Special Issue of NYT Magazine -- Women's Rights

Today's issue of the New York Times Magazine is devoted to the topic of women and women's rights in the 21st century. This special issue, largely driven by the efforts of Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, makes the case for why "women's rights are the cause of our time."  Such a claim, of course, comes as little surprise to any contemporary feminist thinkers -- we're well aware of the incredibly disparate social, political, and economic conditions facing women around the world. But in popular media, feminist activism and work for women's rights rarely makes front page headlines. Sure there is the ocassional profile story or narrative on PBS Frontline or CBS 60 Minutes, but in the day-to-day news, in-depth storytelling on women's activism is largely nonexistent.  There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is backlash against feminism we witnessed during the late 20th century.  We heard arguments that "feminism is over" and "women have been liberated," suggesting that the need for feminist critique and activism has expired. But take just a brief look at the content of today's New York Times magazine and you'll know this:  The cry for feminist action is loud, urgent, and unmutable.