Birth control remains legal across the United States. But new data show that for millions of women, getting it may depend heavily on where they live.
New county-level maps …
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 …
Julie Slovin is the founder of the Women’s Rights Data Initiative, a fact-based initiative tracking how laws and policies shape women’s rights across the United States.
Anvi Batra studies political science at George Washington University. Her experience includes legal research, political campaigns, and reporting, with interests in reproductive rights and domestic violence. She is a policy research intern for WRDI.
Aparna Parthasarathy
Aparna Parthasarathy studies political science and human rights at Barnard College. Her experience includes legal research and advocacy for survivors of violence, with interests in women’s health and maternal care. She is a reporting intern for WRDI.
Imani Wright
Imani Wright is a UNC-Chapel Hill student studying sociology, media, and journalism, with a minor in women and gender studies. Her research examines race and gender in political campaigns. She is a reporting intern for WRDI.
Olivia Sanchez Dunn
Olivia Sanchez Dunn is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate in public policy and data science. She analyzed policy for NC Governor Stein and now studies digital governance as an Austrian Combined Fulbright Scholar. She is a policy research intern for WRDI.
Prasidha Padmanabhan
Prasidha Padmanabhan is a Yale public health graduate student and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate in public policy and data science. Her experience spans reproductive rights, health policy, and legislative research. She is a policy research intern for WRDI.
Pritika Patel
Pritika Patel is a Georgetown University student and editor for The Hoya and Georgetown’s Undergraduate Law Review. Her editorial and legal interests include education policy, Title IX, and family law. She is a reporting intern for WRDI.
Siya Lakireddy
Siya Lakireddy studies public policy and health at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her experience includes legislative work and research on Medicaid and Medicare access, with interests in women’s and maternal health. She is a policy research intern for WRDI.
I couldn't send this week's newsletter without acknowledging Dolly Parton, who died this week at 80.
There are many ways to describe what made her remarkable: …
What should happen when illness, childbirth, caregiving, or another major life event makes it impossible to work as usual?
I've been thinking about that question as Sen. Mitch …
Wisconsin voters will choose their parties' nominees for governor in the August 11 primary. While comprehensive voter guides cover the full range of issues facing the state, this WRDI …
Every month I read dozens of articles, court decisions, agency announcements, and state legislative updates. Most don't become headlines. Some do. But the ones that stay with me …
Over the past few weeks, election news has picked up quickly.
Congress is still looking for a path to pass the SAVE America Act. States continue changing voting laws. Another …
From documentation requirements to redistricting, several developments could shape women's voting and representation before the 2026 midterms.
Several important election developments are unfolding that could have unique implications …
Last updated: July 8, 2026
Illinois continues to be one of the most protective states for women’s rights, with lawmakers and state officials expanding protections related to reproductive healthcare, …
When I started planning this week's newsletter, I thought it might be a roundup of new stories.
But as I stepped back, two seemingly unrelated topics kept pointing …
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 …
When Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 in 2024, they established constitutional protections for reproductive freedom, including abortion, and overturned the state's near-total abortion ban.
Yet less than …
Twenty years ago, while working in consumer products marketing, I spent several days listening to women talk about menopause during research interviews.
What struck me most wasn't any …
Earlier this year, someone close to me spent three months caring for a parent facing a major health crisis. During that time, Oregon's paid leave program meant she …
