By Kayla Brogan
“Only when it is dark enough can we see the stars,” Kamala Harris said in her post-election speech. This quote offered a glimmer of hope on a day when many teenage girls across the nation struggled to get out of bed and go to school, and women faced fears and discouragement about their rights under Trump’s presidency.
For the second time, Americans rejected the opportunity to elect a female president and instead sent Donald Trump into the Oval Office for another term. Trump won both the electoral vote and popular vote 50.3% to 48.1%. Republicans now control Senate and are very close to taking the House of Representatives.
While on Harris's campaign trail, Michelle Obama made one of the most impassioned speeches to date, addressed “to the men who love us." It was a clear statement of what has long been the unspoken foundation of Harris’s campaign: this US election will have profound consequences for women.
"Please, please, do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump – who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us," Obama said in the closing arguments of her speech. "Because a vote for him, is a vote against us."
Throughout the campaign, both Harris and Walz have sounded the alarm about “Trump abortion bans,” as Trump has signaled a disregard for the autonomy and well-being of women across the nation.
Now, as he returns to office, many fear a further erosion of hard ruling legislation against women’s rights.
ABORTION
In 2022 Roe v. Wade, a court ruling dating back to 1973 that protected the right to an abortion, was overturned. When the ruling was overturned, the control went back to the states and each state was able to reassess their abortion laws.
During the DNC’s delegate roll call at the Democratic convention, Kate Cox, a Texas woman who sued her state because she was denied an abortion there spoke to the audience.
“When I got pregnant, doctors told us our baby would never survive, and if I didn't get an abortion, it would put a future pregnancy at risk,” Cox said at the Democratic National Convention. “But Trump didn't care, and because of his abortion bans, I had to flee my home.”
On the 2024 election night, voters in Missouri chose to restore abortion rights. This is quite disparate from the drastic laws enacted in Florida. The current law bans abortion after six weeks of gestation, before many women even know they are pregnant. This law does not include exceptions for rape or incest and makes it a felony for doctors to perform abortions on women after this period.
During his previous presidency, Trump appointed three conservative justices which solidified a majority in the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Under a Trump administration, this trend toward restrictive abortion laws will intensify. Trump has promised to appoint more conservative justices if given the opportunity.
Additionally, federal policies and funding could be directed in ways that limit abortion services. For example, Trump previously supported the “global gag rule” which prevents foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from using their own, non-U.S. funds to provide abortion services, information, referrals, or advocacy.
GENDER EQUALITY
Trump’s attitudes and comments towards women and girls have been highly publicized. On the #MeToo movement, Trump said in 2018: “It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of… Women are doing great.”
Besides his obvious misogyny, it has been reported that Trump’s administration paid women 69 cents for every $1 paid to male staffers.
Also, due to “Trump's abortion bans” women who were denied abortions were more likely to suffer adverse financial situations from higher rates of bankruptcy to evictions, the study found. They were also more likely to rely on government aid programs like food stamps and welfare because of their financial strain.
Vice President Elect J.D. Vance has called women without children, "childless cat ladies," suggesting that he shares negative views of women that many consider misogynistic.
LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
Republicans spent nearly $215 million on anti-trans ads this election cycle, according to data released by Ad Impact. In his first term as President, Trump put forth several policies that attempted to repeal protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.
In his 20-point platform titled Agenda 47 he has made plans to “keep men out of women’s sports.” This is made clear in Title IX which stated that trans-women would not be allowed to participate in male sport teams.
In August, the Human Rights Campaign reported there were 26 states with a ban or policy against gender-affirming care for minors and that 39% of transgender youth lived in states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care.
HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN
The Trump administration worked to reduce or repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many women relied on ACA provisions for affordable coverage, maternity care, and contraceptive access. Efforts to dismantle it put these benefits at risk, particularly those affecting lower-income women who depended on ACA exchanges for coverage. IVF coverage, however, has historically varied by state and employer rather than federal mandate, so these changes may not have impacted it directly.
Limiting reproductive options for women will also affect Planned Parenthood. Women will be denied reproductive health services including birth control and access to contraceptives in some states.
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, I believe that women will continue to fight with optimism, faith, and truth.
Belva Lockwood, the first woman to find a loophole in the system of suffrage and run for president herself said, “The glory of each generation is to make its own precedent."