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.
As of September — Women’s health policy remains deeply divided across the country. States continue moving in different directions on abortion, contraception, maternal care, and other reproductive health services, while federal Medicaid cuts and other changes to the program are expected to reduce federal funding and access. At the same time, a new March of Dimes report finds persistent gaps in maternity care, with one in three U.S. counties lacking obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities and continued closures of hospital labor and delivery units.
Related posts: Reproductive Rights
Related posts: Healthcare Access
As of September — Policies involving gender identity and biological sex continue to change across the United States, particularly in healthcare, education, athletics, and identity documents. States are also expanding some protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, while the Justice Department continues to fund federal violence-prevention and survivor programs. At the same time, new federal grant conditions affecting some Violence Against Women Act programs remain tied up in court, creating uncertainty for organizations that receive federal funding.
Related posts: Violence & Safety
As of September — Workplace protections for women continue to vary widely by state. Federal law prohibits sex and pregnancy discrimination, while the EEOC is increasing scrutiny of DEI programs that use sex or other protected characteristics in hiring, promotion, training, and other employment decisions. At the same time, states continue expanding paid leave, pay transparency, and other workplace protections, while the United States still has no federal guarantee of paid family and medical leave.
Related posts: Workplace Rights
As of September — Education policies affecting girls and women continue to vary widely across the country. The Supreme Court ruled that Title IX does not prevent states from limiting girls’ and women’s sports teams based on biological sex, while the Department of Education continues investigating schools over athletics, facilities, and parental access to student information. States are also considering hundreds of bills involving sex education, including what students learn about contraception, consent, sexual assault prevention, and menstrual health.
Related posts: Education
As of September — Voting rules continue to change ahead of the 2026 elections. Several states have added proof-of-citizenship, voter ID, and other requirements, while others have expanded early voting and strengthened state voting-rights protections. The federal government has also sought access to state voter data and changes to mail-voting procedures, although courts have blocked several of those efforts. These changes mean voter registration requirements and access to the ballot increasingly depend on where a voter lives.
Related posts: Voting & Civic Participation
The fight over mail-in voting has become a national story ahead of the November midterms. But what potential federal changes could actually mean for voters depends heavily on where …
The recent declaration of a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the former labor-and-delivery nurse who strangled her three young children in 2023, has pushed postpartum mental …
Minnesota made political history this summer. For the first time in any state, the Aug. 11 primary produced all-women matchups in both the governor's race and a …
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 …
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Last updated: September 15, 2026 The legal battle over mail-in voting ahead of the November 2026 midterms has moved fast this week, and reversed course more than once. Multiple …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Colors reflect protections across tracked rights categories
Select your state to explore details
The fight over mail-in voting has become a national story ahead of the November midterms. But what potential federal changes could actually mean for voters depends heavily on where …
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 …
