Young activist holds sign that says "Fighting for my future" at the DC Women's March.

The Feminist Majority proudly endorses Kamala Harris for President. As a trailblazing leader and advocate for gender equality, reproductive rights, and social justice, Harris embodies the values we champion every day. Her unwavering commitment to fighting for the rights of women and marginalized communities makes her the perfect candidate to lead our nation toward a more equitable and just future.

We commend President Joe Biden for his steadfast dedication to these crucial issues, setting a strong foundation for continued progress. Together, with Harris at the helm, we can continue to break barriers and move our country forward.

The Feminist Majority team is hosting an Equalitea at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to celebrate the incredible leaders that are fighting for gender equality every day. We can’t wait to see you there!

Join us at a feminist gathering in celebration of Kamala Harris for smashing the highest of glass ceilings, the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and the fight for its recognition, and fabulous feminist candidates and elected officials at the Democratic National Convention!

WHEN: Monday, August 19th, 2:00 - 4:00pm

WHERE: Palmer House Hilton, State Ballroom, 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL

Follow this link to buy your tickets!

Protest sign that states "I'm not ovary-acting" at a Supreme Court rally for mifepristone. 

Mifepristone, often dubbed the “abortion pill,” has been a topic of heated debate since it was approved for use in the United States in 2000. The drug was developed by the French pharmaceutical company Roussel Uclaf, and has since revolutionized abortion care, now accounting for almost two-thirds of all abortions in the United States. However, focusing solely on its role in abortion overlooks its broader medical potential in treating a wide range of conditions. The tense political climate around the topic of abortion has played a huge role in the drug’s fate. 

The Feminist Majority Foundation was a key player in the drug’s introduction into the United States. FMF founder and President, Eleanor Smeal, in partnership with other feminist leaders, continuously advocated for mifepristone, citing that the medication could be a treatment for numerous life-threatening conditions. Eventually, their efforts prevailed. In December 1999, FMF was given the responsibility of distributing mifepristone to patients for compassionate use — a pathway for patients with life-threatening conditions to use an investigational medicine that has not gone through extensive clinical trials — after the original manufacturer said they could no longer do it. 

How Does Mifepristone Work?

At its core, mifepristone blocks the cells that respond to progesterone at low doses and blocks  the effects of glucocorticoid hormone at high doses. Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy by thickening the uterine lining and increasing blood supply to the area. By inhibiting this hormone, mifepristone can effectively terminate a pregnancy by causing the uterine lining to shed, expelling the fertilized egg. But its ability to block these hormones also opens the door to a variety of other therapeutic applications. 

Men have progesterone as well, helping them produce and mature sperm, prevent hair loss, and improve sleep. Glucocorticoids play a role in glucose, protein and fat breakdown, the fight-or-flight stress response, and maintaining mood. They also have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immunosuppressive properties. Mifepristone is used to treat conditions by either lowering cortisol, the hormone responsible for the fight-or-flight response, or blocking progesterone. 

Beyond Abortion: Uses of Mifepristone

Outside of being used as an abortifacient, mifepristone is known to have numerous other uses, previously discovered in clinical trials. Just a few of the most studied conditions that mifepristone has been shown to effectively treat are Cushing’s Syndrome, some types of breast cancer, Gulf War Illness, Psychotic Depression, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

On July 15, Trump announced his pick for Vice President at the Republican National Convention — a young Ohio Senator named J.D. Vance. Vance is most well-known for his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” where he recounts his tumultuous childhood. Vance became a Senator when he won the Ohio seat in 2022. Before his election and support from Trump, Vance was a known critic of Trump, even calling him “America’s Hitler.” 

While on the campaign trail for his Senate seat, Vance quickly changed his opinion on Trump and eventually gained his endorsement for the race. Vance identifies with populist conservative beliefs and has frequently gotten himself involved in culture wars ranging from gender-affirming care for minors to abortion. 

While campaigning in 2022, Vance gave a speech about divorce, a topic he has frequently spoken about. In this speech, Vance stated that Americans need to stay in unhappy marriages, possibly even violent ones, for the sake of their children. 

“This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, ‘well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy," said Vance. "And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.” 

Vance himself talks about his history with domestic violence, both in his memoir and in comments to critics of his controversial take on divorce. In his book, Vance frequently spoke about his grandparents, who were in a highly violent marriage — one that almost ended in murder. He also speaks frequently about his abusive mother, whose actions eventually led him to live with his grandparents. Vance views his grandparents’ relationships as a model; they stayed together for decades, even during times of violence and hatred. 

