It is one of those overwhelming topics that seems to be pushed under the rug right now. It’s like the white elephant in the room, where many scary, unpredictable wild animals are lashing out. Somehow, people are incredibly aware of these issues, yet at the same time, unable to speak about or address women’s rights.
Let’s be honest: women’s rights are in a full free-fall. It’s frightening.
A Quick Timeline of the Rollbacks of Abortion Rights
Over the past eight years, women’s rights and reproductive freedoms have faced significant setbacks, culminating in major legal changes that restrict access to abortion and challenge established protections. The most notable turning point was the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022, which overturned the longstanding Roe v. Wade ruling of 1973.
For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade protected a woman’s constitutional right to choose an abortion, setting a legal precedent that limited state restrictions during the early stages of pregnancy. However, the Dobbs decision dismantled this federal protection, returning the authority to regulate abortion to individual states. As a result, many states swiftly imposed strict bans or severe limitations on access, creating a patchwork of laws that sharply restrict women’s reproductive choices depending on where they live.
In the years leading up to Dobbs, several states enacted laws aimed at heavily restricting or banning abortion—often in anticipation of the hypothetical overturn. These efforts culminated in the Dobbs ruling, which many advocates saw as a major regression of women’s rights, undermining decades of progress toward reproductive autonomy.
The impact has been profound: many women now face obstacles to accessing safe and legal abortions, especially in conservative states. This shift disproportionately affects marginalized populations—including low-income women, women of color, and those in rural areas—who already encounter barriers to healthcare.
Worse, we see reports everyday of women bleeding out in their homes and at hospital due to restrictions in states like Texas where doctors can be charged with a crime and prosecuted for providing reproductive care.
Beyond legal restrictions, the societal and political climate surrounding reproductive rights has become more polarized. There have been increased attacks on skilled providers and rising stigma around reproductive health choices. Internationally, U.S. policy shifts have also influenced global discussions on women’s rights, often leading to setbacks elsewhere.
The Negative Impact of the Rollback and the Cessation of DEI
The removal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has profound negative effects on women in this country, undermining progress toward gender equality and increasing marginalization. DEI programs aim to create equitable workplaces and social structures that support women, especially those from minority backgrounds. Eliminating these initiatives reverses gains, exacerbates disparities, and hampers economic and social growth.
Decline in Women’s Representation in Leadership
Research shows that DEI initiatives significantly increase women’s representation in leadership roles. For example, a 2022 McKinsey report found that companies with strong diversity initiatives are 25% more likely to have women in executive positions. Without continued emphasis on DEI, the pipeline for women advancing into senior roles stagnates, leading to a decline in female leadership. Currently, women hold only 28% of C-suite positions in the U.S., and this number is expected to decrease without active DEI policies.
Widening Wage Gaps
Eliminating DEI efforts worsens the persistent wage gap between men and women. In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported women earned approximately 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. Women of color face even larger disparities—with Black women earning around 64 cents and Hispanic women 55 cents compared to a white man’s dollar. DEI initiatives have played a key role in addressing these gaps; their removal risks increasing the wage disparity and rolling back years of progress.
Those numbers have worsened dramatically in the last ten months under this current administration.
Impact on Women’s Mental and Physical Health
Research indicates that workplaces lacking DEI support tend to have higher rates of harassment and discrimination. The Pew Research Center found that 81% of women report experiencing gender discrimination or harassment at some point in their careers. Removing DEI programs diminishes organizational accountability and support systems, possibly leading to increased mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and burnout. According to the National Women’s Law Center, women facing hostility and discrimination are more likely to report stress-related health problems.
Limited Economic Growth
Diversity and inclusion are key drivers of innovation and economic growth. A 2021 McKinsey report revealed that companies with diverse leadership are 36% more likely to outperform their competitors financially. Removing DEI initiatives reduces these benefits by shrinking the talent pool and stifling innovation—disadvantages especially impacting women who bring critical perspectives. Consequently, the broader economy suffers from decreased productivity and output.
Challenges to Access to Opportunities
The rollback of DEI efforts disproportionately affects minority women, who already face structural barriers to education, employment, and healthcare. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that Black and Hispanic women have higher unemployment rates (around 8.5% and 8.3%, respectively) compared to white women (around 4.5%). Eliminating DEI programs can deepen these disparities, limiting access to mentorship, training, and advancement opportunities for women from marginalized communities.
What Can Be Done:
There are many organizations who are fighting vigorously for abortion rights and women’s rights.
As an example, Reproductive Freedom for All (https://reproductivefreedomforall.org) is an amazing Washington DC based organization fighting legislatively, in the courts and for hearts and minds throughout the US.
Recently I spoke with the policy director of Reproductive Freedom For All, Ryan Stitzlein, and learned how a strong coalition of leaders is working hard to reverse all of the negative impact of the Republican courts and legislatures.
I asked Ryan specifically about how we can win back independent voters.
“We’ve developed a strong message for purple voters,” to counter the narratives and inaccuracies of the Trump administration and the GOP. Specifically for those folks who believed Trump would just “leave it to the states.” This obviously is problematic, because by leaving it to the states, women will not have the reproductive care they need in dozens of states and possibly nationally, if the GOP gets their way.
Ryan continued “The biggest threats currently are a full abortion ban and this administration’s efforts to use the Federal Drug Administration to end Mifepristone use.” Mifepristone is a prescription medication primarily used for medical abortion in early pregnancy (up to 70 days or 10 weeks of gestation). This drug is used frequently and currently prescribed by doctors to safely provide abortion care.
Ryan shared the coalition working on these efforts to thwart the attack on abortion care and women’s right is called Abortion Access Now.
“We are working with Abortion Access Now - a coalition of abortion rights and civil rights organizations who are fighting together to reverse rollbacks.”:
“This campaign is committed to building and leading a broad, inclusive vision for abortion access, ensuring everyone can make fundamental decisions about their health and bodies with dignity and support. Together, we will secure the freedom to control our own bodies and care for ourselves, our families, and our communities.”
The ‘Abortion Access Now’ (https://abortionaccessnowcampaign.org) is a
campaign collaborative effort led by the following organizations:
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)
- In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
- National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (Latina Institute)
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
- National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)
- Reproductive Freedom for All
If you can please visit reproductivefreedomforall.org and donate to support this important effort!
For more information, stop by my Livestream show:
Tonight: Join my Substack Live Show - Mini Timmarju, CEO of Reproductive Freedom For All and I will talk about the state of play with women’s rights. livestream link: https://open.substack.com/live...
