Letter From the Editor: Welcome to 2026! Women Are Shaping What Comes Next.

PUBLISHED 1/1/2026 by

Welcome to 2026!

Here at Ms., we’re looking forward to the new year, and are prepared for the battles that are in store for us, from Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court to statehouses and ballot boxes, workplaces and classrooms and in our day-to-day lives.

And if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that women will play a decisive role in the outcomes of these decisions—whether in their roles as lawmakers on Capitol Hill, in statehouses and mayors’ offices across the country; in media and in newsrooms; or as a powerful voting block.

As we enter this new year, with so much at stake, know that you can depend on Ms. to keep providing the thoughtful feminist reporting and analysis you count on to stay informed—and ready to fight back.

Here’s to another year of reporting, rebelling and truth-telling. We’re so glad you’re with us!

‘We’re 53 Years Ahead of Where They Were Then’: Looking Back at 50+ Years of Ms.—and Looking Forward to a Feminist Future

PUBLISHED 12/29/2025 by

In a new bonus episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward, Ms. executive editor Kathy Spillar, consulting editor Carmen Rios, Ms. Committee of Scholars co-chair Janell Jobson, and legendary author, activist and professor Loretta Ross explore how the stories of our past can continue to inspire us—and give us hope in the fight forward.

“I don’t believe that the assault on women and women’s rights can be extracted from the overall dysfunction of all societies.”

“We have to keep rewriting history and reclaiming history, especially knowing that the forces out there are doing what they can to erase us.”

“There’s a long lineage of people who have been fighting this fight, because they know that we deserve justice.”

What the Backlash Against Women’s Leadership Tells Us About Young Men

PUBLISHED 12/29/2025 by

At this year’s Reykjavík Global Forum in November, where 500 global leaders from public and private sectors convened in Iceland, the mood around gender equality was both urgent and reflective. Progress that once felt inevitable now looks fragile. The Reykjavík Index for Leadership reveals concerning declines in how women are perceived for leadership roles across major economies, while conversations about young men and boys have become more heated, polarized and emotionally charged.

While at the forum, I spoke with Richard Reeves, an author and researcher focused on boys and men, and Michelle Harrison, the founding force behind the Reykjavík Index for Leadership, about what’s really going on—and what comes next. Their insights help clarify the current backlash, the urgency of centering young people, and why gender equality must remain a shared project—one that includes all of us.

In Norfolk, Va., Parents and Community Members Took Children’s Education and Safety Into Their Own Hands

PUBLISHED 12/28/2025 by and

In Norfolk, Va., parents were worried about their children’s safety while getting off school buses, after noticing an uptick in gun violence that coincided with school dismissal times. In response, community members—organized by nonprofit advocacy group New Virginia Majority—launched the “Take Back the Bus Stop” campaign, petitioning for emergency call boxes and mobilizing neighbors to show up in force. In the Calvert Square and Young Terrace neighborhoods, organizers and residents were physically present at bus stops each afternoon—greeting students as they arrived home and helping to deter violence through collective care and visibility.

(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund highlighting the work of Groundswell partners advancing inclusive democracy.)

Disrupting Intimidation: How Texas Hotel Workers Are Shaking Up the Industry 

PUBLISHED 12/27/2025 by

The hotel had become a place where women endured hellish conditions and were expected to stay silent.

They decided to break that silence.

***

More than 70 percent of hotel housekeepers in the United States are women. Their labor is the backbone of an industry that markets comfort but often denies dignity to those who create it. At Sonesta Select Austin North, the women who knew every hallway, every cart and every stain were treated as if they were disposable. What they experienced is a common issue when those doing the hardest work have the least power.

(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund highlighting the work of Groundswell partners advancing inclusive democracy.)

Women’s and Girls’ Wrestling Is Ready for Its Modern Era

PUBLISHED 12/26/2025 by and

Women’s and girls’ wrestling has grown considerably in the U.S. since the late ’80s. After the sport’s debut at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, more and more girls began joining high school wrestling teams as more high schools began making teams for girls.

Although the sport carries a long history, women’s wrestling is now more popular than it’s ever been. The sport seeks to create community after being ignored for many years, and will be featured at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It will be in that moment in Los Angeles, under the Olympic flame, that women’s and girls’ wrestling will close the chapter of its trailblazing journey and launch into a modern era.

It’s Been a Hell of a Year for Feminists

PUBLISHED 12/24/2025 by

Since Trump’s inauguration in January, we’ve seen a barrage of attacks on the rights of women, immigrants and undocumented people, people of color and LGBTQ+ people. The cruelty that the administration has shown has been astounding to witness.

But the resistance to this cruelty has been just as astounding. Millions taking to the streets, again and again. Neighbors stepping in and preventing ICE from kidnapping neighbors they may not even know. Democracy defenders taking to the courts, fighting the onslaught of unconstitutional executive actions. Courageous networks of doctors, nurses, midwives and regular people distributing abortion pills into red states and ensuring women have access to safe abortion no matter where they live. And of course, the major feminist victories in November’s elections—in which women made a decisive difference for our democracy. 

A Very Bad Year for Women’s Health

PUBLISHED 12/24/2025 by

When I started writing for The Contrarian, a funny-not-funny inside joke was whether there would be enough fodder for a weekly democracy column that overtly centers gender. I think you already know the punchline. Suffice it to say, I did not miss a single Wednesday in all of 2025.

For my final entry of the year, we thought it worthwhile to offer a snapshot—a year’s worth of reporting on the depth of damage this administration has wreaked on women’s health, with real-time Contrarian reporting noted.

The Best and Worst Quotes of 2025, By and About Women

PUBLISHED 12/23/2025 by and

A collection of this year’s most inspiring and infuriating things said by and about women. Some quotes hit like a shot, others a palate cleanser. Here they are in alternating fashion. 

“Let me just tell you, you are an obnoxious—a terrible, actually a terrible reporter.”

“Yes, this work will break your heart. Some days, it will exhaust you, and still, you must continue, because here’s what the research ultimately shows: When younger people lead, democracy doesn’t just survive, it thrives.”

“We are initiated into a sisterhood. We’re in a sorority that none of us asked to join, but we all stand here today, stronger together, because our collective voice is powerful.”