With all the issues swirling around America, I believe that women’s rights are on the top of the list. With the implementation of Christian Nationalism, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and many other pressing problems, women are witnessing more and more issues everyday, leaving them to have to fight for their rights.  

According to an informal poll with 33 respondents, there are many issues women face currently, which include sexual assault, rape, abortion rights, pay gaps between male and females, misogyny, healthcare, higher prices on women products, and more. Grade Level Jacoby Hill, a student at Green Run High School, who responded to the poll, stated, “A lot of men who have ‘traditional’ views are just sexist. Women will talk about how guys just want a woman to do everything for them with almost no real ‘love’ in return, only physical gifts and such.” 

These traditional values hurt a woman’s ability to thrive and reach her true potential. Tina Querida, a PA teacher, said, “I feel like it’s just getting progressively worse, especially with the implementation of Christian Nationalism, trying to impose their beliefs on what they believe a woman should be and their role. I feel like women should have freedom to do what they want.”  

But women are getting these freedoms taken away, “They’re trying to revert back to women needing the approval of men to apply for a credit card. Like those things we got rid of a while ago, so to go back to I feel like we’re regressing. I don’t think this administration is all for women’s rights,” said Querida. 

Another huge issue was the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Roe v. Wade was a court case that protected women’s rights to abortion on a federal level. Out of the 33 people who responded to the poll, 87.9% knew what Roe v. Wade was, but only 69.7% knew it had been overturned. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 41 states have put abortion bans in effect with only limited exceptions, 12 states have a total abortion ban, 29 states have abortion bans based on gestational duration, seven states ban abortion at or before 18 weeks’ gestation, and 22 states ban abortion at some point after 18 weeks according to Guttmacher. The states with these bans only increased the abortion rates. These bans don’t get rid of abortion, they just get rid of safe abortions. 

Other poll respondents commented that, “Our biggest issue, to summarize as a whole, is our autonomy. Our ability to choose. We are at the risk of losing more autonomy, [which] could result in a national deficit of experienced and educated women in any and every field.” When women lose the ability to their autonomy, then they can’t do much else but fight. 

And many women are speaking up.  In 2017 an estimated 3.3 to 4.6 million people protested for women’s rights. Under the Trump administration, there has been a continued amount of protests all throughout the country for issues including women’s rights. 

The future of women’s rights in America is murky, with no clear answer on how far we will get. “We’re way behind, I think we need to catch up especially with other western civilizations. If you look at the countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, we are way behind.” says Querida. With growing tensions on ideologies of how women should fit into society and the changes of the new Trump administration, women’s rights are at high stakes. 

Everyone seems to agree that the future for women can be scary. “I’m just concerned, especially because I have a daughter and you know my female students, I’m worried for them and the restrictions that will be imposed on them. And I just don’t know … It’s scary to not know what will happen in the future.” Querida stated. 

An anonymous student commented, “The amount of disrespect I have gotten just for the gender I was born with is essentially insane. No matter how hard a woman works, in some eyes, it won’t matter just because of the longer hair, the curvier bodies, the higher voices, and anything that makes a woman a woman.” 

This is an issue that we all should care deeply about, I know we can make change if we all act as one. Posting about the issues on social media, attending protests, giving speeches, and informing the public of the change needed are all ways anyone could help speak out. One thing is for certain, we need to stand up.