Welcome to the Media Round Up! We’ve collected and shared our favorite gender + politics stories from this week.

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About a third of UN member countries have ever had a woman leader
Pew Research, Sofia Hernandez Ramones

Only 63 of the 193 United Nations member countries have ever had a woman leader, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Women currently serve as the head of government in thirteen UN member countries, including Japan, where Sanae Takaichi recently secured her position as prime minister in October 2025, and Barbados, where Mia Mottley just won reelection as prime minister. Fortunately, the number of countries that have had women leaders has risen steadily since 1990; the biggest single-year increase for women leaders occurred in 2010, when women led for the first time in Australia, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

SNL mocked her as a ‘scary mom.’ In the Senate, Katie Britt is an emerging dealmaker
NPR, Sam Gringlas

When Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) rebutted President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address two years ago, many viewers saw her as an “over-the-top firebrand” and “scary mom.” Despite the initial caricature of Britt as a “hyper-partisan MAGA mom,” colleagues say that this depiction of her is largely untrue. In the Senate, Britt has been building a reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker, helping negotiate changes to how immigration agents operate following the shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. She also worked together with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) to negotiate the homeland security funding bill that was set to pass with bipartisan support prior to the shootings. During a time of intense polarization, Britt’s bipartisanship shows how far lawmakers are willing to go to address national policy problems.

Infighting on Potential Presidential Nominee

Left-wing Democrats are “quietly escalating” efforts to persuade Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to run for president in 2028. As they see no clear alternative to run for office, allies claim that her high profile would allow her to fundraise significant amounts and her candidacy would force the Democratic party to debate issues that progressives care about, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Medicare for All. Moderate Democrats, however, are “on a mission” to stop Ocasio-Cortez’s potential candidacy, reflecting deep divisions within the party over how to defeat President Donald Trump’s MAGA coalition. Third Way, a prominent center-left group, is coordinating hundreds of elected officials, operatives, and party leaders to build a case for nominating a moderate Democrat – “not a liberal” – for president in 2028.

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Ousts Noem as Homeland Security Secretary
The New York Times, Maggie Haberman, Hamed Aleaziz, Michael C. Bender, and Michael Gold

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced on social media that he is firing his Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. Republican lawmakers grilled Noem this week at congressional hearings on a number of topics, including her knowledge of a “lucrative” advertising contract that Trump later contradicted. Though Noem’s tenure as secretary has been marred by controversy, she will allegedly be given a “previously nonexistent” role: special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. President Trump intends to replace her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), though it is unclear how quickly the Senate will be able to confirm him, given a current standoff in Congress regarding funding the department.

Bice, Hern considering Senate runs to replace Mullin
The Hill, Emily Brooks

Following President Donald Trump’s Thursday announcement that he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to replace outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, two Oklahoma Republicans are already reportedly eyeing challenges to fill Mullin’s seat: Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Kevin Hern (R-OK). Bice, a member of the “powerful” House Appropriations Committee, has shown that she can win competitive races; she defeated Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) for her seat in 2020. “I’ve received encouragement from every corner of this great state to run for the US Senate,” Bice posted on social media platform X on Thursday, “And it’s something I’m carefully considering.”

“This L is on Her”: Black Lawmakers and Strategists Dump on Crockett
POLITICO, Brakkton Booker

On Tuesday night, Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) lost by single digits to James Talarico (D-TX) in the Texas Democratic primary for Senate. Despite their frustration, Black Democratic strategists, lawmakers, and activists say that they saw this loss coming. Recounting a laundry list of why her campaign fell to Talarico, they state that Crockett’s campaign was unfocused, had insufficient infrastructure to challenge Talarico, had no ground game, and that her media strategy relied too heavily on social media, rather than focusing on television ad buys. Still, Black strategists and activists warn that Crockett’s loss will have ripple effects, stating that the party rejected an established rising star for an untested, white lawmaker over style, which raises concerns regarding if Black voters, especially women, will turn out when the party needs them most. Throughout the primary, Crockett also faced constant questions about her viability and campaign decisions, including if she had hired enough staff. Notably, a spokesperson for Crockett’s campaign has pushed back, stating that the criticisms of her campaign came from “Monday morning quarterbacks.” Following Talarico’s victory, some Democrats anticipate that conversations among insiders surrounding the importance of race, gender, and identity politics will play out in Democratic political circles moving forward.

