Contraception and the messy reality of private insurance
If you've assumed birth control is simply “free” because of the Affordable Care Act, you're only partly right. Since 2012, the federal law has required most …
Women's rights are shifting
across the country.
We track the changes —
state by state.
The Women's Rights Data Initiative tracks how laws and policies shaping women's rights are evolving across the United States. Through dashboards, maps, and fact-based analysis, we explain what's happening — and why it matters.
Contraception and the messy reality of private insurance
If you've assumed birth control is simply “free” because of the Affordable Care Act, you're only partly right. Since 2012, the federal law has required most …
What’s Trending
"Golden Girls" Laws: A push to let unrelated roommates share a home
With a wink to the 1980s sitcom featuring four unrelated women sharing a Miami house, a handful of states have passed "Golden Girls" laws. These state laws, in …
Do women in office actually favor women’s issues?
Women hold office at all levels of government across the country. Right now, in fact, the U.S. has the highest number of women governors ever: 14 out of 50 …
Do pay transparency laws help women get paid fairly?
A growing patchwork of state laws now requires employers to post salary ranges, disclose pay on request, and/or stop asking job candidates about their salary history. Many states have …
Stay informed with WRDI Watch.
Sign up for the newsletter and get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.
National
Contraception and the messy reality of private insurance
If you've assumed birth control is simply “free” because of the Affordable Care Act, you're only partly right. Since 2012, the federal law has required most …
When the ER isn't a safe harbor: EMTALA, abortion bans, and maternal health
For decades, a federal law called EMTALA has guaranteed one basic promise: if you show up at a U.S. emergency room in crisis, the hospital is required to screen …
How fetal personhood is shaping the reproductive rights debate
Across the country, lawmakers, courts, and federal agencies are increasingly defining terms that shape women's rights. One of the clearest examples is fetal personhood—the idea that an …
How state law is shaping the workplace realities for women in Virginia, Texas, and Wisconsin
For women, where you live increasingly determines what rights you have at work. Paid family leave, salary transparency, union protections, and diversity initiatives are no longer governed by a single …
State-by-State
Women's Rights by State
Colors reflect protections across tracked rights categories
Select your state to explore details
Two states, two visions: voting rights in Oregon and Georgia
Every election cycle, millions of Americans cast ballots under rules that vary dramatically depending on where they live. Oregon and Georgia illustrate this contrast especially well — one in the Pacific …
Bathroom bans vs. legal safeguards: Connecticut and South Carolina take opposite approaches to LGBTQ+ students
For LGBTQ+ students, the state where they go to school for K-12 and college can determine whether they can use the bathroom matching their identity, play on the team …