With Donald Trump becoming President-elect in the US election, there has been a frenzy of fear for women’s rights.
From abortion to economic wealth, there are plenty of questions and concerns about what will happen for the women of America under a second Trump presidency.
The reversal of Roe versus Wade, the federal protection for abortion rights, by the Supreme Court during Trump’s first term gave individual states the ability to regulate or ban abortion.
Trump’s return to power has led to concerns those rights will face further restriction, although the Republican stated during the presidential debate with Democrat candidate Kamala Harris that he would not sign a national abortion ban into law.
Ella Mordarski, 21, a junior at Emerson College who lives in Boston, said: “I fear that under Trump’s second term in office, he will place even heavier restrictions and could even ban abortion in America.”
Aubrey Treon, another young American woman, said: “I fear women will die.
“Women have died and have been dying.
“I fear it will only get worse.”
Roe versus Wade being overturned followed three Trump-nominated conservatives being elevated to Supreme Court justices including Brett Kavanaugh, who faced allegations of sexual assault.
Trump’s then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo also initiated the the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which affirmed support for pro-family, pro-health and pro-woman stances, but included a commitment to prevent access to abortion in countries where it is illegal.
A total of 34 countries signed the declaration in October 2020, although Joe Biden subsequently withdrew the US’ signature in January 2021 following his election as president.
Vivian Barboza, a Latina-American Christian and mother from a Democrat-voting family, voted for Trump in this election.
She supports women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and religious freedoms, which have always been essential to her.
Barboza said: “Women’s safety, alongside LGBTQ+ rights, I seek an approach that respects everyone’s rights without compromising women’s and children’s security.”
“I believe our leaders must work toward real unity, focusing on the needs of all citizens.”
Along with voting for the next president, ten states across the US had abortion rights on the ballot for this month’s election.
Over six million Florida voters backed an amendment which would have overturned the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and expand access to the point of fetal viability, which is about 24 weeks.
However, it failed to meet the 60% threshold to pass.
Mordarski said: “I think this is one of the unfortunate points of this election.
“More than half voted, so most of Florida’s voters wanted the amendment to pass.
“This means women’s rights to an abortion will not be protected under law.”
There are concerns Trump could reintroduce the Mexico City Policy and the Kemp-Kasten Amendment.
The Mexico City Policy required foreign non-governmental organisations to certify they would not perform or actively promote abortions as a method of family planning with non-US funds as a condition for receiving US global family planning assistance.
Similarly, the Kemp-Kasten amendment states no US funds may be made available to any organisation or programme which supports or participates in the management of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation.
Mordarski said: “It would be extremely harmful to women and frankly unethical.
“Reproductive rights are healthcare.
“It is something every person needs.”
Treon said: “If the Kemp-Kasten Amendment is reintroduced, I know it will be up to women and their allies to fund their abortions, their bodily autonomy.
“We can no longer rely on our government to protect us.”
Barboza said: “As women, we cannot speak about women’s rights without realising that women’s rights also mean having the right to your opinion.
“Women shouldn’t be put against each other or attacked because their views are not in alignment with others because that is not love, that is not fighting for all women’s rights.”
Trump previously stated he’s ready for campaign lieutenant Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is set to become health sectary, to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food policy, a promise he repeated in his victory speech.
Trump said: “He’s going to help make America healthy again.
“He’s a great guy, and he means that he wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him do it.”
At his penultimate campaign rally, Trump said: “Bobby [Kennedy Jr] can almost do whatever he wants with one area he’s particularly passionate about: women’s health and wellbeing.
Mordarski: “I think it is insane.
“First and foremost, reproductive rights are healthcare, and healthcare should not be a political issue.
“Healthcare is a human right.
“Decisions about one’s body should be made based on your belief and input from a healthcare provider, not by the government.
“It is simply your body, your choice.
“It is heartbreaking that women are dying because it’s illegal for providers to help them.”
