“A Trailblazing Leader”: Feminists React to Speaker Pelosi’s Re-Election

nancy pelosi speaker house

The top House Democrat since 2003 and the only woman to ever serve as speaker, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) won a fourth term as leader of the House on Sunday, Jan. 3, in a 216-209 partisan vote.

Pelosi’s re-election marks an important milestone in U.S. history: Come Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, both people next in line for presidential succession will be women—Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and Speaker Pelosi.

The Ms. Top Feminists of 2020

Ms. Feminists of the Year

Despite the political, economic and public health challenges this year—or perhaps because of them—feminists mobilized, fought for our rights, and made progress on many of the issues we care deeply about.

From voter mobilization to reproductive justice, politicians to pop stars, here are our top feminists of 2020.

War on Women Report: Trump Attacks Pelosi and Advocates for Voter Fraud

War on Women Report: Trump Attacks Pelosi and Advocates for Voter Fraud

The War on Women is in full force under the Trump administration. We refuse to go back, and we refuse to let the administration quietly dismantle the progress we’ve made. We are watching.

This week: Ted Cruz leads a group of 20 Republicans to ban the abortion pill; the U.S. will not partake in a collective effort by the World Health Organization to develop a coronavirus vaccine; Trump advocates for his supporters to attempt voter fraud; AG Barr is completely out of touch with the reality of racism; Trump blocked from trying to withhold federal family planning funds; Trump tries to make #ButHerHaircut a thing; and Pence is triggered by “Mulan.”

Suffragists Knew Voting Was Only the First Step to Equality. The ERA Could Finish the Job.

Suffragists Knew Voting Was Only the First Step to Equality. The ERA Could Finish the Job.

Suffragists were not a single-issue group—what they wanted was true equality for women, and they recognized women’s voting power was only the first step toward realizing this goal.

This is why the suffrage movement was closely linked to the larger push for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)—a struggle for gender equality that still continues today.

War on Women: Trump’s Obsession with “Nasty Women”—From Harris to Clinton

War on Women: Trump's Obsession with "Nasty Women"—From Harris to Clinton

The War on Women is in full force under the Trump administration. We refuse to go back, and we refuse to let the administration quietly dismantle the progress we’ve made. We are watching.

This week: Donald Trump’s executive actions and empty promises; transphobia from the Trump administration; Trump’s troublesome new coronavirus advisor, Scott Atlas; Trump calls Harris “meanest” and “most horrible”; the Trump administration’s newest policy focus: increasing the amount of water permitted to flow from shower heads; GOP support for Marjorie Taylor Greene, a known QAnon conspiracy; Sexism, racism, birtherism and baseless lies in the continued attacks on Kamala Harris by Trump and Fox News; and Trump restricts vote-by-mail

Keeping Score: Nancy Pelosi on ‘Fumigating’ the White House

Keeping Score: Nancy Pelosi on 'Fumigating' the White House

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 in this biweekly round-up.

This week: the death of civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis; a pattern of misogyny among conservative thinkers; Rosie the Riveter is back at it; Greta Thunberg’s big donation; Army Reserve will be led by a woman for the first time ever; Cal State undergrads must take an ethnic studies or social justice class; Latinos became the largest group of accepted prospective freshmen at the University of California; women delaying pregnancy; and more.