Will Young Women Be Her Superpower? Harris Energizes Young Voters, Who Support National Abortion Rights

PUBLISHED 9/24/2024 by

During her short campaign for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris has reinvigorated the nation’s youngest voters—particularly women under 30, who support her by a massive 3:1 margin, according to a new national poll released Tuesday by the Institute of Politics at Harvard.

A longtime advocate for abortion rights, Harris appears to be benefiting from Americans’ overwhelming support for restoring the protections lost after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortion has been a motivating factor in elections the past two years and is likely to be so again, especially in states where abortion initiatives are on the ballot. The key issue already has been at the center of the presidential campaign, with Trump taking credit for the Court’s ruling and Harris laying blame for the resulting abortion bans at his feet.

Erased From Public Life: Women Under the Taliban Regime

PUBLISHED 9/23/2024 by and

Afghanistan has plummeted to last in global rankings of gender equity and women’s security since the withdrawal of international forces in 2021. A second Taliban regime has issued increasingly harsh decrees entrapping millions of women and girls in a system of repression that violates their basic human rights, segregates them from broader society and keeps opportunities and independence out of reach.

But even as the situation for Afghan women grows more dire, the international community is inching closer to recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate leaders in Afghanistan, leaving Afghan women with diminishing hopes that their oppression will end.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)

‘Artificial Timelines Put Parents on a Constrained Roadmap to Make Decisions About Their Life’: Rep. Hillary Scholten on Faith and Preserving Choice 

PUBLISHED 9/23/2024 by

If there had been a 15-week abortion ban in place at the time that U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) was 14 weeks pregnant, she would have never been given the freedom, space and time to make the choice not to have an abortion.

“It made me recognize how incredibly grateful I was that I was able to make those choices free from government interference, free from the overreach of people who just wanted to score political points, and how I was free to make the best decision for me and my family, which in my case was to choose not to have an abortion and to give our daughter every chance at life that we possibly could,” Scholten told Ms. 

Documentary ‘Preconceived’ Exposes Horrors of Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry: ‘I Came to You for Help. Why Did You Lie?’

PUBLISHED 9/22/2024 by

Since the fall of Roe, anti-choice politicians have rushed to champion “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) as a legitimate alternative to qualified reproductive healthcare. As they funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into these unregulated clinics, abortion ban states suffer high rates of maternal and infant mortality and widespread maternal care deserts.

A new documentary, Preconceived (now available to stream), shines a clear light on this evasive industry, deftly navigating a complex landscape of deception, privacy, finances and faith.

Surprised a Colorado Mom Was Jailed for Protecting Her Kids? Don’t Be.

PUBLISHED 9/20/2024 by and

Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins was jailed for objecting to court ordered “reunification therapy” that sought to mend the relationship between her children and their father, a man charged with sexually assaulting three of their daughters and physically abusing their son.

As a divorce coach and coercive control expert, who are both domestic abuse survivors, we see these mind boggling, trauma-inducing decisions by family courts every day. This Colorado mom could be any mom. That’s why it’s time that America deals with our family court crisis head on.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: N.Y. Sen. Jessica Ramos Challenges Eric Adams for Mayor; Nikki Haley Says Trump, Vance ‘Need to Change the Way They Speak About Women’

PUBLISHED 9/20/2024 by

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

In this week’s Weekend Reading, we’ll cover dedicated groups committed to election reform, organizations supporting women running for office at the local level, the latest 2024 elections information that women voters need, the Ranked-Choice Voting Act, and state Sen. Jessica Ramos’ campaign announcement.

Utah’s Near-Total Abortion Ban Placed on Hold… for Now

PUBLISHED 9/19/2024 by | UPDATED 9/20/2024 at 8:45 A.M. PT

In early August, the Utah Supreme Court ruled to place a near-total abortion ban on hold, effectively blocking the law until a lower court can assess its constitutionality. For now, abortion will remain legal in the state until 18 weeks. 

“This is an individual choice, and it should be between that individual and their healthcare provider, and their healthcare providers should not be afraid that they’re going to be put in prison,” Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero told Ms.

Pay Women Athletes the Compensation They’re Due

PUBLISHED 9/19/2024 by and

The fight for gender equality in sports remains a long, arduous journey.

The retroactive NIL (name, image and likeness) payments for former and current athletes included in the pending NCAA legal settlement would represent a new chapter in this battle by offering female athletes a chance to finally be compensated for their contributions to their sports and the universities they represented.