By: Darcy Knight
March is Women’s History Month, which is a time to reflect on the many contributions of women throughout history. From the first women’s right convention in 1848, to the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote in 1920, to the equal pay act in 1963, to the Title IX Education Amendments being passed, guaranteeing equal access to education programs in 1972, to Sandra Day O’Connor being sworn in as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980, to Kamala Harris becoming the first female Vice President in 2021. The path has not always been smooth, but it has always trended up. Until now.
In a recent report by UN Women, they issued an alert: “Justice systems meant to uphold rights and the rule of law are failing women and girls everywhere. Women globally hold just 64 per cent of the legal rights of men, exposing them to discrimination, violence, and exclusion at every stage of their lives.” Additionally, no country in the world has achieved total legal equality for women.
It might be easy to look at these statistics and think that is happening in other countries. But we are also experiencing a rollback in women’s rights in the US.
- The gender pay gap has widened for the last two consecutive years, the first time that has happened since the 1960s, when federal data began
- Under Trump, they formalized “highest male” fitness standards for all military service members, reducing equal opportunity for women.
- The majority of Medicaid recipients are women. The “Big Beautiful Bill” slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and will cause 11.8 million Americans to become uninsured within a decade.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, due to the “Big Beautiful Bill,” 2.4 million people will be cut off from SNAP benefits in a typical month, including 800,000 older adults (aged 55-64), 300,000 caregivers (typically women), and 1 million in areas with limited jobs.
- Misogyny is now expressed openly by Donald Trump and his supoorteres with him leading the charge in making derogatory statements to women journalists and public figures in language that normalizes contempt.
- The Trump Administration’s efforts to withhold Title X funds and “defund” reproductive health providers have driven reproductive health clinic closures and exacerbated barriers to health care access. (National partnership for women and children)
These events can all be very disheartening. It is important for us all to remember that fighting for women’s rights is a relay race, not a linear sprint. We will take the baton from those who came before us, and continue to run the race. So what can you do? Here are some action steps:
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- Vote: 2026 is a defining midterm year. In states such as Nevada and Missouri, constitutional amendments for reproductive freedom are on the ballot. If you know people who are in these states, let them know that their vote is so important this year. Check your registration status today at VOTE411.org.
- Support the “Shield”: Oregon has active Shield Laws; contact your state representatives to urge continued funding for legal defense funds. These funds protect the doctors and patients currently being targeted by out-of-state extradition attempts.
- Support Organizations that support women:
- UN Women and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) provide the data and advocacy needed to challenge discriminatory laws in real-time.
- Planned Parenthood–Provides a large selection of important services for women’s health included providing contraception, vaccines, STD testing and treatment, reproductive care, pre- and post-natal care, wellness and preventative care, gender affirming care, and pregnancy testing and planning.
- Dress for Success–Empowers women to achieve economic independence through professional clothing and development tools.
- Girls, Inc–Equips girls to navigate economic and social barriers and provides mentorship, pro-girl environments, and research-informed programs to prepare girls to realize their full potential.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate all the women who have fought the fight before us with some of our favorite quotes from strong women throughout history.
- “The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” –Jane Goodall, Primatologist and Conservationist
- “Women are like teabags – you don’t know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.”–Eleanor Roosevelt, United Nations diplomat and former first lady of the US
- “Every girl, no matter where she lives, deserves the opportunity to develop the promise inside of her.”–Michelle Obama, attorney, author, and former first lady of the US
- “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I was at the end of a working day… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”–Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist
- “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”–Amelia Earhart, first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic
- “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”–Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the Court, is renowned for her lifelong advocacy for gender equality.
- “When they go low, we go high.”–Michelle Obama, attorney, author, and former first lady of the US
Let’s go out and make a difference on the path of history!
