Everything you missed at Ms. this week.
Ms. Weekly Digest | July 25, 2020

Dear John,

It was made clear once again this week—though it is certainly not a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention—that women’s rights and gender equality are under attack in the United States. Misogyny is woven into our political system and government, our media and pop culture and through the ways we are seen by others and even the ways we see ourselves.

When a Congressman can call a Congresswoman—and there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll stick with a direct quote—“a fucking bitch,” because he disagrees with her on issues, how do we expect any woman in this country—from the halls of the Capitol, to women who are harassed while simply walking down the street—to do their jobs and live their lives without fear of patriarchal violence?

On the site this week, you can read two articles celebrating and reflecting on Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s powerful speech renouncing the misogynistic verbal abuse she faced from Representative Ted Yoho earlier this week, as well as his subsequent non-apology. One line in AOC’s floor speech stood out to me, in particular: “This issue is not about one incident. It is cultural. It is a culture of... impunity, of accepting violence and violent language against women, and an entire structure of power that supports that.”

Because doesn’t that just cut to the heart of the issue? Who among us hasn’t faced verbal abuse from a man who feels threatened by us, for any number of reasons? And it’s not even just about this sort of interpersonal misogyny—it’s about the many ways that our power structures are designed to further the patriarchy. It’s about the ways in which our systems are working when women, and especially women of color, are kept out of power, disproportionately harmed by crises (as we have seen time and time again throughout the coronavirus crisis) and denied autonomy over their bodies and their lives.

"Misogyny in politics is nothing new,” Michele Goodwin wrote in her powerful new piece for Ms. (which you can read below!) But throughout history—from the world of politics, to the everyday lives of most folks—brave women have stood up to sexism, fought the patriarchy and changed this country for the better. In their honor and in this time, we persist.

And starting this week, we're excited to introduce a new series from Ms. magazine’s Money Editor, Martha Burk! Each week, we'll be investigating “What’s at Stake” in the run-up to the elections this fall. In this first edition, we report on how the election could affect child care during the coronavirus pandemic—and beyond. Be sure to check back for the next installment in this important series next week.

BY MICHELE GOODWIN | "The special venom and bigotry behind such slurs lobbed at women of color are unmistakable as history teaches us." For Dr. Goodwin, that's why Ms. Mary Hamilton’s story came to mind watching AOC's floor speech yesterday.

BY OLIVER C. HAUG | College students are facing an unprecedented situation this fall, and regardless of where they end up, they won’t be meeting in large groups. So what does this mean for the country’s most progressive—and precarious—voting bloc?

BY SEEMA SYED | "When I realized I needed an abortion, I didn’t realize that it would be a destination abortion. I didn’t realize how many barriers—how many people—would be in my way just so I could get the abortion I wanted, when I wanted it. But thankfully, with the help of complete strangers, I was able to get the abortion I wanted at 30 weeks."

BY NANCY L. COHEN | Control over the legislative agenda of the next Congress is very much in play—and the stakes are high for feminists. We break down the nine Senate seats forecasters are calling competitive.

BY JENNIFER WEISS-WOLF | Nearly 3,000 lawyers, law professors and recent graduates are demanding a clear, consistent statement that authorizes people to simply carry and use their own menstrual products while taking the bar exam in every state.

BY MARTHA BURK | What's at stake this November? Well...everything. In the first installment of our new weekly series, Ms. Money Editor Martha Burk tackles how the Election could affect child care during the coronavirus pandemic—and beyond.

BY CYNTHIA RICHIE TERRELL | Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her weekly column, rounding up some of her favorite stories about women’s representation in the news this week.

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