The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Kimberly Simmons is a part-time associate professor at the University of Southern Maine. This column reflects her views and expertise and does not speak on behalf of the university. She is a member of the Maine chapter of the national Scholars Strategy Network, which brings together scholars across the country to address public challenges and their policy implications. Members’ columns appear in the BDN every other week.
Last week, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report estimated it will take 134 years for women to reach parity with men. The U.S. ranks 43rd out of 146 countries, in large part due to lacking protections for reproductive justice, economic support and political representation.
The U.S. is one of the riskiest countries in the world to become a mother, with Black women over three times and American Indian and Alaskan Native women twice as likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women. Abortion bans significantly increase maternal mortality. Ryan Hamilton’s account of his wife’s harrowing near-death miscarriage experience highlights these risks. Women also face more severe intimate partner violence, with over half of women’s homicides perpetrated by intimate partners. The 2024 Global Gender Gap report ranks the U.S. a grim 93rd in the world for women’s health and survival.
While most people do survive pregnancy, babies put families at greater risk for poverty. Almost 50 percent of Black mothers live in poverty in the month they give birth, which is dangerous for all family members. The United States is one of six countries in the world without paid maternity leave, although Maine joins 13 other states in providing a paid family and medical leave benefit. Maternal bias and expectations of unpaid caregiving reduces women’s income an estimated 15 percent over her working years, contributing to older women’s poverty. At all ages, girls, women and nonbinary people have fewer opportunities for economic security than their male peers.
In contrast, the U.S. ranks first for education for girls and women. (Unfortunately, education fails to close the wage gap.) The critical importance of education for preserving human rights and strengthening our communities is well documented and excelling in this area gives us a starting point for solving the problems of discrimination and persistent inequalities.
Research suggests we can improve equity by electing more women. American women’s relative lack of political influence has stalled feminist policy change. The Global Gender Gap ranks the United States 44th in the world for political empowerment. Inequality of this magnitude threatens democracy and the implementation of feminist policies. For example, neither the Momnibus Act, which aims to improve conditions for Black maternal health, or the Women’s Health Protection Act passed Congress, despite convincing evidence they are needed to save women’s lives. Women remain less than one-third of elected officials throughout our country, and in states with abortion bans, the disproportionate power of white men is even more dramatic. Women of color also face significant threats to their basic right to vote.
We can improve our ranking by enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment. Although most Americans value the ideal of gender equality, we lack the foundational demand of a constitutional provision. The United States remains one of seven member countries of the United Nations that have not ratified the International Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and we are one of the only constitutional democracies in the world that lacks a provision addressing sex discrimination. Momentum is growing to ratify the ERA and compel Congress and the courts to close the gender gap more quickly.
Ideas abound in every sector, including states, cities, workplaces, communities, families, schools and media, and individual everyday actions. We protest harmful policies, practice mutual aid, and support organizations that serve women and girls including a new generation of leaders, like the Young Feminist Party, the Young Feminist Fund, and Black Feminist Organizing School. Together, we can unite in a powerful call for the United States to build a more just and equitable future for everyone.
