Ms. Memo: This Week in Women's Rights

January 5, 2022

With so much at stake for women and for equality, Ms. will be reporting on policy initiatives and progress within Congress and the Biden-Harris administration—as well as tracking the backlash to equality. Every Wednesday, we will keep you updated, informed and ready to push forward!

The U.S. Can’t Be a Global Leader on Democracy While Banning Abortion at Home

BY ELENA SARVER | Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments in a case that could set off a new era of abortion bans across much of the country. It also marked the start of President Biden’s Democracy Summit, a high-level conference bringing together world leaders, civil society and the private sector to discuss challenges and opportunities facing democracy internationally. One of the stated themes of this first of two planned summits is a focus on human rights.

The proximity of these two moments is more than mere coincidence. Yes, the U.S. faces an unprecedented crisis for the right to abortion. But we must also recognize the numerous links between democracy and reproductive rights. A most basic and fundamental freedom in a democracy is the ability to control decision-making around one’s own reproduction. When this freedom is removed, it threatens the ability of half of the country’s population to participate equally in society. So, if the U.S. hopes to credibly host a marquee event to promote its return to global democratic leadership, it must contend with cracks in that facade here at home.

The recent Supreme Court cases out of Texas and Mississippi are a key example. They involve some of most extreme abortion bans in U.S. history—banning abortion at six and 15 weeks respectively (the former a cut-off before many even realize they are pregnant).

(Click here to read more)

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Is It Legal to Order Abortion Pills Online?

Rest in Power: Sarah Weddington, Feminist Attorney and Champion of Roe v. Wade

Abortion Care Is Healthcare and Must Be Included in Medical Curricula

Ten Steps Closer to Parity: Wins for Women in 2021

A Workplace Void of Violence and Harassment: Creating Safer Working Environments with ILO’s Convention 190

What we're reading

We know it's hard to keep up with everything going on in the world right now. That's why going forward, we'll provide a weekly roundup of the stories we think are important that Ms. may not have covered. Here's what we're reading this week:

Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

On December 1, the Supreme Court held oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—a case that some believe could overturn Roe v. Wade. The case involves a Mississippi abortion provision, banning most abortions after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. So, what’s at stake in Dobbs—both in terms of abortion rights, and in terms of the Supreme Court’s legitimacy?

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