Trump’s tenure has seen significant setbacks for women in multiple areas, from health care access to workplace protections. Here are 25 key ways his policies have negatively impacted women’s rights and well-being:
1. Abortion Ban Advocacy
In 2016, Trump called for an abortion ban with “some form of punishment” for women. This stance was too extreme even for many anti-abortion activists.
2. Restrictive Legislation
He supported legislation that would institute a restrictive 20-week abortion ban. This significantly limits women’s reproductive rights.
3. Insurance Coverage Block
Trump pushed to block insurance plans from covering abortions. This further restricts access to necessary reproductive health care.
4. Family Planning Cuts
His administration slashed funding for family planning programs and health care providers that offer abortion services or referrals. This cut impacted many women’s access to comprehensive health care.
5. Employer Refusal Rule
Trump issued a regulation allowing employers to refuse no-cost contraception coverage as previously required under the Affordable Care Act. This made contraception less accessible for many women.
6. Judicial Appointments
By packing the Supreme Court and circuit courts with extremist opponents of abortion rights, Trump aimed to overturn Roe v. Wade. This put other key protections at risk.
7. Affordable Care Act Overturn
His fight to overturn the Affordable Care Act risks allowing insurers to charge women more. It also risks excluding maternity care from coverage.
8. Extreme Vice Presidential Pick
Trump chose anti-abortion extremist Mike Pence as his running mate. This solidified his administration’s stance against women’s reproductive rights.
9. Controversial Education Secretary
He appointed Betsy DeVos, who compared the choice to have an abortion to the choice to own slaves. This was a controversial and extreme comparison.
10. Anti-Abortion Agenda
Throughout his presidency, Trump aggressively promoted an anti-abortion agenda. He earned praise from the president of the Susan B. Anthony List as “the most pro-life president in our nation’s history.”
11. Revoked Sexual Harassment Protections
Trump revoked protections against workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault, and discrimination. This made workplaces less safe for women.
12. Pay Disparity Protections Revoked
He rescinded protections against pay disparities. This made it harder for women to achieve wage equality.
13. Campus Assault Guidelines Rolled Back
Trump’s administration rolled back Obama-era guidelines requiring colleges to take allegations of sexual assault more seriously. This reduced accountability for perpetrators.
14. Narrowed Sexual Harassment Definition
The definition of sexual harassment on college campuses was narrowed. This reduced protections for victims.
15. Childcare Cost Inaction
Despite promises, Trump failed to reduce the cost of childcare. This left many families struggling to afford necessary services.
16. Insufficient Paid Leave Progress
His administration made little progress on paid family leave. This is a critical issue for working mothers.
17. Defended Pay Inequality
Trump defended employers who pay mothers less than men. He referred to pregnancy as an “inconvenience” for employers.
18. Childcare Credit Reduction
His tax policies reduced the value of the childcare credit for low- and moderate-income families. Meanwhile, they provided huge tax cuts to big corporations and the wealthiest 1%.
19. Tax Cuts for the Wealthy
The tax cuts primarily benefited the wealthiest 1%. They did little to alleviate financial burdens on working women and families.
20. Pandemic Paid Leave Rollback
During the pandemic, Trump scaled back paid leave requirements. This left 75% of workers at risk of not receiving paid leave for childcare.
21. Insufficient Paid Family Leave Proposa
The paid family leave proposal he touted was widely criticized as inadequate. It did not offer what is generally considered comprehensive paid family leave.
22. Funding Cuts for Health Providers
By cutting funding for health care providers that offer abortion services or referrals, Trump restricted women’s access to comprehensive health care. This affected many women’s health services.
23. Insurance Cost Increases
His actions risked allowing insurers to charge women more. This increased financial barriers to necessary health services.
24. Most Pro-Life President
Trump has been praised by anti-abortion activists as “the most pro-life president in our nation’s history.” This highlights his administration’s focus on restricting reproductive rights.
25. Overall Impact on Women’s Rights
Trump’s policies have repeatedly erected barriers to women’s health care, equality, and workplace protections. This made it harder for women to thrive in all aspects of life.
Long-Term Implications
These points illustrate the breadth and depth of the negative impact Trump’s policies have had on women. His tenure has made it increasingly difficult for women to succeed in the workplace, at school, and at home.
The post 25 Ways Trump Is Bad News for Women in America first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alexandros Michailidis.
For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.
