A new era of struggle for women's rights and gender equality in America

Selda Altan, Associate Professor

The 2024 elections marked a turning point not only for the United States but also for the future of the global order. Voters primarily cast their ballots based on concerns such as economic stability, immigration control, and foreign policy. However, one of the most emphasized points among Donald Trump’s supporters was the necessity of returning to traditional social values to ensure economic growth and national security.

At the heart of this rhetoric lay a gendered message: a strong economy and a safe society required unquestioning acceptance of traditional gender roles. This approach was already evident during Trump’s previous presidency, manifesting most concretely in attacks on abortion and birth control rights.

The history of abortion rights in America has been fraught with contradictions. Until 1821, abortion was legally accepted and mostly performed by midwives. However, between 1860 and 1890, the American Medical Association spearheaded efforts that led to abortion being banned in all states. In 1973, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision classified abortion as a constitutional right under the right to privacy, nullifying state-level bans.

During his campaign, Trump pledged to leave abortion laws to individual states. Once in office, he appointed two Supreme Court justices who were known to oppose Roe v. Wade, ultimately facilitating its overturn in 2022. Following this decision, 19 states banned abortion entirely.

Although Trump has stated that he will not implement a federal abortion ban, the Republican Party’s religious faction is attempting to revive a 1873 law that prohibits mailing abortion pills, aiming to severely restrict access nationwide. Given that 63% of abortions in the U.S. occur in the first trimester using medication, such restrictions would have devastating consequences.

In addition, the exclusion of abortion from state-funded insurance policies was a method already tried under the previous Trump administration. In short, while over 60% of Americans support abortion rights, Trump is expected to impose restrictions that will severely curtail access.[1]

The abortion debate extends beyond the religious concerns of Christian conservatives. The history of forced sterilization of Black women in the U.S. reveals how birth control policies have been intertwined with eugenics. In the early 20th century, declining birth rates among white upper-middle-class families coincided with the rapid population growth of Black and working-class communities, sparking fears of ‘racial suicide.’

While this anxiety receded in the post-WWII era due to welfare state policies and a baby boom, the expansion of access to contraception was not merely about reproductive rights. It also reflected a cultural shift in viewing sexuality as a source of pleasure independent of reproduction. This transformation fueled the Sexual Revolution, promoting progressive attitudes toward sexuality and gender norms.

Women who had entered the workforce during wartime refused to return to domestic roles afterward. Instead, they organized within labor unions and civil rights movements, taking a leading role in the fight for social equality.

Today's debates over abortion and contraception mirror those of past eras, particularly in how they intersect with demographic shifts and anxieties over traditional gender norms. Figures like Elon Musk argue that declining birth rates pose a greater threat than climate change. While Musk is fundamentally a businessman with economic interests, demographic data indicate that global population growth is now concentrated in the Global South, particularly Africa, while many countries, including China and India, face population decline.[2]

Already a minority on a global scale, the European and American populations are concerned that if this trend continues, they will face deeper social and economic problems and lose their global hegemony.

Given the demographic concerns of the capitalist class, it is unsurprising that there is growing hostility toward LGBTQ+ rights and non-traditional family structures. As always, global capital and the politicians who defend its interests blame a small minority for these structural problems by creating scapegoats instead of expanding social rights and distributing global prosperity more equitably to encourage population growth.

However, their claims contradict scientific data. Despite restrictive policies, the U.S. still has the highest teenage (15-19 years) pregnancy rate among developed nations.[3] Abortion and contraception bans might slightly increase birth rates, but they also increase unsafe procedures and worsen maternal and infant health outcomes.[4] Even more strikingly, despite the conservative propaganda against migration, many experts agree that the quickest solution to demographic decline is to encourage migration flows.[5]

In short, while the owners of capital and their political representatives continue to blame transgender individuals who reject traditional gender norms and heterosexual women and men who refrain from having children due to the injustice in social income distribution, the real issue, the demand for social justice and pluralistic identity policies, is not only ignored, but also portrayed as a threat to the future of humanity.

Unfortunately, when it comes to gender equality, parental leave, and political representation, American women and the LGBTQ+ community still lag behind their European counterparts. Given the global rise of right-wing conservatism, a second Trump presidency is likely to bring significant rollbacks in rights and heightened social conflict.

However, this crisis also presents an opportunity for a renewed wave of activism. Younger generations, who have long taken progressive rights for granted, are now revisiting historical strategies of resistance in response to these attacks. The realization that rights are not permanent but must be actively defended and expanded is gaining traction. Feminist and trans organizations are already formulating new strategies and action plans. From March 8 onward, expect women’s marches and Pride events to flood the streets, inspired by the legacy of past struggles.

Note: This article is translated from the original Turkish version titled Amerika’da kadın hakları ve cinsiyet eşitliği için yeni bir mücadele dönemi, published in BirGün newspaper on March 8, 2025.

[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/

[2] https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/03/changing-demographics-and-economic-growth-bloom

[3] https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2019/09/us-abortion-rate-continues-drop-once-again-state-abortion-restrictions-are-not-main

[4] https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/two-new-studies-provide-broadest-evidence-to-date-of-unequal-impacts-of-abortion-bans

[5] https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/01/trump-population-climate-ai-megatrends?lang=en