Women’s rights; moving backward or forward?

Bri Stevens, Contributing Writer

Skye Hathaway, Contributing Writer

The Supreme Court justices appointed by Donald Trump’s first administration overturned Roe v. Wade on June 22, 2022. Since the decision, abortion policies have been decided by individual states, according to ABC News. Trump’s return to the White House has left Americans questioning the current state of women’s rights, according to The New York Times.

United States Senator Tim Kaine said the Virginia General Assembly is advancing a plan to include the protections of Roe v. Wade in the state constitution.

“We’ve got to do all we can to make sure that Virginia stays a state that protects women’s reproductive freedom,” Kaine said.

On the federal level, Kaine said he is trying to maintain protections for women such as reproductive freedom, and is advocating to get Republican votes for his Reproductive Freedom for All Act.

“I have a bipartisan bill with Republicans that would codify Roe v. Wade standard as federal statutory law,” Kaine said. “It has to take bipartisanship because Democrats are in the minority in both houses, and I don’t yet have enough Republicans to support it.”

United States Senator Mark Warner stated in an email that he is committed to fighting for women.

“President Trump is no champion of women,” Warner stated. “His administration has continued to take steps to limit women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions and make it harder to access and afford health insurance, and jack up recurring expenses that families are facing like child care and housing.”

Delegate Betsy Carr, who represents most of Richmond, said all women’s rights are at risk at the hands of a second Trump administration, including reproductive freedom, abortion and childcare.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to ensure the passage of the Virginia constitutional amendment and protect reproductive freedom,” Carr said. “I’m going to continue to work to protect access to abortion and contraception, and to ensure that any woman who travels to Virginia to seek abortion cannot be prosecuted.”

Thousands gathered nationwide to protest Trump on International Women’s Day, and several hundred gathered in Richmond’s Capitol Square Park, according to RVA Mag. Protestors gathered to demonstrate issues including reproductive healthcare and transgender rights, according to The New York Times.

Delegate Carr said she used to doubt the ultimate impact of protests, but hearing what Senator Warner said on television changed her mind.

“People asked him, ‘Why are you voting or not voting for the budget bill?’ And he said, ‘I am getting so many calls and emails from people saying: Please don’t vote for this.’ Now, I do think protests will make a difference,” Carr said.

President Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which bans anyone who was not assigned female at birth from competing in women’s sports. The executive order also states that federal funding will be rescinded from any schools that do not comply, according to the Associated Press.

On March 3, a bill called the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” which aimed to ban transgender students’ participation in girls’ sports, failed to pass through the Senate. Those in favor of the bill stated that men have an unfair biological advantage over women in sports. Those against the bill argued that it could lead to genital examinations of girls, endangering not only trans girls but cisgender girls who have masculine features, according to CBS News.

The bill was amended on March 7 to include that only healthcare providers may examine children to verify their sex without the consent of their legal guardian, according to West Virginia Watch. The amendment to the bill states that sex assigned at birth will be verified via birth certificate.

Delegate Carr said President Trump has signed many executive orders, but much of what he’s trying to control is at Congress’ discretion.

“His executive decision may not ultimately hold water unless there is congressional action to go with it,” Carr said. “I don’t think he can just make an executive order like that. He’s not King, although he thinks he is.”

People are bringing lawsuits against the government, as a lot of what President Trump is doing is illegal, according to Carr.

“What he’s doing is not inevitable and we need to confront it,” she said. “One of the big things is not giving up. The biggest thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Alexis Payne, a student in the VCU social work master’s program, explained that she believes women should be able to have bodily autonomy when it comes to their reproductive rights.

“We have to live in our body, so we should have the right to make the decision,” Payne said.

Payne said while she feels less at risk living in the state of Virginia, she and her friends remain afraid for their reproductive rights.

“My friends and I have talked about getting on different forms of birth control because we’re unsure if we’ll have access to the pill in the future. That’s how I’m seeing it impact me and my friends and the people around me the most,” Payne said.

Claire Davison, a second-year pre-nursing student, said she had concerns for the safety of herself and women from marginalized communities due to the Trump administration’s policies.

“I think it’s an especially dangerous time right now for trans women with the Trump administration. Their rights are my rights and my rights are theirs, so it’s definitely a dangerous time to be a woman of color, trans woman and a woman in a state that has overturned Roe v. Wade,” Davison said.

Davison said she feels as though Richmond is an accepting community, but she doubts that the legislation prioritizes the safety of minorities in the community.

“I think that the people in Richmond are accepting, it is definitely a safe community, but I don’t know if our legislation is making it a safe place,” Davison said.

CJ Dailer, a fourth-year communication arts student, said she is frustrated that women, who make up more than half of the population, are suffering from a lack of rights.

“It’s important to protect anyone’s rights, but there’s no reason why half the population shouldn’t have the same rights as the other half. It’s just ridiculous that it isn’t the standard,” Dailer said.