Welcome to the Media Round Up! We’ve collected and shared our favorite gender + politics stories from this week. In addition, read ”In Case You Missed It” for great stories you may have overlooked the last few weeks. Is there a story we should know about? Tell us at: ongender@gmail.com

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Betsy Fischer Martin – Transforming Journalism and Advocacy for Women in Politics
Carry As you Climb

Former Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley engages in a discussion with Betsy Fisher Martin, a prominent journalist and the Executive Director of American University’s Women & Politics Institute. Fischer Martin shares insights into the evolving role of women in leadership and the shifting landscape of journalism. They also touch on the challenges women face in political fields, the importance of authentic representation, and the influence of younger generations demanding more from their leaders.

Trump Officially Withdraws U.S. from UN Groups Focused on Women’s Rights and Sexual Health
Jezebel, Danielle Han

Trump has signed Executive Order 14199, withdrawing the U.S. from dozens of international organizations, conventions, and agencies. The list includes multiple United Nations organizations dedicated to the advancement of women’s rights, family planning, maternal and child health, and preventing sexual violence in conflict. The institutions were deemed “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.” Among the 66 groups is the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, better known as UN Women. UN Women coordinates global efforts to address gender-based inequality and is closely linked to other UN initiatives, including the largest women’s conference in the world conducted annually by the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Advocates have said that leaving these organizations will be extremely harmful and cannot be undone.

Pentagon Reviewing Effectiveness of Women in Combat Roles More Than a Decade After Integration
ABC News, Steven Beynon

The Pentagon has recently started a review of the performance of thousands of women serving in ground combat units, a move that comes amid Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s widely publicized skepticism about their inclusion in such forces. The review, which will take place over the next six months, will examine the “performance and training” outcomes of ground combat units. An internal Pentagon memo says that the review’s findings will inform decisions about how these units are staffed and how future training is designed. “Our standards for combat arms positions will be elite, uniform, and sex neutral,” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement. Currently, about 4,500 women serve in ground combat positions across the Army and Marine Corps.

The Highest Court Considers a Pressing Issue

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, a controversial issue that has been at the forefront of American political discussion in recent years. Over 200 female lawmakers signed an amicus brief to “save women’s sports” ahead of the oral arguments this week, arguing that there are “exceedingly persuasive reasons to determine eligibility for such programs using biological criteria rather than a person’s sense of gender.” While conservatives have claimed that transgender women have an unfair advantage in sports due to their size and strength, the trans athletes at the center of the Supreme Court cases don’t fit these conservative stereotypes: Lindsay Hecox, a track and field athlete who was banned from a club team under a 2020 Idaho bill, was not faster than her peers; additionally, Becky-Pepper Jackson, a track athlete who cannot play on her high school team due to a state ban, is not “hormonally different” from other girls since she transitioned before ever undergoing male puberty.

Mary Peltola Runs for Senate in Alaska, Lifting Democrats’ Hopes
The New York Times, Kellen Browning and Shane Goldmacher

On Monday, former Democratic Representative for Alaska Mary Peltola announced her bid for the U.S. Senate. Peltola, who served as Alaska’s only House member from 2022 to 2024, is one of the state’s most prominent Democrats. Challenging Dan Sullivan, the junior Senator for Alaska, Peltola characterizes herself as a political outsider focused on state and local issues. Alaska’s longtime conservative lean places Peltola as the underdog in this race. While she received the endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski in both her 2022 and 2024 House races, Murkowski has endorsed Senator Sullivan in this race. As Democrats look to flip four Senate seats this fall to regain the Senate majority, Peltola’s entry and popularity could make this seat competitive.

A Showdown in Georgia

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who announced her resignation from Congress following a public feud with President Donald Trump, has set off a “MAGA showdown” in her old Georgia district. Since her departure from office, at least 22 candidates have filed to run for her northwest Georgia seat – the contenders include business owners, veterans, and farmers. Although the conservative district is highly likely to stay in Republican hands, the outcome of the race could indicate how GOP voters feel about the rift in the party between Greene and President Trump. Seventeen Republicans filed to run for the seat by Wednesday’s deadline, as did 3 Democrats, 1 Libertarian and an independent.

ICE Deputy Director Resigns, Announces Run for Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s Seat
WBNS Columbus, Karmann Ludwig

ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan announced on social media Thursday that she would be leaving the agency, and launched a campaign for Ohio’s 9th District congressional seat. The posts include a political ad-like video announcing Sheahan’s campaign for OH-9, the Congressional seat held by incumbent Marcy Kaptur. Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in congressional history and is up for re-election in 2026. In the campaign video, Sheahan described herself as a “Trump conservative,” and emphasized her work with ICE.