While in power previously, Trump reallocated funds away from organisations like Planned Parenthood, which provide abortions along with other women’s health services, including screenings and contraception.
There are concerns surrounding IVF and research funding too.
Trump also made attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act during his first term, which covers maternity care and mental health services which impact the affordability of women’s healthcare.
Treon said: “Breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings will no longer be available, women are going to suffer and die, that is what they want.
“I think of the pay gap growing even more, I think of a world where we are no longer second-class citizens, but something worse.”
Mordarski added: “Plus, he has made remarks about LGBTQ+ rights, women’s jobs and protecting sexual predators.”
Trump’s previous administration changed how colleges handle sexual harassment cases which could discoruage survivors from reporting incidents.
According to journalist Bob Woodward’s book Fear: Trump in the White House, Trump said: “You’ve got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women.
“If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you’re dead.
“You’ve got to deny anything that’s said about you.
“Never admit.”
In a May 2023, a jury in a civil case in New York in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
He was ordered to pay $5million in damages.
Barboza said, “Though I am not fully informed about the specifics of this case, I firmly believe that any individual involved in such crimes, regardless of political affiliation, should be held accountable.”
The three-time married president-elect faced criticism his previous cabinet lacked a proportion of women and his policies did not emphasise gender diversity in leadership.
Trump has, however, appointed his campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff for his second term.
In his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, Trump said: “Women are a lot different than portrayed.
“They are far worse than men, far more aggressive.”
His vice president-elect, JD Vance, also claimed that “childless cat ladies” are running the country during a Fox News interview in 2021.
Mordarski said: “The reason women in America feel unsafe is due to the rhetoric that Trump and Vance use when talking about women is hurtful, derogatory, and dangerous.”
Treon said: “Women in America feel unsafe because it feels as though no one has our back.
“Our bodily autonomy and human rights have been dangled before us for years.
“I worry about women’s mental and physical health.”
Trump signed an executive order that rolled back the Barack Obama-era rule requiring companies to disclose pay data by gender, race and ethnicity which was intended to address the pay gap.
Though the Trump administration advocated for limited paid family leave and childcare tax credit, that policy has limited impact.
Trump said in 2005 in an interview with Howard Stern: “I like kids.
“I mean, I won’t do anything to take care of them.
“I’ll supply funds and she’ll take care of the kids.”
Conversley, unemployment for women hit its lowest rate in nearly 70 years during Trump’s initial four years as president.
While in power, he launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) initiative, the first whole-government approach to women’s economic empowerment which reached 12million women worldwide.
Barboza related how under the Trump administration she was able to afford a sustainable living and grow her career, while in the Biden era she faced more economic hardship and could no longer make a sustainable living to afford her own place, and had to move back with her parents.
She said: “Although I initially held reservations about Trump, I can objectively acknowledge that his administration put in place initiatives that promoted women’s economic advances like W-GDP.
“I deeply valued women’s contribution to economic growth.”
As well as that, Trump launched W-GCP 2x Global women’s initiative with the Development Finance Corporation which mobilised more than $3billion in private sector investments over three years.
While president he released the first-ever Strategy on Women, peace and security which focused on increasing women’s participation to prevent and resolve conflicts.
In the President’s 2017 National Security Strategy, he included women’s empowerment.
While Trump as president established a taskforce to combat the tragedy of missing or murdered Native American womens and girls.
He also signed the INSPIRE act which encouraged NASA to have more women and girls participate in STEM and seek careers in aerospace prootie no less than $200 million annually in discretionary grant to promote this and encouraged the private-sector to invest an additional $300 million to the cause.
Barboza also hailed the importance of the I am Vanessa Guillen Act, which criminalised sexual harrassment under the US military’s Uniform Code of Justice.
Barboza said: “As a mother and a woman, safety is deeply personal, and I valued this act’s impact.”
Ultimately though, only time will tell what another Trump administration will really do for women’s rights.