Meet The Hill’s Top Women Shaping Policy
The Hill

The Hill recognized 50 women as part of its inaugural Top Women Shaping Policy list, a group who help to steer the agenda in Washington and state capitals on both sides of the aisle. They represent a broad continuum of political roles: elected and appointed local and state leaders, and D.C. based leaders from Capitol Hill, the White House, political parties, think tanks and NGOs. A symposium honoring the 50 also featured Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), a Chiefs of Staff panel and political leaders from the Republican National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association to candidly discuss the challenges and opportunities for women’s leadership in today’s political landscape.

Nancy Pelosi visits Bronx for Women’s History Month chat, hosted by Ritchie Torres
Bronx Times, Emily Swanson

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) kicked off Women’s History Month by hosting House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and several other honorees for a fireside chat at the New York Botanical Garden on March 1. At the celebration, Pelosi outlined her groundbreaking journey from “housewife to House Speaker” — a powerful position second in the line of succession to the president. She is now retiring from Congress after nearly 40 years representing San Francisco. Torres described Pelosi as “the matriarch of American politics.” When she started in Congress in 1987, there were only 24 women out of 435 total members. Today, there are 96 female Democrats and 33 Republicans, figures that Pelosi said should still be higher. Nonetheless, Torres said she helped pave the way for countless Americans in leadership. “If you’re a young woman, there is no ceiling on how high you can rise, because Speaker Pelosi has broken that ceiling,” he said.

Voting Rights in the News

On Monday, the Supreme Court overturned a New York state court ruling that a Staten Island-based district discriminated against Black and Latino voters and needed to be redrawn, thus preserving a GOP-led seat that would have likely shifted to Democrats in November. This ruling sets a disturbing precedent for voting rights, as federal courts are supposed to defer to state courts in matters of state law. Additionally, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that courts should not change election laws in the middle of election season, however, this ruling comes after the filing deadline for candidates in New York has passed. While the majority did not explain its reasoning, the concurring opinion written by Justice Alito implies that districts drawn under the Voting Rights Act or other federal or state laws to remedy racial discrimination represent “unadorned racial discrimination.” Currently, court watchers are speculating that Justice Alito may be writing a majority opinion on a case concerning the constitutionality of the last remaining section of the Voting Rights Act. Legislation regarding voting rights has also been in the news as the SAVE America Act moves through Congress. At the core of this policy, the SAVE America Act requires U.S. citizens to provide documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, in addition to adding a strict photo ID requirement for voting, and a mandate that states must share voter registration data with the Department of Homeland Security. While the SAVE America Act would apply to everyone, it would disproportionately burden voters who already face structural barriers in voter participation, including the nearly 90% of women who change or hyphenate their names after marriage. Notably, Trump has indicated an interest in taking unilateral actions on elections, if the SAVE America Act does not pass the Senate. February 27th marked the 104th anniversary of the Supreme Court unanimously and momentously upholding the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in the case of Leser v. Garnett. With this decision, the Supreme Court rejected arguments that Maryland’s state constitution limited suffrage to men and that the 19th Amendment infringed upon state sovereignty, thus reaffirming the country’s commitment to women’s rights and access to the ballot box.

