Essays from The Persistent | Covering women for a change

An illustration of a woman performing standup comedy. She is flanked by two giant men, making the woman look smaller.

Culture

Not Ladylike to Laugh? Oh, Please.

For men to be funny, women don’t have to be unfunny. Both may chuckle.

Illustration of female artists creating a mural of Kamala Harris, who wears a bright blue jacket

Persisting Through Politics

What Went Wrong for Kamala Harris?

In the end, it wasn't even a close-won race. Did the Harris campaign get it wrong—or did the Trump side spot something the Democrats didn't?

An illustration shows a woman running a race. She looks back at other versions of herself as she runs.

Essays

The Pain and Joy of Not Running the Marathon

Sure, I can run a marathon. But I can also not. And maybe, just maybe, in a few years I’ll be able to.

People sit on bleachers. Above them, giant letters spell out the words VOTE EARLY.

U.S. Election 2024

What’s Really Fueling U.S. Voters?

In the end, the election may boil down to different ideas about female and male roles; to gender equality and gender traditionalism.

A photo collage depicts Rwandan school girls overlaid by arrows and an airplane.

Education

All’s Well In School. But Come University, Rwandans Wonder: Where Are the Women?

Rwanda’s young women aren’t making it to university. Cultural and societal factors are to blame.

Watercolor of Lilly Ledbetter, with a blonde bob, white shirt and black jacket.

Fair Pay

Remembering Lilly Ledbetter: A Life of Grit and Persistence

Lilly Ledbetter, for whom America’s Fair Pay Act of 2009 was named, has died. She was 86.

A photo of a woman, seen from behind, wearing a denim jacket with Trump 2024 on it.

Politics

What They See In Him: The Women Who Know They’re Voting for Trump

Some women are still backing Trump, even though they don't love his behavior—and they're even more enthusiastic about JD Vance.

An illustration of a woman, shown twice, in the first version she says, I'm Great! In the second version, I'm Great?

Worklife

The Compelling Case for Careful Self-Promotion

Women are told to lean in and dare to lead, to be a girlboss and to speak up. But nothing is easy about this. And none of it is risk-free.

Deborah Copaken stands outside a store in Cairo in jeans and a utility jacket, with a camera around her neck.

Culture

Lee and Me

I wanted to be the objectifier of men and their wars, quirks, and shortcomings, not the objectified. Why was this so hard?

Culture

The Janice Problem

A rewatch of Friends reveals it isn't the post-feminist masterpiece we thought it was.

A black and white photo shows Margaret Sanger, wearing a hat and belted dress, standing at a table covered with documents.

Abortion

The Complicated Legacy of Margaret Sanger

The founder of Planned Parenthood advanced women's rights immeasurably. But many of her views were far from progressive.

Illustration: a framed picture of a black woman's pregnancy bump, with flowers and a candle on top of a stack of case files.

Maternal Care

Two Years On, The Biden-Harris Effort To Reduce Maternal Mortality Remains—A Start

Maternal mortality is shockingly high in the U.S. What exactly is being done about it?

Abstract illustration of a woman in a wheelchair, pushing herself uphill, against a background of yellows, pinks and reds.

Paris 2024

I Love The Paralympics, But Let's Not Kid Ourselves

The Paralympics is always a wonderful spectacle—but let's be honest: they won't change anything for disabled people.

Wealth Gap

My Fiancé Died Young. Thank God We’d Planned Ahead.

A black and white photo of Febb Burn standing in a garden.

Rights for Women

How to Make Your Mother Proud

History is rife with examples of women who effected change, then vanished into obscurity. When it comes to the story of how the 19th Amendment became a reality—irony be damned—it’s no different.

A photo illustration shows a woman with her arms wrapped around her knees, and an open hand, caught in a web, holding a pill.

Healthcare

Providing Care After Roe, These Doctors Met a Hurdle They Didn’t Expect

Online abortion providers face constant headwinds, even with protections and systems in place.