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:

HUD to pursue gender identity-based discrimination complaints, reversing Trump policy

Katy O’Donnell, Politico

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing a new policy to investigate housing discrimination complaints on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. The new policy will fall under the Fair Housing Act and apply to all complaints filed after Jan. 20, 2020. Moving forward, all jurisdictions that receive funding from the department’s Fair Housing Assistance program will be required to prohibit gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination citing the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

You can read the full article here.

Two decades in the making, Rosa DeLauro’s plan to cut child poverty in half is on the brink of passing

Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th

Since 2003, Rep. Rosa DeLauro has been pushing for an expansion of the child tax credit which could help the country’s poorest families and cut child poverty in half. The Democratic Congresswoman from Connecticut has been in contact with President Biden’s economic advisors to ensure that the plan is included in his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. “For me, this is a moment I have been working toward, building toward, engaging every ounce of determination,” Rep. DeLauro said. “To see it come to fruition – it’s why we come to the institutions [of government].”

You can read the full article here.

Biden Wants More Stable Diplomacy. An Abortion Fight Is a Test.

Lara Jakes, The New York Times

The Biden-Harris administration is looking to recruit the help of Congress to cement foreign policies so that they don’t change from president to president. The future of the Mexico City policy, which bans health providers who offer abortion services from receiving American taxpayer funds, will be the first test. Since 1984, the policy has been rescinded and reenacted by each president according to their party affiliation. According to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, 47 senators have committed to a plan that would effectively nullify the funding ban permanently, with other Democrats expected to join in.

You can read the full article here.

We need an equal number of women in politics to achieve real equality

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Independent

UN Women has calculated that unless world leaders prioritize gender inclusion and if current trends continue, it would take nearly 130 years to achieve gender equality in the highest levels of government – a timeline that is completely unacceptable. 119 countries have never been led by a woman and only 14 countries have 50% or more women in their cabinets, including the historic Biden-Harris administration. Throughout the last year, we’ve seen countries with female leaders adeptly handle the coronavirus pandemic and, on the other hand, witnessed how the scarceness of women in the public sector highlights how ill-equipped many governments are to control a multifaceted crisis.

You can read the full article here.

Black women have shaped politics in Boston for centuries

Kabria Baumgartner, The Washington Post

In Boston, Black women have been a powerful yet unseen political force. Despite exclusionary policies that suppress voting rights and prevent their election, Black women have managed to shape legislation and use grassroots organizing to pave the way for Black women to step into political leadership. At the end of this month, Boston will see Kim Janey, a Black woman, step up as acting mayor, the first time the city isn’t led by a white man. The historic moment will be a testament to the Black women activists who have worked tirelessly for centuries to set the stage.

You can read the full article here.

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