Books
Our Year In Books: Escape? Engage? Do Both?
The Persistent's editors round up their favorite reads of the year.
Latest
History Lessons
‘Women Should Have Children Instead of Poodles’—When Birth Control Came to Washington
The idea of birth control entered the national conversation in 1919, when an artist, activist, and single mother named Mary Ware Dennett brought the (quite shocking!) idea to Congress.
Legislation
How Can Equality Between Genders Still Be Up For Debate?
The Equal Rights Amendment is one of the most embattled pieces of legislation in the U.S. Supporters say it's just a question of publishing the damn thing.
Books
Two Friends, One Diagnosis: This Is a Love Story
When Kat Alexander started looping through cycles of mania, it was her best friend, Mara Altman, who came to the rescue.
Sexual violence
As the Trial of ‘Mr. Every Man’ Draws to a Close, France Debates ‘Intent’ vs. ‘Consent’
The Pelicot trial pits the notion of intent against the concept of consent. The outcome could alter how these kinds of cases are handled in the future.
Culture
What Taylor Swift Taught Me About Aging
No age is the right age to be a woman. Unless, of course, you're Taylor Swift.
Unpaid labor
'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.' Wait, Is It?
Women take on almost all of the additional responsibilities during the holidays. Our cartoonist looks at the data.
Online Violence
Do Australia's Efforts to Protect Kids Online Go Far Enough?
Is passing an imperfect law really worse than not doing anything at all?
Beauty
A Rash On My Face Made Me Reassess My Relationship With Makeup. Here’s What I Learned.
Can you wear makeup and still call yourself a feminist?
Worklife
Permission to Fail
Failing is as much a part of freelancing as bragging about working from home in pajamas. But we don't all fail equally.
Design
What Is It About Boobs?
Some people like flowers on their homewares. Some like cute animals. I like boobs.
Sports
Could Advertising Be An Activist Tool?
How do you sponsor something that apparently nobody wants to see? You trick them into it.
Books
Designers Are Taught to Think of Their Work as Neutral. It’s Not.
Feminist design can show up in anything from the apps we use to the healthcare we receive. The issue is prioritizing it.
Culture
'Now It's Over, I Don't Feel Any Better At All’
The short film, “Incompatible,” tells the story of a pregnant-working class woman making an all-but-impossible choice.
Culture
Not Ladylike to Laugh? Oh, Please.
For men to be funny, women don’t have to be unfunny. Both may chuckle.
U.S. Election 2024
On Tuesday, Signs of Progress, Too
While all eyes were on Donald Trump's win, sure signs of progress emerged on Tuesday, too.