Unmasking MAGA: Exploring the GOP's War on Women This Women's History Month

31 Warnings of What's to Come

In honor of Women's History Month and the fight in front of us ahead of November, here are 31 stark reminders of MAGA's war on women.

1. Assault on Reproductive Rights

MAGA Republicans championed the charge that led to the catastrophic overturning of Roe v. Wade by appointing staunchly conservative Supreme Court justices. This seismic shift obliterated nearly 50 years of abortion rights, subjecting women to a patchwork of state laws that strip them of bodily autonomy and endanger their health and lives.

2. Healthcare Hostilities

Their relentless attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to dismantle protections for pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy, threatening to catapult millions of women back to a time when being female was considered a liability by health insurers. In Trump’s first year in office, federal agencies weakened the ACA’s contraceptive mandate, allowing employers to deny birth control coverage if they had a religious or moral objection.

3. Violence Against Women Act Left in Limbo

By dragging their feet on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, MAGA Republicans played politics with women's safety, leaving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in a perilous limbo without critical legal protections and support services. 

4. Cruel Family Separation at the Border

Implemented with cold-hearted efficiency, the zero-tolerance policy led to the traumatic separation of thousands of children from their mothers, a barbaric tactic that inflicted irreversible psychological damage and illustrated a callous disregard for human dignity.

5. Widening the Gender Pay Gap

By dismantling or weakening equal pay initiatives and worker protections, MAGA Republicans have entrenched a system where women, especially women of color, are systematically undervalued and underpaid, perpetuating economic disparities that span generations. Under Trump, he delayed increases in overtime, which would have given 3.2 million women the right to overtime pay.

6. Undermining Gender Equality in Education

Through policies and appointments, MAGA Republicans have threatened the enforcement of Title IX, risking the rollback of decades of progress toward gender equality in education. Their stance on educational policies has raised concerns about diminishing protections against sexual harassment and discrimination in schools and universities, making it harder for women and girls to pursue their education in a safe and equitable environment. This approach undermines not just the academic achievements of women but also their future opportunities in the workforce and society.

7. LGBTQ+ Rights Trampled

The ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military and the rollback of healthcare protections under the Affordable Care Act were not just policy shifts but direct attacks on the dignity and rights of transgender women, rooted in bigotry and ignorance.

8. Backwards Sexual Health Education

The push for abstinence-only education over evidence-based comprehensive sexual education denies young women critical knowledge about their bodies and health, setting the stage for higher rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. 

9. Climate Change Denial Risks Women's Futures

 Ignoring the existential threat of climate change, MAGA Republicans' policies have disproportionately jeopardized the livelihoods, health, and safety of women worldwide, particularly those in developing countries who are most vulnerable to climate-induced disasters.

10. (More) Judicial Warfare Against Women's Rights

The strategic placement of conservative judges across the federal judiciary threatens to erode decades of progress on women's rights, from reproductive freedom to workplace equality, cementing a judicial philosophy that could roll back the clock on gender equality.

11. Economic Policies That Crush Working Women

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a windfall for the wealthiest Americans and corporations but offered little relief to working women struggling with stagnant wages, precarious employment, and the ever-rising cost of living, exacerbating income inequality.

12. Undermining Public Health Agencies

By gutting critical funding for health organizations and muzzling science during the COVID-19 pandemic, MAGA Republicans' mismanagement has disproportionately burdened women, who make up the majority of healthcare workers and caregivers, exposing them to greater risks and responsibilities.

13. Decimating the Social Safety Net

Proposals to slash funding for programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid represent a direct assault on the welfare of women and children, who constitute the majority of beneficiaries of these programs, deepening the chasm of poverty and food insecurity.

14. Defending the Indefensible

The dismissal of credible sexual assault allegations against political allies, including the former president, and the vilification of survivors embody a disturbing tolerance for misogyny and sexual violence, normalizing a culture of disbelief and victim-blaming. Remember when Jeff Sessions was confirmed as attorney general even after he refused to say that nonconsensual groping is sexual assault, contrary to the U.S. Department of Justice’s definition? We do.

15. Undermining Women's Health Research and Policy
MAGA Republicans have actively undermined efforts to advance women's health research and policy, particularly in areas uniquely affecting women, such as maternal health, breast cancer, and reproductive health services. By sidelining scientific research and evidence-based policies in favor of ideological agendas, they jeopardize not just the present well-being of women but also future advancements in healthcare crucial for women’s lives. This deliberate obstruction reveals a chilling indifference to the health challenges and disparities women face, further entrenching gender inequities in healthcare access and outcomes.

