This week, U.S. Border Patrol released a video of two young Ecuadorian sisters, ages 3 and 5, being dropped by traffickers over a 14-foot border wall into the New Mexican desert. The girls were quickly rescued and will be reunited with their mother in the U.S. soon. On March 24, 2021, President Biden announced that Vice President Harris will manage border immigration issues. Recognizing that migration is symptomatic of a much larger geopolitical issue, Biden observed that “the best way to keep people from coming is to keep them from wanting to leave." What is happening in the Northern Triangle of Central America, and how can we help?

The violent conflict in Ethiopia started in November 2020 and has been marked by alleged massacres, widespread looting, destruction of private property, and most recently, sexual assault as a weapon of war. What started this conflict and what can we do to help relief organizations trying to support survivors and newly displaced refugees?

On March 19, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia, President Biden and Vice President Harris addressed the startling rise in anti-Asian racism and offered condolences to families whose loved ones were murdered in Atlanta-area spas this week. Biden said, “too many Asian Americans have been walking up and down the streets and worrying. Waking up each morning the past year feeling their safety and the safety of their loved ones are stake.” What caused the dramatic uptick in hate crimes and bigotry against people of Asian descent and what can we do to protect our family, friends, and neighbors?

One year ago today, I officially launched Girl Friday! I am forever grateful to all of you for joining me on this adventure. Thanks to your suggestions and interests, over the past 224 Instagram posts and countless stories I've covered a range of topics, including the renewed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, wrongful incarceration in the U.S, the plight of Uyghurs in China, and inspiring women-led political movements in Belarus and Thailand.

March 8th will be International Women's Day and this year Girl Friday is focusing on maternal health and obstetric justice. Among industrialized nations, the United States is the only country with a rising maternal mortality rate, "despite spending more per capita on health care than any other country." What is happening in the U.S. and which moms-to-be are most at risk?

On April 1, 2020, to slow the spread of COVID-19 the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced its first nationwide lockdown in almost 25 years and some state prison systems followed the federal government's lead by enacting complete or partial lockdowns. Solitary confinement, also called restrictive housing, became the first line of defense against the virus. But advocates and researchers believe that detention centers need safe alternatives to solitary confinement because of the long-term, harmful effects of isolation. How can we help them fight for our incarcerated neighbors?