Current Status - Summary
As of March 2025, Maryland remains one of the more consistently protective states for women’s rights. Strong legal frameworks, recent voter-approved protections, and targeted state funding initiatives support access …
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.
Kansas passes law reversing gender identity policies
On February 18, 2026, Kansas enacted Senate Bill 244, a law defining sex in state law based on biological characteristics at birth and requiring state agencies to apply that definition …
What’s Trending
Ohio changes voting rules ahead of the 2026 elections
Ohio has enacted a new law revising several aspects of the state’s election procedures, including voter registration verification, identification requirements, and absentee ballot timelines. The legislation, Senate Bill 293, …
States test new legal penalties and enforcement around abortion restrictions
Several states are advancing new policies that expand how abortion restrictions are enforced, including proposals that introduce criminal penalties, broaden legal definitions of fetal personhood, or create new legal mechanisms …
The SAVE Act is back. Here’s why women should pay attention.
The SAVE Act has once again passed the House and is moving to the Senate. As in 2025, the bill would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register …
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National
States move to strengthen reproductive rights protections
Several states are advancing policies designed to strengthen protections for reproductive healthcare, including laws that shield providers from out-of-state legal actions, protect patients traveling for care, and expand access to …
Federal lending rules may change. Here’s what that means.
In November 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed changes to federal lending rules that would reduce the amount of data collected about small-business lending and narrow the scope …
Is LinkedIn’s algorithm harder on women?
There’s been a flurry of conversations about how LinkedIn’s algorithm treats women’s content. Journalists, analysts, and everyday users have started looking closely at gender differences in reach …
Professional degrees reclassified for predominantly female professions
In November, the U.S. Department of Education proposed a definition change that could reshape access to graduate programs in several essential and female-dominated fields. Here’s what to know: …
State-by-State
Women's Rights by State
Colors reflect protections across tracked rights categories
Select your state to explore details
Ohio law brings major changes to public universities in 2026
Ohio’s public universities are beginning to implement major provisions of a higher education law passed in 2025. Senate Bill 1—known as the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act—introduces …
California expands insurance coverage for IVF
A California law requiring certain health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), took effect on January 1, 2026. It expands existing state requirements and applies …