From the Supreme Court to California—and back to the impeachment polls.
Weekly Digest | October 12, 2019
Letter from an Editor
"It’s time that we live in a world where people are judged by their worth, not their gender," author Shamim Sharif wrote in a piece for Ms. this week. "It’s that belief that fuels my work. As the women of The Athena Protocol have decided—when the old ways don’t work, shouldn’t we start looking at new ones?"
It was a fitting question for the week—one in which fights on one coast for feminist values unfolded while victories were marked on another.
Three cases being heard this week by the Supreme Court put into focus just how vulnerable LGBTQ workers remain, especially in a legal landscape where a patchwork of state laws determine their rights, and another puts abortion rights at risk. (And as expert contributors in pieces this week called for the Equality Act to protect LGBT rights in the workplace, others called for comprehensive reforms to end and address sexual harassment, and to take it seriously as an economic liability.)
But in the Golden State, multiple landmark pieces of legislation were signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, giving young feminists much room for celebration. One expands efforts to engage student voters, and another mandates that medication abortion be provided on campus to students at the state's public colleges and universities. Both are groundbreaking and historic pushes for progress.
Of course, we continued following the 2020 election this week, with new analysis—included in the round-up below—giving us a better idea of what to watch out for in what is shaping up to be another historic campaign season for women. We continued reporting on the impeachment, and the gender gap driving its support across the country.
And we marked International Day of the Girl yesterday with a call to action—for Congress to pass the Keeping Girls in School Act.
Progress is not linear—but this movement is marching on, and we're determined to continue covering it.
For equality,
Carmen Rios
Managing Digital Editor
More Must-Reads from Ms.
This weekend marks 18 years of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan—one that has transformed the landscape of women’s lives in the region. Ms. has been consistently covering the fight for Afghan women’s rights, and amplifying the voices of women fighting for equality and democracy there on the frontlines. Inside this reader are some of the major pieces we’ve published.
Related: What’s at Risk for Abused Afghan Women
Setting the Record Straight: Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s Legal Team Speaks Out
We represented Dr. Christine Blasey Ford one year ago when she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about being sexually assaulted as a teenager by now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. We are repeatedly asked: “How is Dr. Ford doing now?” The answer, unfortunately, is that the price to Dr. Ford and those around her has been enormous, and continues. Even though she has tried valiantly to return to life as a professor, scientist, mother, wife and private citizen, she has been thwarted at every turn. She continues to be subjected to hateful rhetoric and lies—including those regularly disseminated by a well-oiled attack machine, and repeated at the highest levels of our government. We want to put to rest some of the repeated falsehoods.
The Toil and Trouble with Trump’s Idea of a “Witch Hunt”
Rudy Giuliani has confirmed suspicions that he is a baby-snatching, potion-brewing, broomstick-riding witch. Well, not exactly—but he did compare the ongoing impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump to the Salem witch trials in a tweet this week. Trump’s coven can try to re-write the narrative, and America history along with it, but they’re not fooling anyone.
Related: The Impeachment Gender Gap is Growing
What We Learned in 2018—and What it Means for 2020
Gender disparities and gendered barriers in American politics were not upended in a single cycle. Nevertheless, the 2018 election delivered key points of progress that will shape the terrain that candidates are navigating, and it left those of us committed to more equitable political institutions with a reminder that we have unfinished business left to address—in 2020 and beyond.
Four Ways Men Can Take Action During Domestic Violence Awareness Month
I come to Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a mix of reverence for victims and survivors, celebration of the progress we have made and resolve for the work that remains ahead. This October, like all those before, I want to be intentional about how we demonstrate our allyship. I am asking you to support survivors: believe them, validate them, love them. I am asking you to support grassroots organizations that serve women who reside at the margins of the margins—they need your help now, more than ever, this month and every month.
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