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Student activist, Piper Duncan, at a Supreme Court rally for mifepristone. 

Project 2025. What exactly is it? The 920 page document was written by The Heritage Foundation– a conservative think tank that has outlined their goals for the transition period if Donald Trump were to be elected as President in November. Heritage Foundation President Kevin D. Roberts has made it clear that the focus of the plan is the dismantling of women’s rights, civil rights, and LGBTQ rights: “The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors.” 

LGBTQ Rights

The foundation of the project centers around the “restoration of the family as the centerpiece of American life” and emphasizes the need to “protect our children.” In the opinion of the Heritage Foundation, the best way to protect vulnerable children is to rid them of any personal expression or identity, by describing the rainbow flag as a “divisive symbol” that is being imposed upon the children of America. 

Reproductive Rights

Unsurprisingly, they also recommend an anti-abortion approach that would force children who are survivors of rape to see through their pregnancies and accept the “heroism” of becoming a mother, even if it could kill the child forced to carry out the pregnancy. They advocate for a national abortion ban and an abortion medication ban. The document also describes severe restrictions on IVF access, as well as access to all forms of contraception, in order to decrease recreational sex. The backward nature of the outrageous arguments made within the policy proposal make them hard to accept as a possible reality, reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale.  

Education and Career Opportunities

Project 2025 threatens to completely reduce the educational and career prospects of young women by promoting policies that reinforce traditional gender roles. The plan lays out the creation of a “parents’ bill of rights” to allow parents to opt their children out of learning topics that go against their religious views and also bans education on race, gender, and slavery. The project advocates for a return to a more conservative educational curriculum, potentially reducing emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, where women are already underrepresented. By prioritizing vocational training and traditional family roles over higher education and professional development, Project 2025 risks creating a generation of young women with limited opportunities and diminished aspirations, hindering their ability to achieve economic independence and career success.

In March of this year, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, announced that the Taliban regime would resume the public stoning of women for crimes like adultery. The Taliban argues that this is “in line with Sharia and Islamic law” and will also punish other “moral crimes” in a similar fashion.  

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the regime has carried out severe public punishments, including executions, floggings, and stoning. These punishments mirror those carried out during their first regime in the late 1990s. There have been five public executions so far and numerous public floggings.  

Human rights advocates across the world note that religious justification, especially one that has no legitimate basis in the Quran, does not excuse the brutal treatment of women and human rights violations. 

For women accused of “moral crimes” like adultery, there is no way to seek justice or defend themselves. The Taliban has banned women lawyers and judges and installed radical replacements of mullahs, forcing women to accept punishment with no room for recourse. In 2023, the Taliban installed judges who ordered 417 public flogging and executions, which included at least 57 documented women. 

In June 2024, the Taliban announced 63 people were flogged, including 14 women and 49 men, in a sports stadium after having been convicted of various “moral crimes” like adultery and homosexuality.  

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Anselma collecting signatures for the ERA petition and being interviewed about her efforts at a rally at the Supreme Court. 

School: Barnard College of Columbia University

Major: History and Human Rights

Fun Fact about Anselma: Anselma grew up in 5 different countries, loves running and reading! 

What has been a standout moment for you in your feminist activism?

A rewarding moment for me this summer was attending the panel of Afghan Women Convening on Gender Apartheid hosted by the Middle East Institute. I was particularly inspired by the human rights lawyers who discussed pathways of legal codification and issues within international law and I was further motivated by the women fighting against gender apartheid in the face of systematic injustice.

Vote for Equality, an independent expenditure campaign of Feminist Majority, is recruiting community college and university students, as well as recent grads, to be Campus Organizers and Coordinators for our student voter mobilization campaign. Our goal is to deliver a massive student vote to stop the backward trend on fundamental rights. Vote for Equality will be conducting student-led campaigns in Arizona, California, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

If you would like to work in CA, NV, AZ, or WI, applicants should submit a cover letter describing activism and experience in leadership, resume (including GPA), and two references (including one from a professor or faculty member) to [email protected]. 

If you would like to work in MI, OH, PA, NC, or NY, applicants should send the same materials to [email protected].

Paid for by Vote for Equality, the political arm of the Feminist Majority, www.feministmajority.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

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