It has only been a few weeks since the new Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, took office, and he is already putting new initiatives into action. Both the New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Mamdani announced on January 8 a new investment in affordable health and child care in the state. New […]
Bogota Implements Care Blocks: A Monumental Shift Away from Unpaid Labor
Bogota, Columbia has been making historic strides towards gender equity by investing in government-provided care labor through programs known as “care blocks.” These “care blocks” provide an opportunity for women to drop off their children to create more free time. With this free time, mothers have an opportunity to run errands, meet with different consultants, […]
The Women Intertwined in Venezuela’s Fate
On January 3, 2026, a military operation carried out by U.S. armed forces in the capital of Venezuela resulted in the capture of Cilia Flores and her husband, President Nicolás Maduro. This has led to an ongoing state of emergency and authoritarian measures, which have impacted political dissent and civil society. Yet much of the […]
A “Trojan Horse” That Wasn’t: Senate Hearing Shows Afghans Are Among the Most Thoroughly Vetted
Last Wednesday in Washington, D.C., lawmakers convened a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the Biden administration’s Afghan parole program. While national security concerns dominated the discussion, the hearing also made clear that Afghans are among the most thoroughly vetted populations entering the United States. It also underscored the growing uncertainty facing tens of thousands […]
What is the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act Missing?
In December 2025, H.R.6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, was introduced by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2) and then referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. On the surface, the bill is intended to require higher education institutions to provide information to pregnant students to support them through pregnancy and the postpartum period. However, […]
Elon Musk’s Grok AI and the Rise of Nonconsensual Sexual Abuse
Elon Musk’s Grok AI is being used to create nonconsensual explicit photos and videos of women and children. These range from photos of people in revealing garments to extremely graphic and violent pornographic material. Grok AI is “an AI assistant with a twist of humor and a dash of rebellion.” It can be used on […]
Wyoming Court Delivers Major Victory for Abortion Access
As of January 6, abortion remains legal in Wyoming after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two state laws aimed at banning abortion in State v. Johnson. One of the overturned laws sought to ban abortion except to save a pregnant woman’s life or in cases involving rape or incest. The other would have been […]
Black Maternal Health Crisis Continues to Plague the United States
On Friday, January 2, 2026, Dr. Janelle Green Smith died from complications during the birth of her first child in South Carolina. Dr. Green Smith was a Black midwife, an esteemed Doctor of Nursing Practice, and an advocate for maternal health and midwifery. Dr. Green Smith’s death joins the many who have fallen victim to […]
China Increases Tax on Contraceptives in an Attempt to Boost Birth Rate
On January 1st, 2026, China implemented a 13% VAT (value-added tax) on birth control and other forms of contraception to boost birth rates. China, the world’s second-largest economy, has been experiencing a decline in its birth rate, especially over the last three years. This tax move is intended to help boost ‘fertility-friendly’ measures and “love […]
No Relief in Sight: Afghan Women and Girls Face Another Year Under Taliban Rule
As 2026 begins, it has been over 1,500 days since the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s brutal regime returned to power. In that time, the Taliban has not moderated its rule, reversed draconian policies, or softened its grip on power. Instead, the passage of time has been marked by the […]
What Australia’s New Social Media Ban May Mean for Young Women
Australia has banned social media accounts for young people under 16. This follows a larger government effort to protect minors, especially young women, from potential harms linked to social media, such as body-image issues, mental health challenges, and sexual exploitation. Australia is now the first country to implement such a ban. Australian Prime Minister Anthony […]
Following Tragic D.C. Shooting, Afghan Allies Face a New Wave of Enforcement and Fear
The shooting in Washington D.C. that left one National Guard member dead and another critically wounded on November 26 quickly became a major focus of U.S. media. Yet, the full picture of what happened tells a very different story from the one now shaping federal policy. The suspect is an Afghan man who once served […]
A Birth Control Battle: Survivors Take Pfizer to Court Over Depo-Provera
A lawsuit has been filed against Pfizer relating to Depo-Provera, formally known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, a progesterone-based birth control injection you receive once every three months. The lead plaintiff, Robin Phillip, who used the shot for nearly 30 years, is a survivor of intracranial meningioma—a tumor in the lining of the brain. Phillip only […]
South Carolina Senate Rejects Push for Abortion Criminalization Bill
A South Carolina bill that would have become one of the nation’s most extreme abortion bans has failed to advance in the state Senate. The bill’s collapse highlights deep divisions among Republicans over how far they are willing to go in restricting reproductive rights. The bill, S.323, also known as the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” […]
Planned Parenthood Forced to Close 20 Clinics After Medicaid Cuts
Planned Parenthood has shut down at least 20 of its health centers across the United States since July, a move the organization attributes to steep cuts in Medicaid funding. The closures follow a provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which bars health care providers that receive more than $800,000 a year of Medicaid reimbursements […]
New Taliban Rule in Afghanistan: No Burqa, No Healthcare for Afghan Women
On November 5, 2025, in Herat, Afghanistan, the Taliban imposed a new edict requiring women to wear a burqa before entering public hospitals. Women patients, visitors, and even medical staff must now wear a burqa to be allowed inside any public healthcare facility. A burqa is a full-body covering that leaves only a small mesh […]
FDA Removes Black Box Warning from Menopause Hormone Therapies
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed its boxed warning from more than twenty hormone-based therapies used to treat menopause symptoms, marking a major change in how the agency regulates these medications. The FDA’s update applies to products that deliver estrogen or estrogen-progestin combinations through pills, patches, gels, or sprays. The boxed warning, also […]
Australia Solves the Preterm Birth Crisis: The Prevention Program the US Needs to Adopt
Australia’s nationwide preterm birth prevention program is a medical success and one the United States could learn from. A “preterm birth” is defined as a baby born before 37 weeks, and is the single greatest cause of death and long-term disabilities in children under 5. Australia’s new initiative is the first of its kind across the […]
Under Gender Apartheid, Natural Disasters Hit Afghan Women Hardest
While still reeling from the August earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan, the country was hit by another 6.3 magnitude quake in the north on November 3, 2025. The disaster left at least 27 people dead and nearly 1,000 injured across Samangan and Balkh provinces. Afghanistan’s latest earthquake is not only a natural disaster, but a reminder […]
A Big Win for Education in Michigan
On October 7, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her seventh education budget, MI SB0166, into law. This bipartisan budget puts parents and kids first, offering significant relief to parents, local school districts, and students. It provides more flexibility to focus on active learning while addressing the daunting realities of food insecurity and large classroom sizes that […]