Women's rights & well-being

This archive covers documented progress on women’s rights and well-being worldwide — from legal reforms and health advances to economic gains and shifts in policy. Stories here focus on what’s working, who’s driving change, and where meaningful progress is taking hold.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri

Morocco appoints Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as its first woman prime minister

By / / Good News For Humankind

Morocco’s first woman prime minister starts with a government still to build. Her party won 97 of 395 seats, well short of the 198 needed for a majority, so coalition talks with three parties began the day after her appointment. The king must now pick from the largest party under a rule adopted after the 2011 Arab Spring protests, yet he keeps sweeping powers over defense and foreign affairs. Turnout was 38%, the lowest since 2007.

A woman speaking passionately at an outdoor podium, pointing toward the crowd, with city buildings in the background

Record 3,794 women are nominees across 2026 U.S. state legislative races

By / / Good News For Humankind

Women’s presence in American state governments has climbed for decades, and this year’s candidate pool is the clearest sign yet of how far that shift has come — more women are seeking state legislative office than at any point in U.S. history. The gains aren’t even, though: Democratic women set their own record, while Republican women actually fell short of their 2022 high, and women still hold just a third of all state legislative seats nationwide. Whether this record of candidates becomes a record of winners won’t be clear until Election Day in November.

Filling vaccine syringe, for article on HPV vaccine

England records zero cervical cancer deaths in young women, crediting HPV vaccine

By / / Good News For Humankind

HPV vaccination is proving it can do something remarkable: wipe out a cancer entirely in a generation. England’s school-based program, now nearly two decades old, has driven cervical cancer deaths to zero among women in their early twenties — a cohort where dozens of deaths would otherwise have been expected. Researchers say this is only the beginning, with far greater impact ahead as vaccinated generations age. It’s a powerful reminder that a single vaccine, delivered early enough, can make a whole category of suffering disappear — and that other countries have a clear, proven path to follow.

Mother and baby, for article on Chile maternity leave reform

Chile’s maternity leave reform lifted mothers’ employment without wage penalties

By / / Good News For Humankind

Chile’s maternity leave reform delivered something policymakers rarely get to claim: a sustained employment boost for mothers, with no wage penalty in sight.
After the country doubled postnatal leave from 12 to 24 weeks in 2011, eligible mothers were 6.8 percentage points more likely to hold formal jobs in the three years after returning to work, according to a study in the Journal of Development Economics. The biggest gains went to women with shorter work histories — exactly the mothers the reform was meant to reach.
It’s a hopeful signal for countries everywhere weighing family policy: designed with real conditions in mind, parental leave can lift women up rather than hold them back.

A woman coach gesturing instructions on a football sideline for an article about female head coach in men's top-five European leagues

Marie-Louise Eta becomes first female head coach in men’s top-five European leagues

By / / Good News For Humankind

Female head coach Marie-Louise Eta made history on April 11, 2026, when Union Berlin appointed her as interim head coach — becoming the first woman ever to hold a head coaching position in any of men’s top-five European leagues. The Bundesliga club made the move after dismissing Steffen Baumgart, with five matches remaining and real relegation stakes on the line. Eta, 34, had served as assistant coach since 2023 and was already a familiar, trusted presence within the squad. This was no ceremonial gesture — she was handed a survival fight, which is precisely what makes the milestone significant.

Aerial view of the Faroe Islands coastline for an article about Faroe Islands abortion rights

Faroe Islands legalizes abortion in a landmark vote for women’s rights

By / / Good News For Humankind

Faroe Islands abortion rights became legal for the first time in 2024, when the Løgting voted to end one of Western Europe’s last near-total bans on the procedure. For decades, residents seeking abortions were forced to travel to Denmark at significant personal expense, a burden that fell hardest on those with the least financial means. The landmark vote means people on the remote North Atlantic archipelago can now access abortion services locally, closing a longstanding gap in healthcare equity. The Faroe Islands joins the rest of Northern Europe in formally enshrining reproductive rights in law.

A gavel resting beside legal documents in a courtroom for an article about rape kit storage law reform — 14 words.

New York extends rape kit storage to 20 years, giving survivors more time to seek justice

By / / Good News For Humankind

New York’s rape kit storage law now requires sexual assault evidence to be preserved for 20 years, doubling the previous 10-year limit and giving survivors significantly more time to decide whether to pursue charges. Research consistently shows that many survivors need years or even decades before they feel ready to report, meaning shorter storage windows effectively forced premature legal decisions on people still processing trauma. The legislation is part of a broader package of survivor-focused reforms in New York, building on earlier efforts to address the national rape kit backlog. Advocates call the extended timeline a meaningful step toward aligning evidence policy with the reality of how survivors heal.