Welcome to the Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories.

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Pink Ladies Protest 

During President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus wore shades of pink to signal their protest of his policies. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), chair of the caucus, said that the group decided to use a strong color because “what’s happening now is more extreme than ever,” noting that the color pink represents “women’s power, persistence and resistance.” The color pink has a “well-established” association with femininity and protest: in 2017, women who opposed Trump’s first presidency protested his administration while wearing bright pink knit hats. Though the hats have not reappeared, congresswomen are attempting to “reclaim” the color as a sign of opposition. “With color, right in front of him, we could register our protest,” Fernandez said.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin Says More Unites Americans Than Divides After Trump’s Speech

NPR, Barbara Sprunt and Don Gonyea

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) delivered the Democratic response to President Trump’s first joint session of Congress speech of his term on Tuesday. She spoke from Wyandotte, MI, a town where both Slotkin and Trump won in November. Slotkin called for bipartisanship and efforts to remember the “core values” of Americans, namely a strong middle class, democracy, and national security. She described the bipartisan nature of her upbringing and career, with serving three military terms in Iraq and working in both the Bush and Obama White House. She pushed for the American public to hold their elected officials accountable and demand action. Slotkin also remarked on the rising tariffs and costs despite Trump’s campaigning for a better economy, saying the “math on his proposals doesn’t work out.” She finished the speech by promising that she, and other Democrats, will be the “principled leaders that you deserve.”

Frustrations Mount as Stefanik Stuck in Limbo — Even After House Clears Hurdle

The Hill, Emily Brooks and Al Weaver

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is still not confirmed to be the U.S. ambassador at the United Nations. It could be further pushed off until April because her seat in the House of Representatives is crucial to maintain the Republican majority. After last week’s House budget vote that passed with a razor thin margin, 217-215, Republicans know they cannot afford to lose a seat. House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) say they are taking cues from the White House as to when Stefanik’s confirmation should move forward. Trump and Congressional Republicans alike have complimented Stefanik’s work and dedication.

Confirmation Amidst Department Uncertainty

On Monday, the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon, a major Republican donor and former pro-wrestling executive to serve as the secretary of the Department of Education. McMahon – Trump’s 22nd nominee to be confirmed by the chamber since his inauguration – previously served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first Term; she resigned in 2019 to become the chair of America First Action, a Trump super PAC. As the Trump administration seems to be laying the groundwork to dismantle the Department of Education, McMahon’s upcoming plans will result in what she calls a “historic overhaul that will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations.” Sources claim that Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week calling for McMahon to diminish the department.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Puts Trump and Musk at Center Stage

Washington Post, Patrick Marley

This spring, President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk’s policies will get their first “major test” at the ballot box in an election that will determine who controls the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Conservatives have a chance to regain the majority since a liberal justice is retiring this year; if they do not, liberals are positioned to control the court until at least 2028. Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate in the race, previously represented Planned Parenthood, teachers unions, and voting rights groups as a lawyer in private practice; she has zeroed in on Elon Musk’s support for conservative candidate Brad Schimel. Schimel, however, has said that he is pleased to have Musk’s backing, telling supporters that he hopes President Trump would hold a rally for him soon.

Lucy McBath Takes First Step Toward Georgia Governor Run

Politico, Danny Nguyen

Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) is preparing a campaign for Georgia’s 2026 gubernatorial race. She has launched an exploratory committee to raise money for the race. On Wednesday, McBath released a statement about her rumored run, saying “Georgians deserve a governor who understands what’s at stake — because they’ve lived it.” She entered the political sphere in 2012 after her son, Jordan, was shot and killed at a gas station by a man who objected to the 17-year-old’s loud music. She won her House seat in 2018 and subsequent reelections. If elected, McBath would become America’s first Black woman governor and Georgia’s first Democratic governor in over two decades.

Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

On Monday, Senate Democrats voted unanimously to block a GOP-led bill that aimed to prohibit federally funded schools from allowing transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. In a vote of 51-45, Democrats filibustered the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which ultimately fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance as Democrats dismissed the bill as a “cynical political move.” Governor Gavin Newsome (D-CA) conveyed a perspective contrary to that of progressives in his party this week, speaking out against allowing transgender women and girls to compete in female sports. “It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair.” Though the Trump administration has vowed to protect female athletes, the Department of Education recently announced that Title IX, the federal law that requires colleges to equally fund men and women’s sports, does not apply to “name, image, and likeness” payments paid to collegiate athletes. That policy will cut female athletes off from a “huge new source of funding set to come into play this year.”

Gendered Politics in Marriage

A proposed piece of legislation is sparking concern amongst married women that it could prevent them from voting. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, was first introduced by Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) last year and passed in the House, but died in the Senate. It is aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from voting by requiring proof of citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote. However, married women are concerned it will cause their ineligibility to register because their name does not match the same one on their birth certificate. Seventy-nine percent of women in opposite-sex marriages take their partner’s last name and only about half of the U.S. have passports, leading to concerns over registration accessibility. Rep. Roy called the concerns “absurd armchair speculation” and reintroduced the bill in the House in January. Married women are evaluating if they should stay in marriages where their husbands are increasingly involved with right-wing politics and conspiracy theories. Three women detail their struggles with President Trump’s impact on their husbands and the increases in misogynistic languages and attitudes they have. Some are ready for divorce and others want to fight for their marriage, but all echo the sentiment that politics are ruining their relationships.

Progress and Potential for Employment Parity

Women fall behind men in the workplace in areas like equal pay, management positions, and time spent working, despite leading in education rates. For example, Helen Friel/McKinsey & Company found that after initial hire, for every 100 men promoted to managerial positions, only 81 women are promoted. Cultural, systemic, and organizational change will be critical to achieving women’s parity in the workplace. However, while organizations play a critical role, individuals can also take actions to build more experience capital and increase their lifetime earnings. Rather than focusing on a specific job or role, look for companies and organizations that provide ample chances for employees to grow through training and expectations of mutual feedback, which has a lasting impact on their experience capital. Those who find a supportive company earn 50% higher in lifetime earnings. When women and men make bold choices in their careers and keep moving up, it can account for 60-80% of their lifetime earnings with experience capital. The Pew Research Center has found that the gender pay gap has narrowed slightly over the last two decades. In 2024, women earned 85% of what men earned, an increase of 4% from 2003. Even though women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs traditionally dominated by men, such as professional and managerial positions, women as a whole continue to be overrepresented in lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce. This may contribute to gender differences in pay.

The Progressive Movement in the Trump Era

On Thursday, WPI ED Betsy Fischer Martin moderated a panel featuring Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) at Harvard’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics. The two discussed the need for a unified Democratic strategy, the current lack of decorum in Congress, and the constitutional crisis under President Donald Trump. Jayapal also explored how former Vice President Kamala Harris’ electoral loss in 2024 impacted women, calling her loss “particularly painful” for Black women, who have “saved the country” so many times in the past. Jayapal questioned how the United States still can’t elect a qualified woman of color, adding that marginalized women running for office often have to try to “prove” their patriotism and electability compared to their white counterparts.