Although the majority of Americans are in favor of abortion rights, recent events have caused a significant shift in the landscape. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, 14 states have implemented strict abortion bans. Adding to the concern, a president who did not win the popular vote appointed three anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court. According to Ms. Magazine, these justices, in conjunction with two conservative colleagues, have dismantled along-standing constitutional right to abortion. States like Texas, Louisiana, and West Virginia, known for gerrymandering and voter suppression, have swiftly followed suit in banning abortion.
One of the key factors contributing to the erosion of abortion rights is the overwhelming
presence of men who do not support women’s rights in many state legislatures and Congress.
In states where abortion is banned, the political representation of women is significantly lower.
In states like West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma, where abortion is banned without exceptions for rape or incest, men make up at least 80 percent of the state legislatures. For instance, in West Virginia, women hold only 12.7 percent of legislative positions. Across all states with abortion bans, men account for more than two-thirds of legislators. The global scenario reflects that women’s rights are most fragile in places where women are politically underrepresented. The U.S. lags behind 68 other countries in women’s representation in national legislatures, with women holding a mere 29 percent of Congressional seats. At the state level, women occupy only 32.6 percent of legislative seats. Regarding the judiciary, women make up only one-third of federal and state court judges.
Studies suggest that higher female political representation is linked to governments supporting reproductive rights, implementing measures to combat gender-based violence, backing pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children, advocating for equal access to health care, infrastructure, and education, and addressing climate change. On the contrary, countries with predominantly male leadership are more inclined to participate in armed conflicts and violate human rights.
There exists a substantial gender gap in attitudes towards public policies. Women, for instance, are more inclined to support government intervention to provide social welfare, such as food assistance, health coverage, and welfare benefits. They are also more likely to endorse environmental protections and anti-discrimination laws for the LGBTQ+ community. Conversely, women are less supportive of military interventions and gun ownership compared to men.
Political expert Jennifer M. Piscopo has noted: “Differences in beliefs about gender roles result in distinct life experiences for women and men, influencing women’s perception of issues and their preferences for addressing them. Women, who disproportionately take on caregiver roles, such as child-rearing, are historically and presently more inclined than men to support improved healthcare, housing, education, childcare, and poverty alleviation programs.”
In order to address the pressing and crucial issues at hand, it is imperative to increase the
number of women in positions of power, as the current male leadership is failing to tackle them effectively.
While there are women who may not support women’s rights, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elise Stefanik, and Nikki Haley, studies have shown that overall, having more women in political office results in better protection of women’s rights and the overall well-being of society.
Compared to other developed countries, the United States has alarmingly high rates of issues such as unwanted pregnancies, infant and maternal mortality, child poverty, and violence against women. The U.S. is among only six countries globally that do not guarantee paid family leave, and it lags behind other developed nations in providing support for childcare. Currently, less than 20% of workers have access to paid leave, leading to new mothers having to return to work shortly after giving birth. Despite this, male-dominated legislatures consistently overlook these issues and prioritize military spending, claiming a lack of resources.
Initially, Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act included provisions mandating 12 weeks of paid family leave for employers and subsidies for childcare, universal pre-K, and expanded long-term care options for the elderly and disabled. However, these provisions were removed by the predominantly white-male Congress before the bill was passed in 2021.
Women seeking to uphold abortion rights are resorting to direct democracy through ballot
measures. Despite the decline of Roe, abortion rights have been upheld in seven ballot
measures, even in conservative states like Kansas and Ohio. In the upcoming presidential
elections, there are expected to be abortion-related ballot questions in several more states,
including Nevada, Montana, Nebraska, Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, and South Dakota.
Unfortunately, states that have banned abortion, such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia do not allow for ballot measures.
The status of women’s rights and their representation serves as a barometer for democratic
health. The erosion of women’s rights signifies a weakening of democracies. Authoritarian
regimes worldwide are increasingly targeting women’s rights, particularly pertaining to
reproduction and bodily autonomy. In order to establish a truly democratic society that
guarantees women’s rights and provides better care for all, inclusive political leadership that mirrors the diversity of the population and respects everyone’s rights is essential.
