In this undated photo provided by her niece Seraphine Warren, Navajo rug weaver Ella Mae Begay, 62, is shown. Begay is one of thousands of missing Indigenous women in the U.S. (AP Photo)

The disappearance of Gabby Petito, a white 22-year-old woman who went missing in Wyoming last month, has drawn a frenzy of coverage on traditional and social media, bringing new attention to a phenomenon known as “missing white woman syndrome.”

Angela Martin-Fields speaks about her mother Viola Martin, who has been missing since 2009. (WTTW News)

Black women and girls in the U.S. are disproportionately at risk for abuse, exploitation and homicide. In the Chicago area, an alarming number of Black women and girls have gone missing. Can a new initiative help find them?

Mexico’s Supreme Court voted Tuesday to remove legislation that punishes women for having abortions. The ruling was condemned by Mexico’s vast majority of Catholic leaders and conservatives. (CNN)

Just a few weeks after a Texas law took effect that bans most abortions in that state, Mexico’s Supreme Court has decided that women should not be criminalized for having an abortion. Both decisions have reignited protests over reproductive rights.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 about a controversial new Texas law banning nearly all abortions in that state. (WTTW News)
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U.S. Reps. Underwood, Foster and Krishnamoorthi call for federal reproductive health law

In the wake of a new law banning nearly all abortions in Texas, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and members of Illinois’ congressional delegation vowed to protect women’s rights while calling for a federal reproductive health law. “Nobody should be forced to cross state lines to see a doctor,” Pritzker said.

(culturarte86 / Pixabay)

As a Texas law that bans nearly all abortions in that state goes into effect, we take a look at what reproductive health care means for Black women. 

Abortion rights protesters hold signs at a rally in this file photo. (WTTW News)
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Texas has taken a controversial approach to banning abortions once cardiac activity is detected, with a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone involved with the procedure. Now, activists on both sides of the abortion debate are gearing up for a legislative battle.

In this Nov. 5, 2020 file photo, the Supreme Court is seen in Washington. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

A deeply divided Supreme Court is allowing a Texas law that bans most abortions to remain in force, for now stripping most women of the right to an abortion in the nation’s second-largest state.

A security guard opens the door to the Whole Women’s Health Clinic in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. (AP Photo / LM Otero)
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The nation’s most far-reaching curb on abortions since they were legalized a half-century ago took effect Wednesday in Texas, with the Supreme Court silent on an emergency appeal to put the law on hold.

(WTTW News)

A new Illinois law will make feminine hygiene products available for free at homeless shelters. Advocates say the legislation spotlights an often-overlooked issue, but they’re calling for funding to “put some teeth behind it.”

In this Aug. 10, 2021 file photo, an internally displaced woman from northern provinces, who fled her home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, has her blood pressure taken after taking refuge in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo / Rahmat Gul, File)

Days after taking over the country following a lightning offensive, the Taliban made an effort to portray a more moderate stance, promising to respect women’s rights and inviting them to join the government. Some Afghan women sought to carefully test their limits.

In this May 7, 2020 file photo, a pregnant woman wearing a face mask and gloves holds her belly as she waits in line for groceries at St. Mary’s Church in Waltham, Mass. (AP Photo / Charles Krupa, file)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged all pregnant women Wednesday to get the COVID-19 vaccine as hospitals in hot spots around the U.S. see disturbing numbers of unvaccinated mothers-to-be seriously ill with the virus.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs the Feminine Hygiene Products for the Homeless Act on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. (WTTW News via Governor’s Office)

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Thursday that makes feminine hygiene products available for free at homeless shelters and at public universities and community colleges throughout Illinois. 

In this Wednesday, June 9, 2021 file photo, a nurse gives a shot of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 to a pregnant woman in Montevideo, Uruguay. (AP Photo / Matilde Campodonico, File)

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said vaccinations in tens of thousands of pregnant women over the past several months have shown the shots are safe and effective during pregnancy.

The Cook County Jail in Chicago. (WTTW News)

While the number of women in prisons is relatively small compared to the number of incarcerated men, the rate of female incarceration is on the rise. Black women in particular are overrepresented in the nation’s jails and prisons.

Pauline Schaefer-Betz, of Germany, performs her floor exercise routine during the women’s artistic gymnastic qualifications at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo / Gregory Bull)

For decades, female gymnasts have worn bikini-cut leotards. In qualifying on Sunday, however, the German team instead wore unitards that stretched to their ankles, intending to push back against sexualization of women in gymnastics.

(Courtesy Whitney Bradshaw / “Outcry”)

Since January 2018, Whitney Bradshaw has photographed more than 375 women who participated in her “Scream Sessions.” All portraits are now on display together for the first time in a new exhibit at the McCormick Gallery called “Outcry.”