More Than A Magazine, A Movement
It’s 2022, and we’re finally talking about how to solve the problems that have been plaguing U.S. workers for ages—women of color in particular.
Three policies from 2021 stand out in particular for their outsized positive impact in solving for gender and racial inequities: the child tax credit; Biden’s forgiving of $12 billion in student loan debt; and guaranteed income pilots.
It’s been a hell of a year for feminists.
But we didn’t sit around. We took to the streets, to protest the attacks on our right to decide what happens to our own bodies. To protest the lack of progress on voting rights, immigration, police and gun reform, and on finally enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. We wrote letters, sent messages, tweet stormed, rallied, called Congress, and gave money to support our causes in a year when budgets were tight—because we knew it was the right thing to do.
Happy new year from all of us at Ms., and thank you for sticking with us through the hard times.
As 2021 comes to a close, Ms. asked some of our favorite feminists—from abortion activists and providers to climate crisis specialists and environmentalists—what they see as top priorities and what changes they’re hoping for in 2022.
“Ms. readers: We are the answer—the future we’ve been waiting for! And that begins right now, on the eve of 2022.”
Since we appear to be in one of the dark timelines, it shouldn’t be any wonder that a lot of that good comes to us in the form of fictional media.
These 10 shows that came out this year captured my attention because of their distinctive and dynamic women characters. Most of these shows were created by women and/or employ many women as writers and directors of individual episodes. All of them feature compelling women protagonists or co-leads.
As 2021 comes to a close, it’s about time we take a look back at the many “firsts” we’ve garnered this year, both at home and abroad.
At the end of 2021, 80 percent of President Biden’s confirmed judges have been women—compared to 42 percent of President Obama’s federal judges and a mere 24 percent of President Trump’s.
It will take a sustained commitment to diversity to actually achieve a federal judiciary that reflects the American people. Even with President Biden’s diverse judges confirmed this year, the federal judiciary is still approximately 72 percent white and 65 percent men. The numbers are moving in the right direction, but we have a long way to go.
From COVID vaccines to abortion rights, infrastructure bills to Olympic athletes, 2021 has been a monunmental year for feminists around the globe. With so many of our rights in jeopardy, and with so many women struggling to recover from the pandemic, activists have had to work even harder to stand up for the causes we believe in.
Tackling voting rights, public health, reproductive justice and much more, here are our top feminists of 2021.
Throughout this year, Ms. has highlighted the voices of low-income Black moms in the Front and Center series, working to center those affected by the intersections of poverty, racism and sexism. Here’s how guaranteed income has shaped the lives of 15 low-income families.
While the United States has a long way to go to achieve intersectional, gender-balanced governance, progress was still made in 2021. From historic appointments to record-breaking elections, women reached new milestones at every level of government this year.
So as difficult as it may be to find cause to celebrate in challenging times, here are 10 reasons to have hope for a more gender-inclusive future.
They used Minecraft to fight for their reproduction rights, T-shirts to protest censorship, Instagram to bring an end to sexual assault and state law to reform environmental curricula in schools. The teen girls profiled in this year’s The Future is Ms. series dug deep into their activists toolbox to create change in their communities and make the world a better place for girls and women. Here’s a roundup of articles written by teen girl journalists.
