Last updated: August 8, 2026
Women’s rights in the United States continue to be shaped by a combination of federal policy changes, court decisions, and sharply different approaches among …
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 …
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 …
This page brings together WRDI posts that examine women’s rights across the United States, including the current national summary and other nationwide developments.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Constitutional amendments are one of the most powerful tools available to voters and lawmakers at the state level. Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional amendments change the governing document itself, making them …
For decades, menopause was treated as a private inconvenience, as something women managed quietly, insurers ignored, with little expectation of medical help or workplace acknowledgment. That is finally changing, and …
For decades, menopause was treated as a private inconvenience, as something women managed quietly, insurers ignored, with little expectation of medical help or workplace acknowledgment. That is finally changing, and …
Black women’s representation in Congress and state legislatures has reached record highs nationwide, but Black women remain significantly underrepresented at nearly every level of government.
Many of the gains …
The Supreme Court’s April ruling weakened one of the country’s most important legal protections against racially discriminatory voting maps — raising new questions about how communities maintain political influence …
Recent federal decisions are adding to a broader pattern of changes that are reshaping how women enter, advance within, and participate in leadership roles.
In May, the U.S. Department …
Two recent federal developments are drawing new attention to medication abortion, which is now used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.
On May 1, a …
A series of recent federal actions is increasing scrutiny of medication abortion, a method now used in over half of all abortions in the United States.
In March, lawmakers introduced …
Recent federal and state actions are putting pressure on the systems that many women rely on to get birth control. Over the past year, disruptions to federal Title X funding …
Recent data shows the gender pay gap widened again in 2025, in both hourly and salaried occupations, continuing a concerning shift after years of slow progress.
Women earned about 82. …
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, several developments are reshaping the voting landscape across the United States.
In Washington, the House has once again passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility …
Each March, Women’s History Month invites reflection on the progress women have made — and the work that remains. International Women’s Day (March 8) similarly serves as a global …
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 …
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 …
