Gender
At-home STD testing and new treatments are changing the game for sexual health care
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Sexual health is getting a long-overdue upgrade. Thanks to recent approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at-home STD testing is more accessible than ever, and it’s arriving alongside the first new gonorrhea treatments in decades. For public Read More...
UK to ban AI ‘nudification’ apps in crackdown on deepfakes, digital misogyny, and abuse
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The UK is moving to outlaw AI-powered “nudification” apps in a sweeping effort to tackle a new wave of online abuse, particularly targeted at women and girls. Announced just before the end of 2025, the upcoming legislation will make it a criminal offense Read More...
First hormone-free male birth control pill shown safe in early trial
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM To wrap up our Best of 2025 series, we’re sharing something a little more personal… our Staff Picks! These are the articles that sparked extra chats, late-night musings, and genuine delight among our team. They made us think, smile, and (of course) feel a Read More...
Blood test for endometriosis brings hope for millions
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This year’s top Health stories celebrate the kind of progress that hits close to home: advances that help us live longer, feel better, and take care of one another. From mental health wins to medical innovations, these 2025 highlights are all about healing, Read More...
6 surprising signs of loneliness women often miss (and how to reconnect)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On the outside, things seem… fine. Work is demanding but fulfilling. Family life is busy. The calendar’s full. There’s nothing glaringly wrong, yet something feels a little flat. Quiet. Maybe even heavy. For many women, this is what loneliness Read More...
India’s social experiment: how paying women directly reshapes welfare, autonomy, & politics
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Across India, millions of women now receive a modest but unwavering deposit each month into their bank accounts. The money is not tied to a job, a poverty line, or a performance requirement. It arrives because state governments have decided that women’s Read More...
Grace Richardson makes history as first openly gay Miss England: ‘I’ve achieved my dream’
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When Grace Richardson took the stage at the Miss England final in Wolverhampton, she wasn’t just chasing a crown. She was closing a chapter on years of being bullied for who she is and opening a new one as the first openly gay woman to win the national Read More...
U.S. introduces first female crash test dummy to close decades-long safety gap
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a move hailed as decades overdue, the U.S. Department of Transportation introduced the country’s first crash test dummy modeled on female anatomy. The new model, called the THOR-05F, marks a significant step toward addressing long-standing gender Read More...
Italy officially recognizes femicide as a crime punishable by life in prison
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a powerful and symbolic move, Italy’s parliament passed a historic law that formally recognizes femicide as a distinct criminal offense. The law, approved on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, imposes life sentences for Read More...
Shereen Arent and Sambhali U.S. help uplift 80,000+ women and girls in India
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Women and youth empowerment through education Welcome to the final week of The Optimist Daily’s Annual Local Changemakers series, where we’ve spent five weeks celebrating community-rooted leaders driving bold solutions across the globe. We close this Read More...