ICE Violence Against Women is Increasingly Visible — and Largely Untracked
19th* News, Candice Norwood

Though there is no database that tracks when ICE agents use force against women, a growing number of videos captured throughout the first year of the second Trump administration highlight the violent experiences that many women have encountered. Gender-based researchers say that the widespread visibility of violence against women at the hands of ICE agents does not occur in a vacuum; rather, it goes “hand in hand” with ongoing messaging from the current administration. From broken car windows and shoving, to pepper-spray and shooting, the visible attacks shared online come at a time when funding for gender-based violence services has been stripped. “All of these things converge to entrap women and make more violence in their lives and have fewer ways for them to escape the violence,” said Dr. Carolyn West, a psychology professor at the University of Washington Tacoma.

Despite Huge Bipartisan Support, Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Remains Stalled
NBC News, Melanie Zanona

In 2020, Congress green-lit a bipartisan plan to build a women’s history museum in the nation’s capital. The effort had widespread bipartisan support and raised millions of dollars for the project. But more than five years later, the initiative is still stalled on Capitol Hill, frustrating and confusing supporters in both parties while sparking a blame game inside the GOP. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act, which was introduced last February, would secure a site for the museum by authorizing a plot of land on the National Mall to be transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. This is seen as the final legislative step in a decadelong process to create a national Smithsonian museum dedicated to women’s history. The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said she has raised her concerns about the museum delay not only with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and White House staff members, but also directly with President Trump. While Trump supports the women’s museum, he also signed an executive order last March targeting Smithsonian museums over “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology.” The executive order mentions that “the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum plans on celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women’s sports,” as just one of several examples. When the women’s history museum will gain movement again is uncertain.

Supermajority, Group Organizing Women Around Politics, Is Shutting Down
19th* News, Jennifer Gerson

Supermajority, the nonprofit organization focused on mobilizing women voters, is shutting down. Since its founding in 2019, Supermajority has contacted more than 20 million women voters, organizing for candidates including Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Katie Hobbs of Arizona and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, as well as for then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful presidential bid last year. The group plans to connect its volunteers with other organizations that do grassroots organizing work due to its closure. All 22 current Supermajority employees will be laid off; the organization will be winding down its work in the next several weeks. Katherine Grainger, another Supermajority co-founder, reflects on the political power of Gen Z women pointing to the election of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. By redirecting their nearly 600,000 members into the work of the ACLU and other partner organizations, Grainger said, the group is now able to move these same women into a model of activism that is more community-based than national.

Governor’s Agendas Begin to Shape Up

Across the nation, Governors have brought forth their plans and political agendas as they move into the new year. On Tuesday, New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat, announced her plans to focus on affordability issues and fighting back against the Trump Administration. Gov. Hochul supported a variety of policies, such as expansions to wind energy and free childcare, in addition to legislation challenging the Trump Administration’s aggressive policies on immigration. These policies will set the stage for Hochul’s reelection bid, as she navigates two polarizing figures in her state, President Trump and NY Mayor Mamdani. In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat also facing reelection in November, announced her support for restrictions on the state’s tax incentives for data centers, as well as support for new water use fees for the industry. Currently, Arizona is one of the fastest growing hubs for data centers, largely due to these tax incentives, but recently the industry has faced backlash from communities across the state.

Abortion Stays Legal in Wyoming as its Top Court Strikes Down Laws, Including First US Pill Ban
Associated Press, Mead Gruver

In Wyoming, abortion will remain legal following the state Supreme Court’s 4-1 decision that two laws barring abortion procedures violated the state constitution. While one law attempted to ban abortion, with exceptions to protect the life of pregnant women, or in cases of rape or incest, the other sought to explicitly ban abortion pills in the state. Wellspring Health Access argued that the laws violated a state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2012, which ensured that competent adults had the right to make health care decisions for themselves. Attorneys for the state argued that the laws were not a violation of the amendment, as they did not view abortion as health care. Although the justices acknowledged that the amendment was not explicitly written to apply to abortion, they stated that they would not “add words” to the state constitution. However, the Court did state that voters could consider a constitutional amendment that addressed these issues in the future, prompting Republican Governor Mark Gordon to call for state legislators to place an abortion ban amendment before Wyoming voters this fall