Politics - The Persistent

A photo illustration shows a scattered collection of packets of the pill, depicted in bright colors.

Birth Control

The Popularity of the Pill Is Plummeting—at the Exact Moment It Shouldn’t Be

Birth control gave women control over their bodies, their careers and their futures. A cultural campaign against the pill risks rolling all this back.

Read view of a packed White House room as Antony Blinken stands at a podium, flanked by women

Politics

Distracting From the Task of ‘War-Fighting?’ Good Grief.

Canceling the Women, Peace and Security Act might seem like no big deal. But it’s a very big deal. And such a waste.

An artist's rendering of Angela Merkel. She is shown against a blue patterned background and wears a blue blazer.

History Lessons

My Reluctant Feminist Hero

In a world in which wealth and opulence seem to beget political power, I long for a leader with un-showy discipline. I can’t help thinking of Angela Merkel.

A painting of a woman in a red dress walking away from the viewer, down a path in a park.

Mental Health

A Handful of Reasons to Be Hopeful. (Yes, We Found Some!)

Wars, wildfires and felonious world leaders are dominating the news cycle. But also: Diseases are being treated, solar power is booming and some animals are back from the brink of extinction.

A collage showing a cut up picture of a woman speaking into a megaphone overlaid with pink wool.

Persisting Through Politics

How Will Women Protest In a Second Trump Term?

Pussy hats and memes might provide some emotional relief, but the real work will take place behind the scenes.

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.

Illustration of female artists creating a mural of Kamala Harris, who wears a bright blue jacket

Persisting Through Politics

What Went Wrong for Kamala Harris?

In the end, it wasn't even a close-won race. Did the Harris campaign get it wrong—or did the Trump side spot something the Democrats didn't?

Persisting Through Politics

The Day After the Big Day

This isn’t the note I was hoping to write. Harris lost. Trump won.

History Lessons

As America Votes Harris vs. Trump, One Woman’s Legacy Looms Especially Large

How Shirley Chisholm, who ran for president against all odds, forever altered the landscape for women in U.S. politics.

U.S. Election 2024

‘Blame Women’—How the Trump Campaign Is Courting Voters...and Donors

With hours to go before voting begins, the Trump campaign is trying new tactics to establish a MAGA future—and many of those attack women.

People sit on bleachers. Above them, giant letters spell out the words VOTE EARLY.

U.S. Election 2024

What’s Really Fueling U.S. Voters?

In the end, the election may boil down to different ideas about female and male roles; to gender equality and gender traditionalism.

A photo of a woman, seen from behind, wearing a denim jacket with Trump 2024 on it.

Politics

What They See In Him: The Women Who Know They’re Voting for Trump

Some women are still backing Trump, even though they don't love his behavior—and they're even more enthusiastic about JD Vance.

Claudia Sheinbaum waves from the window of a car. She is smiling broadly.

Politics

How Do Feminists Feel About Mexico's New President? It's Complicated.

Is Mexico's new president good for women? It depends who you ask.

An illustration depicts a pregnant mother with two kids standing in a cactus flower looking into the distance.

Persisting Through Politics

U.S. Politics: Who’s the Pro-Family Party Now?

For decades, the Republican Party has laid claim to “family” and “freedom.” That’s changing.

A black-and-white image of Tim Walz standing at a podium, with a crowd behind him.

Persisting Through Politics

Gender Equality Isn’t Just a Women’s Issue. Tim Walz Knows That.

The vice presidential candidate is a plain-speaking Midwesterner—whose experiences mean he has prioritized policies traditionally classed as “women’s issues”.

A person's wrist sporti a friendship bracelet with a message of support for Vice President Harris.

Persisting Through Politics

‘Unity Is Key,’ They Said. Then Came The Kamala Zooms

White Dudes for Harris, Black Women for Kamala—identity politics is raising millions of dollars for the presumptive Democratic nominee. It’s a strategy no established politico would have recommended.