All Eyes on Ohio: The Next Abortion Battleground State

PUBLISHED 9/8/2023 by

Proponents of the ballot measure to amend Ohio’s state constitution to protect the right to abortion always knew they faced an uphill battle. Challenged to both gather enough signatures to make the ballot and defeat a Republican-led measure that would make it more difficult to amend the state constitution—aimed at derailing the amendment—advocates in the Buckeye state are rising to the task.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2023 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get the issue delivered straight to your mailbox!)

Sexual and Reproductive Health Is Fundamental to Achieving Universal Health Coverage

PUBLISHED 9/5/2023 by and

World leaders will gather in New York City on Sept. 21 for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to review progress toward universal health coverage (UHC).

We call on world leaders to step up and make clear and strong commitments defining sexual and reproductive health services—including safe abortion care—as non-negotiable components of UHC.

In North Carolina, the U.S.’ Youngest Party Chair Has a Plan for Attracting Voters and Winning Elections in the Battleground State

PUBLISHED 9/5/2023 by and

Elected at 25 years old in North Carolina, Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state Democratic party. In February, Clayton ousted Bobbie Richardson—a woman 48 years her senior who was endorsed by the North Carolina Democratic establishment, including Gov. Roy Cooper.

Clayton’s strategy for revitalizing the Democratic Party in North Carolina—a battleground state in the upcoming 2024 elections—is to expand the party’s base by focusing on young voters and rural communities, which she believes the party has ignored for far too long.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2023 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get the issue delivered straight to your mailbox!)

War on Women Report: AP Psych Effectively Banned in Florida; Indiana and S.C. Abortion Bans Take Effect; Trump Indicted in Fourth Criminal Case 

PUBLISHED 9/3/2023 by and

U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report: 135 people have died in Texas prisons; two Indiana school districts must allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choosing; Advanced Placement Psychology classes are “effectively banned” in Florida; an 8-month pregnant woman was arrested and put in jail after a false facial recognition match; New Jersey supreme court sides with Catholic school that fired an unmarried pregnant teacher on religious grounds; a total ban on abortion has taken effect in Indiana, and a strict six-week ban in South Carolina; and more.

September 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us

PUBLISHED 9/3/2023 by

Each month, we provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

The spectacular 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution will go on sale Sept. 19 from Knopf; pre-order yours and get it sent to your door. It is seriously magnificent.

Oh, and check out these 30 other fantastic books releasing this month!

We Need Courageous Leaders Who Stand Up to Anti-Abortion Extremists

PUBLISHED 9/2/2023 by

Our political leaders must stand up to the intimidation tactics of the anti-abortion movement. They must not cower when faced with blood-soaked letters, condemnations to damnation or threats of frivolous lawsuits. If we cave in to their tactics, we embolden them. Now more than ever before, we need courageous leaders at the national, state and local levels of government who will stand up to anti-abortion bullies.

New Memoir ‘Brave-ish’ Shows the Importance of Feminist Mentors and Representation

PUBLISHED 9/2/2023 by

In September 2019, it was my honor to attend the United Nations General Assembly 74 as media on behalf of Ms. As I sat in the meeting for “Gender Equality: from the Biarritz Partnership to the Beijing+25 Generation Equality Forum” with U.N. Women, I kept thinking about the impact that Joannie Parker had on my life. This year she would have turned 90 years old and her teaching inspires me every day to do more and to do better. I wish I could call her to tell her that my memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty, will be published on Sept. 19, 2023.

Our Abortion Stories: Two Years of Texas’ SB 8

PUBLISHED 9/1/2023 by and

Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade, representing the largest blow to women’s constitutional rights in history. In Texas, this has been part of women’s reality for years.

“The state doesn’t care about the lives of their constituents, especially pregnant people,” said Amanda Zurawski.

A series from Ms., Our Abortion Stories chronicles experiences of abortion pre- and post-Roe. This special edition is dedicated to the women in Texas fighting to reclaim the right to safe and accessible abortion care on this grim two-year anniversary. 

Keeping Score: Montana Judge Rules Climate Change Denial Harms Young People; S.C. Court Upholds Near-Total Abortion Ban; Interest in Women’s Sports Sets New World Record

PUBLISHED 9/1/2023 by

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: At least 20 states have enacted some kind of ban on transgender care for minors; appeals judge tries to overturn FDA approval of mifepristone; Democrats urge Biden to further pursue student loan forgiveness; three Black residents killed in Jacksonville by white supremacist; educators sue Idaho for banning discussion of abortion in class; FDA approves RSV vaccine for pregnant patients; Montana judge ruled in favor of young environmentalists; South Carolina Supreme Court reinstitutes abortion ban; “when we allow efforts to fight racism to be framed as racism itself, loss of life is not far behind”; and more.

Anti-Abortion Extremists Charged With Breaking Federal Law in Historic Justice Department Conviction

PUBLISHED 9/1/2023 by

On Tuesday, a federal jury convicted five anti-abortion defendants of federal civil rights offenses in connection with a reproductive healthcare clinic invasion and blockade in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. According to the Department of Justice, defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense. Each defendant faces a potential penalty of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000.

The case marks the first time the Justice Department charged anti-abortion activists with a violation of the civil rights conspiracy statute, in conjunction with the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act—a historic moment in the ongoing fight to hold anti-abortion extremists accountable for their unlawful behavior. 

“This important victory vindicates the rights of women, patients and abortion providers across the country,” said duVergne Gaines, director of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Clinic Access Project.