16. Sacrificing International Women's Rights

The cuts to UN agencies supporting women's health and rights abroad not only compromise women's access to essential health services but also signify a broader retreat from global leadership on human rights and gender equality.

17. Worsening the Maternal Healthcare Crisis

The neglect and active undermining of healthcare policies addressing maternal mortality, particularly among Black and Indigenous women, reveal a stark indifference to a national crisis with life-and-death consequences for women and their families.

18. Immigration Policies That Terrorize Women

The implementation of harsh immigration policies, including the Remain in Mexico policy and restrictions on asylum for victims of domestic violence, weaponizes women's vulnerabilities, leaving them to face violence and persecution without refuge or hope.

19. Obstructing Economic Justice for Women

Opposition to raising the minimum wage and weakening labor protections directly harms women, who predominate in low-wage jobs, effectively trapping them in cycles of poverty and economic dependence.

20. Pandemic Mismanagement Magnifies Inequity

The chaotic and inept response to the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, hitting women hardest in job losses, healthcare access, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, revealing a gross misalignment of priorities.

21. Child Care and Paid Leave Neglect

The failure to advance comprehensive child care and paid family leave policies in the face of a mounting care crisis exposes a profound disdain for the challenges facing working mothers, effectively sidelining them from the workforce and economic opportunities.

22. Education on the Chopping Block

Proposed cuts to education funding and student loan support systems disproportionately harm women, who are more likely to pursue higher education and bear the brunt of student debt, undermining efforts to close the gender gap in education and economic empowerment.

23. Equal Rights Amendment Obstruction

The resistance to the ERA not only stalls progress toward legal gender equality but also sends a message that women's rights are negotiable, reinforcing archaic gender norms and inequalities.

24. Global Family Planning Resources Strangled

The draconian expansion of the Global Gag Rule decimates critical international family planning and reproductive health services, demonstrating a lethal apathy toward women's health needs and autonomy, particularly in developing countries.

25. Eroding Election Integrity

Spreading unfounded doubts about the integrity of the electoral process undermines the foundation of democracy, a system for which women fought tirelessly to be included, threatening the essence of civic engagement and representation.

26. Suppressing Women's Voices in Politics

 MAGA Republicans have engaged in efforts that disproportionately silence women's voices in the political arena, from supporting voter ID laws that disproportionately affect women—especially women of color and elderly women—to dismissing and undermining female politicians and public figures who stand up for women's rights. This systematic disenfranchisement and delegitimization of women's voices in the political process not only undermines democracy but also perpetuates a culture where women's concerns and leadership are sidelined in shaping policies that affect their lives.

27. Asylum Protections Eviscerated

The systematic dismantling of asylum protections for victims of gender-based violence abandons some of the most vulnerable women to their fate, stripping away their last vestiges of hope and safety in a callous display of international apathy.

28. Undermined Pregnancy Discrimination Protections

Reports emerged that Neil Gorsuch, during his tenure as a law professor, allegedly advised that employers question female job candidates about their intentions to have children, suggesting that women exploit maternity leave policies. Despite Gorsuch's denial of these claims during his confirmation hearing, he notably did not reinforce the importance of legal safeguards against pregnancy discrimination. This omission casts a shadow on the commitment to uphold vital protections for working women, essential for ensuring fair treatment and equality in the workplace.

29. Restricting Access to Safe and Affordable Housing

MAGA Republicans' policies have contributed to a housing crisis that disproportionately affects women, especially single mothers and low-income families. By supporting cuts to housing assistance programs and failing to address the rising costs of living, their actions have made safe and affordable housing increasingly out of reach. This crisis not only exacerbates the economic instability faced by many women but also impacts their overall well-being and ability to secure a safe environment for themselves and their families.

30. Dismantled the White House Council on Women and Girls

Initiated by President Barack Obama to ensure that governmental policies and programs consider the needs of women and girls, the White House Council on Women and Girls was effectively disbanded under the Trump administration. Established as a critical body for coordinating efforts across federal agencies, its inactivity during Trump's tenure marked a significant regression in addressing issues pertinent to women and girls, particularly those of color and with disabilities.

31. Mainstreaming Misogyny

The normalization and amplification of misogynistic rhetoric and behaviors by high-profile figures in the MAGA movement not only degrades the public discourse but also emboldens a culture of sexism and discrimination, setting back the struggle for gender equality and respect.

Angry? Good.

If you're angry after reading this list and clicking through some of the articles, good. You should be. Now, we need you to funnel all of that anger into energy to do the work to retake our Democratic trifecta so we can eliminate the filibuster, pass democracy reform, and codify Roe. When you're ready, sign up to tell us you're all in and explore our plan to win.