and systems that affect their lives.

Remembering War’s Impacts on Women and Girls on Memorial Day

PUBLISHED 5/24/2026 by

As we pause to mark Memorial Day on Monday, I’m thinking about the women affected by war—whether they’re fighting on the front lines, working in the service as nurses, or civilians saddled with the consequences of wars started by men living in far-off lands who barely know they exist.

Research shows that women and girls face unique and acute impacts in armed conflict situations. For women on the ground in Iran, who are already subject to increased policing at the hands of their own government, these impacts are multiplied. Since 165 girls were killed by an American missile in the bombing of an elementary school earlier this year, thousands more women and girls have continued to be displaced and killed in airstrikes. And as the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security points out, women also face increased environmental tolls from the bombing of oil and gas infrastructure—which causes pollution that can lead to health issues and reproductive complications.

Beyond American Exceptionalism: What the Success of the Green Wave Can Teach U.S. Abortion Activists

PUBLISHED 5/21/2026 by and

While the idea of the U.S. as a bastion of moral superiority has always been a myth—evident, for example, in efforts to shield Jim Crow laws from scrutiny in the founding of the United Nations—the overturning of Roe v. Wade is one of the latest reminders of this fallacy, particularly as it pertains to global health and women’s rights. It is also a cautionary tale for the rest of the world about the fragility of reproductive rights.

As states across the U.S. have banned abortion post-Dobbs, advocates and experts here have been forced to look outside of our borders for assistance, recognizing that other nations have recently mobilized to legalize abortion and have much to teach us, particularly those that have done so by enshrining abortion as a human right.

Ms. Global: From Ukraine to Lebanon to Sudan, Women Are Bearing the Brunt of Escalating Global Conflict

PUBLISHED 5/21/2026 by

Around the world, escalating armed conflict, political repression and humanitarian collapse are reshaping daily life for women and girls—often with devastating consequences. From drone warfare in Sudan, to internet blackouts in Iran, to attacks on healthcare infrastructure in Lebanon and Gaza, women are navigating intensifying threats while also sustaining families, communities and survival networks under extraordinary strain. At the same time, women-led organizations and feminist movements confronting these crises increasingly face funding cuts, political repression and shrinking civic space even as demand for their work grows.

Globally, over 676 million women and girls live within 50 kilometers of armed conflict, representing about 17 percent of the female population. This staggering figure—a 74 percent increase since 2010—is tracked and analyzed by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security in partnership with PRIO.

But we also know: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the world’s most urgent crises. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide—and the gendered realities shaping conflict, displacement, political repression and survival.

No Women Were Present at the U.S.-China Negotiations. This Is By Design.

PUBLISHED 5/15/2026 by

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment!

This week:
—Mexico continues to bet the U.S. on women’s political representation.
—A brief explanation on the Supreme Court’s attack on voting rights.
—In a 2028 presidential nomination poll, women lead among Democrats.
—Denise Powell earns a primary nod in a hotly contested Nebraska congressional race.

… and more.

Afghan Women’s Refugee Football Team Officially Recognized by FIFA in Landmark Victory

PUBLISHED 5/12/2026 by

For the first time since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 that forced Afghan women athletes into exile, Afghanistan’s women’s refugee football team has officially been granted recognition to compete in international tournaments under FIFA. This decision marks a rare and meaningful victory for Afghan women, whose rights, education and participation in public life have been systematically erased under Taliban rule for the past five years.

The FIFA Council announced the team formerly known as Afghan Women United will now be recognized as the Afghanistan women’s football team, allowing the players to compete in international competitions despite the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation refusing to acknowledge women’s sports.

The players are now expected to participate in future international competitions and could potentially enter qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

For many Afghan women, the moment carries meaning far beyond World Cup football. It serves as a reminder that despite years of repression, Afghan girls and women have not abandoned their ambitions, talents or dreams. Even after being pushed out of schools, workplaces, stadiums and public life, they continue to fight for spaces where they can exist freely and represent themselves on the world stage.

Nazia Ali, an Australia-based player on the team, reflected on the emotional significance of once again being able to represent Afghanistan officially. “For the last few years, we have played under many names—as refugees, as Afghan Women United, and as guests of other clubs—but in our hearts, we were always the national team.”

Yes, You Can Still Get Abortion Pills by Mail—Here’s What to Know

PUBLISHED 5/11/2026 by | UPDATED 5/15/2026 at 10:40 A.M. PT

On May 1, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a sweeping ruling seeking to prohibit telehealth prescribing of mifepristone, forcing women to see a provider in-person to acquire the first pill in the standard two-drug medication abortion regimen. The decision would have blocked U.S. clinicians from mailing abortion pills after telehealth consultations nationwide.

On May 4, however, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily paused that ruling, preserving current telehealth and mail access while the justices consider next steps. The Court’s temporary ruling was set to last until 5 p.m. ET on Monday, May 11, giving the justices time to decide whether to extend the pause or let the lower-court ruling take effect.

Then, on Monday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court briefly extended its temporary order preserving telehealth and mail access to mifepristone while the justices continue deliberating over the emergency appeal. Justice Samuel Alito extended the Court’s administrative stay through Thursday, May 14, at 5 p.m. ET, keeping on hold the Fifth Circuit’s May 1 ruling that would have required patients nationwide to obtain the medication through in-person visits. The order means that, for now, people can still access mifepristone through telehealth consultations and mail delivery under the current FDA rules.

National Institute for Reproductive Health president Christian LoBue said the Supreme Court’s decision “preserves telehealth access to mifepristone for now,” but warned it also “prolongs an untenable state of uncertainty for patients and providers nationwide.” Antiabortion forces are “focused on creating chaos and fear, not improving health outcomes,” she said, urging states to instead focus on strengthening protections for providers, patient privacy and access to medication abortion.

Regardless of what the courts ultimately decide, abortion access advocates, international telehealth providers and community networks say they are prepared to continue helping people access abortion pills.

Either way, the infrastructure for medication abortion access already exists—and it is not disappearing.