Disappearing Women Everywhere and in Every Way is the Goal

What the women who voted for Trump did not fully calculate is that he did not just want to disappear Democratic women, but all women.

Look, he has been spectacularly effective toward this goal, in every way thus far.

His most effective tools? Fear and intimidation in every setting. In businesses, media, communities, government, among immigrants and nonprofits. Women are disappearing from the workforce and from communities.

This administration’s betrothal to Project 2025 has been expedient. Many estimate it is moving at triple the speed of Victor Orban’s conversion to authoritarianism in Hungary. Hungarian political scientist Peter Kreko told NPR, "I think Trump went further in two months than Orbán could in 15 years. In the United States, it reminds me of a constitutional coup, where everything happens very rapidly."

Most historians agree the fastest way to an authoritarian state is to reduce the role of women to nearly nothing in a sovereign state. Russia, Brazil, Iran and Hungary are examples.

Here is a mere sampling of Trump’s actions against women so far:
Undermining Reproductive Rights

• Appointing conservative judges to the Supreme Court who contributed to overturning Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the federal right to abortion.

• Taking down government websites and removing information on reproductive health access.

• Revoking Biden-era Executive Orders designed to protect access to reproductive healthcare and data privacy.

• Reaffirming and expanding the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortion, potentially impacting family planning services.

Cuts to Medicaid in Republican Budget Plan: Affect twice as many women as it does men

To pay for President Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful, House Republicans are planning to find “savings” by cutting $880 billion from federal Medicaid spending over the next decade. Medicaid is crucial for the 72 million people who rely on the program for health care. National Partnership research shows that 24 million women are enrolled in the program, over half of whom are women of color. Medicaid is the largest payer for maternal health in the country and provides access to preventative services such as cancer and chronic disease screenings, family planning, and long-term supports and services for aging women and women with disabilities. Women are the majority of seniors receiving Medicaid in every state. National Partnership research finds that the proposed cut to Medicaid is the equivalent of cutting off benefits for nearly 4.8 million Medicaid recipients age 65 and older annually, including 2.8 million older women.

Cuts to SNAP and crucial food assistance programs in Republican Budget Plan

House Republicans are also considering a massive cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps low-income families afford groceries; the program is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, serving roughly 40 million peopleeach month with demonstrated positive impact on food insecurity, health outcomes, medical costs, and performance in school for children. Women are disproportionately likely to experience food insecurity and also made up more than half of non-elderly adult SNAP recipients in 2022. SNAP lifted 3.4 million people above the poverty line in 2023.

The Save Act

The House of Representatives vote on what is known as the “Save Act” (the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act). This legislation is aimed at limiting voter fraud – but has largely been seen as a way to restrict people’s ability to register to vote.
The act, if passed by the Senate, will change the documentation that is required from a driving license to either a birth certificate or passport. This is likely to have a detrimental effect on many women’s access to registration.
In the US, 84% of women who marry men change their surname to that of their husband, meaning their name does not match that on their birth certificate. And it is estimated that 146 million US citizens do not hold valid passports – so many women wishing to vote may not have identification that would give them eligibility under this act.

Firing Female Leaders

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Board Member Gwynne Wilcox and General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows, as well as General Counsel Karla Gilbride.

Intimidating private sector companies to do-away with efforts to implement equitable hiring practices and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

On day one of the Administration, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at dismantling “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” programs. President Trump and his conservative allies often use “DEI” as an all-encompassing phrase synonymous with perceived discrimination against white men, but that ignores the long history of racism and sexism that these programs and civil rights laws are designed to remedy. The Executive Order targets equity measures in the federal government ###em ###a href="https://www.hrgrapevine.com/us/content/article/2025-01-27-cutting-dei-pr..." rel="">threatens advances in the private sector in equitable hiring, equal pay, and anti-discrimination for women. In the weeks since the Order, many companies have used the “evolving legal landscape” to cut or change their diversity, equity and inclusion goals, including Goldman Sachs, Accenture, Pepsi, and Citigroup.

Immigration-specific impacts

Increased risks for women and girls: Mass deportation policies significantly increase the risks faced by migrant women and girls, potentially pushing them toward more dangerous migration routes and leaving them without access to critical support services.
Discouraging reporting of violence: Increased immigration enforcement and fear of deportation have deterred abused immigrant women from seeking legal permanent residence status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as they fear being deported themselves or having their status jeopardized.

Weakening Workplace Protections

Rescinding Executive Order 11246, which protected workers in government from discrimination based on sex, race, and religion, and required federal contractors to address discrimination.

The Net Effect on Women, Employment and Female Entrepreneurs:

1. In addition to businesses implementing huge and nationwide hiring freezesbecause of tariffs and a likely recession in the coming months, Trump’s actions against women have also intimidated employers of all sorts: The private sector, publicly traded companies, government, nonprofits and communities are all scaling back and ending DEI programs because they are fearful of Trump’s wrath.
Companies who have gutted DEI initiatives:
Meta, Walmart, Target, Goldman Sachs, Google, Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson, Boeing, Toyota, Lululemon, John Deere, Tractor Supply Co, Brown-Forman, Accenture, and McDonald's. These adjustments range from eliminating specific programs to overhauling policies or reducing activities perceived as politically charged.

2. Women over 50 yrs old are having the hardest time finding positions
“Nearly 80 per cent of women encountering ageism in the workplace is not just a statistic; it’s a clear indication that we are facing a pervasive and systemic issue,” said Dr. Rumeet Billan, CEO, Women of Influence+. “Our survey sheds light on the hidden barriers many self-identifying women face, that not only hinder their career progression but also impact their confidence and well-being.” This phenomenon continues to be a top discussion on LinkedIn. Trump’s policies will make this worse.

Sadly, this is only a sampling of the systematic approach to remove women from power.
However, the silver lining? Women overwhelmingly are in the majority among activist groups. Women are excellent organizers. Women are tough and typically manage stress better. We are making progress and aggregating power every time we demonstrate, protest, activate, litigate or vote. And there are more of us.

We will get past this horror show era, but it will take consistency, solidarity and ferocity.

So, BRING IT.
Let’s Go!