Obituaries
Thank You, Cecile
The activist and former president of Planned Parenthood died on Monday, aged 67.
Francesca Donner
Mental Health
A Handful of Reasons to Be Hopeful. (Yes, We Found Some!)
Wars, wildfires and felonious world leaders are dominating the news cycle. But also: Diseases are being treated, solar power is booming and some animals are back from the brink of extinction.
Letter from the Editor
Giving Women the Last Word Since 2024
Our editor Francesca Donner looks back at The Persistent’s first year.
Books
Our Year In Books: Escape? Engage? Do Both?
The Persistent's editors round up their favorite reads of the year.
Sports
Could Advertising Be An Activist Tool?
How do you sponsor something that apparently nobody wants to see? You trick them into it.
Persisting Through Politics
The Day After the Big Day
This isn’t the note I was hoping to write. Harris lost. Trump won.
Politics
How Do Feminists Feel About Mexico's New President? It's Complicated.
Is Mexico's new president good for women? It depends who you ask.
Persisting Through Politics
It’s a Big Deal That a Woman Is Running For President. Here’s Why.
Despite the support of many, the path for Kamala Harris to the Democratic nomination, and indeed the presidency itself, comes with significant headwinds.
Politics
How Marine Le Pen Uses Her Femininity as a Smokescreen
Following the French election, the far-right National Rally will stay out of power—for now. But the journalist Megan Clement warns the movement is not going away, either.
Culture
Men Still Aren’t Reading Women’s Books. Can the Women’s Prize Help?
The author Kate Mosse co-founded the Women’s Prize for Fiction to shrink the gender gap in publishing. Twenty-nine years on, she says her work is far from finished.
Culture
Was Shakespeare a Feminist? Juliet Gives Us a Clue.
A new production of Romeo and Juliet in London peels back layers of misogyny, racism and sexism. It’s a lot.