Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

Mississippi’s equal pay bill could worsen the wage gap, critics say

Anne Branigin, Washington Post 

Currently, Mississippi remains the only state without an equal pay bill; that may soon change. Last month, the Mississippi legislature passed an equal pay bill. The bill awaits the signature of Governor Tate Reeves to be signed into law. While some lawmakers are praising the bill as a step towards equal rights for women, some women’s rights advocates suggest the bill would worsen the pay gap between men and women due to fewer protections than the current federal law.

Read the full story here.

Nellie Bly, Journalist and Changemaker, Is Honored With New York City Monument

Elayne Clift, Women’s Media Center

Trailblazing investigative journalist Nellie Bly will be honored with a monument in New York City. Bly began her journalism career in her home state of Pennsylvania, writing for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Bly then moved to New York City and after being turned away from multiple publications, she landed at The New York World, owned by Joseph Pulitzer. During her time with The New York World, Bly authored Ten Days in a Madhouse, a firsthand account of Bly’s experience at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell Island. Because of this work, changes were made to asylum care and Bly became the first female investigative journalist in the country.

Read the full story here.

Inflation is hurting women at the grocery store. Some are eating less in order to feed their families.

Chabeli Carranza, The 19^th*

In March of this year, prices increased by 8.5 percent, marking some of the highest rises on items like gas, shelter, and food. With the cost of groceries skyrocketing, many women are skipping their regular grocery stores and turning to food pantries instead. A food bank based in North Carolina reported that they are seeing 39 percent more people come in than before the pandemic, and women are 60 percent of the group.

Read the full story here.

More women are running for statewide offices than ever before

Alexi McCammond, Axios

There are a record number of women running for statewide office across the country. According to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), there are roughly 65 women (both Republicans and Democrats) making their bid for governor in their respective states. This new record of women running for statewide office reflects a significant jump in the last record set in 2018.

Read the full story here.