Eight years ago, an unqualified misogynist and a highly qualified woman were running for the highest office in the United States of America. This sounds like the opening to a bad joke, one that would lead you to the punch line of the misogynist winning. Only this joke isn’t funny.

Many women I know were devasted by the 2016 election. We were told that we were being hysterical. Precedent would protect our rights. We knew better. Decades of hard won rights have been eviscerated in a few short years. We were told that it was only abortion that was being restricted. We knew better.

Today, young women have less freedom than I did.

Now in 2024, that man amped up his hateful rhetoric only to be rewarded with a more committed voter base. In 2025, we may see the most devastating loss of women’s rights as extremists gain control of the three branches of government.

As a young woman, I faced discrimination and harassment. I experienced
sexual violence. But I also had access to reproductive healthcare and career
opportunities. I thought that the generations to follow would be better off
than me. I celebrated the freedoms that I believed our daughters would enjoy.
That hope was powerful.

In this special issue, women share their perspectives on the decline of freedom
for women in America and what they are doing about it. This is how we regain hope, by telling our stories and by fighting for our rights and those women that follow.

We are seeking essays, memoir excerpts, art, poetry and creative nonfiction. We will publish these essays throughout the year. Read, share, and submit.