As a woman, feeling anxious when walking down an empty street is a regular feeling.
The government is not doing enough to combat the issues surrounding the safety and protection of women. Some of former president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump’s most infamous quotes have targeted women, but most definitely not his adoration for them:
“Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”
Having a person who is supposed to represent your country as its executive speak about women in such a nasty way reflects the truth about how much women’s rights and their protection are not taken nearly as seriously as they should be in the U.S..
Since the 1970s, at least 18 women have come forward and accused the former president of different actions, some including sexual harassment or sexual assault. He has always denied the accusations and even gone as far as to claim one of his accusers, E. Jean Carroll, was “not his type.”
In January 2024, E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald Trump was an open court case that ended in the former president handing over $83.3 million because of his ongoing bashing of her on social media after she claimed he sexually assaulted her in Manhattan.
His response to the allegations showed the “importance” of women’s protection in America: “Believe me, she would not be my first choice.”
Although he was not president at the time, a former president of the United States now has around 25 sexual assault allegations against him. His many comments about women have created a certain representation of how women are treated in today’s society.
All the country has done in recent years to work toward ensuring women’s safety is introduce the Violence Against Women Act, a law that creates cost-effective responses to victims of sexual and domestic violence.
Yes, the VAWA is a step in the right direction; however, at around the same time, The Supreme Court also overturned Roe v. Wade: a SCOTUS decision that allowed women the right to abortion. Due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, in certain states, a woman can be prosecuted for having an abortion, even though it could be medically necessary. For example, if the fetus is putting the mother at risk for survival, a medical abortion may be needed.
Only four states have made it an exception to allow abortion if the woman was raped. Three of those states, Georgia, Idaho and Mississippi, require a police report to be filed for the abortion to be considered legal.
In 2022, around 442,754 women were sexually assaulted or raped in the U.S. alone. Only about 58% of those rapists faced conviction if even arrested in the first place. Once a rape is reported, there is only a 50.8% chance of arrest. Many women have reported being afraid to report a rape; only 31% of rapes are reported. Again, all that has been done to lower these statistics is to allow women to get counseling after a traumatic event.
With this in mind, note another one of Trump’s quotes regarding rape allegations: “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military — only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?”
Advocacy groups such as the #MeToo movement and the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition were created to help women through government neglect. The #MeToo movement is an awareness campaign that works against sexual abuse, harassment and rape culture. It allowed victims to speak out about their experiences. The Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition fights to give access to abortion in Florida. They believe the freedom to decide your healthcare is important for women’s rights.
Trump has shared his thoughts about the #MeToo movement: “We’ll take that little kit and say — we have to do it gently because we are in the MeToo generation — and we will very gently take that kit, slowly toss it.”
Living in a country where your rights are being mocked and stripped away from you takes away from the American motto, “Land of the free, home of the brave.” Women have shown their bravery by continuing to fight for our rights, but our freedom is becoming restricted with every “women’s rights” law that is passed.
Take this as a sign to check on the women you love. They probably need it.