The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.
The New York Times, Sabrina Tavernise and Jeff Adelson

The U.S. birthrate is declining. The decline has prompted hand-wringing among portions of the political class, with some conservatives calling it the triumph of selfishness over sacrifice. A report last month by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, titled “Saving America by Saving the Family,” warned that “when a nation fails to preserve the family, the state soon fails to preserve itself.” But academics say there is another way to look at it. A large part of the drop comes from teenagers and women in their early 20s — the least likely to want, or be able to provide for a baby. Drops among Hispanic, white and Black teenagers accounted for 37 percent of the national birthrate decline between 2007, when the rate started to go down, and 2019. White women ages 20 to 24 without a bachelor’s degree were another big contributor, they found. Together, the two groups added up to more than half of the overall drop. Martha Bailey, an economist at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that, among college-educated women, ages 20 to 24, the birthrate dropped by 20 percent between 2007 and 2024. But for women with only a high school diploma, the rate dropped by a full 50 percent. Thirty years ago, the growing number of teenage and single mothers was seen as a societal crisis, with poor economic and health outcomes for mother and baby. Now, the teenage birthrate is down by 70 percent since 2007 and the unmarried birth rate is down by 30 percent.The statistics help debunk the perception that the birthrate decline is being driven exclusively by highly educated women from privileged backgrounds. The birthrate is dropping among college graduates, too, but they make up a smaller portion of the phenomenon.

A Record Share of U.S. Workers Now Have Access to Paid Leave
19th* News, Chabeli Carrazana

The United States is one of only a handful of countries that does not have a federal paid leave policy that offers workers paid time off after the birth of a child or to seek medical leave. Despite a lack of federal action, states have passed 14 paid leave laws since 2002, which now covers about a third of the population, marking the biggest share ever. Ten of these laws have been passed in the past decade, with three laws going into effect this year. Paid leave laws are now available in 13 blue states and the District of Columbia, covering an estimated 46 million people. Although other workers may receive paid leave from their employers, workers of color, especially women of color, are less likely to be in a job that offers any paid leave. Additionally, low-wage workers, two-thirds of which are women, have less access to family and medical leave than individuals in higher-wage positions. Because of this, advocates have argued that a state or federal paid leave system can be utilized as an equalizer to improve access. Notably, large paid leave campaigns in six additional states could increase the share of American workers covered to 44 percent, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. However, Dawn Huckelbridge, the director of Paid Leave for All, has stated “there are states that will likely never pass paid leave, so as long as there isn’t a federal guarantee, this is going to create a system of have and have nots that will continue to grow inequities.”

Breastfeeding spaces and sanitary products needed at construction sites to bring women into industry
itvNEWS

The UK Women and Work All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) 2025 Report, based on a series of sessions carried out last year, was launched in parliament today to deliver key recommendations on addressing gender balance in the UK economy. It noted that women in construction, infrastructure and other non-office workplaces face a number of practical barriers, including “inadequate facilities”, that undermine their participation and well-being. Breastfeeding spaces and sanitary products should be provided at construction, engineering and manufacturing sites to attract and retain more women into such industries, the report has said. Female employees should also have access to safe changing rooms, places to express milk, and well-fitting PPE, the research found. It recommended embedding gender inclusion standards into public procurement, so that companies hoping to win government infrastructure or energy contracts are forced to demonstrate inclusive facilities and practices. The report also stated that employers must have independent reporting mechanisms for workplace harassment with clear accountability standards, so women feel safe enough to report incidents without risk to their career.

Former DOJ Official Jessica Steinmann Wins GOP Primary for Open Congressional Seat Near Huston

The Texan, Holly Hanson

A former U.S. Department of Justice official, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has won the Republican primary election for a congressional district left open this year after Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) did not seek a third term. Jessica Hart Steinmann led with nearly 70 percent of the vote over five other Republican candidates. Steinmann, who formerly served as the Director for the Office of Victims of Crime in the US Department of Justice during Trump’s first term, raised more than $1.4 million for her campaign and touted the highest profile endorsements, including from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, several members of Congress, and other conservative PACs. “This is a victory for the people of TX-08 and for the America First movement,” said Steinmann in a statement after her win.