Everything you missed at Ms. this week.
Ms. Weekly Digest | April 18, 2020

Dear John,

If you’ve read any of his Tweets or watched his afternoon press briefings, you’ll know that President Trump has been heaping praise upon himself and his administration this week—despite their delayed, inadequate response to the COVID-19 crisis and the many lives lost due to this incompetence.

Much praise is actually due to the Governors and community leaders who have provided the public with accurate, factual information, while doing what they can to keep their communities safe during this pandemic.

The media has tended to focus on certain leaders in this time, and—as well deserved as this focus has been—I’ve noticed some important (female!) voices are missing from this mainstream conversation. You might have seen a meme making the rounds on social media this week, depicting pictures of world leaders and the question, “What do countries with the best coronavirus responses have in common?” The answer is, of course, that they have women in their top leadership roles.

In times of turmoil and in times of peace, we’ve seen again and again that women’s leadership benefits us all. From Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer—who has been speaking out for her state despite the President dismissing her as “that woman from Michigan”—to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who has led some of the very best containment efforts, women leaders around the globe have stepped up and shown us how it’s done.

Also thanks to the leadership of women, this January, Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I am excited to announce that we’ve just launched a multi-part series on MsMagazine.com, examining the half-century fight to add women to the Constitution—and providing a game plan on where we go from here. You can read the first installment below, and then check back every Wednesday for a new piece of the story.

Stay well and stay safe.

BY CARRIE N. BAKER | In January, Virginia because the 38th and final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Despite what opponents of equality have claimed, the fight continues. This is the first in a multi-part series examining the half-century fight to add women to the U.S. Constitution—and providing a game plan on where we go from here.

BY FIONA PESTANA | As the news cycle disproportionately—but not surprisingly!—focuses on how myriad white men are leading the fight against coronavirus, the Ms. team has also found hope in women leaders across the globe.

BY JHUMPA BHATTACHARYA | "It is increasingly clear that what people need most is a direct, sustained, unrestricted cash benefit. The question on many people’s mind is, 'How do we get there?' The answer: Start with Black women."

BY DR. SARA SIMONS | "The ban on all abortions was opportunistic, medically unnecessary and led to a whiplash-inducing round of judicial back-and-forth. The legality of abortion has been in constant limbo, changing at least five times in two weeks."

BY MICHELE GOODWIN | Elections in Wisconsin were marked by voter suppression, conservative organizations essentially lobbying the state Supreme Court by letter (rather than the typical filing of briefs) and the failure of the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold civil liberties during a pandemic.

BY CYNTHIA RICHIE TERRELL | Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with a new installment of her weekly column! Each week, she compiles some of her favorite stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world.

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