Devastated

I haven’t posted anything about last week's leak of a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade because a simple graphic or quick post felt insufficient for the gravity of the news. I needed time to process. And write.

It wasn’t until writing a book exploring the biggest barriers to gender equality that I came to fully understand all civilization stands to gain by prioritizing women. I wrote my book from a place of hope, intentionally distancing myself from the destructive language of “smash the patriarchy.” I believe deeply that progress will come from inviting everyone in, not declaring war.

But, as an American woman, it’s getting hard not to feel like war is being declared upon us. Rightfully, this inspires big emotions and the urge to fight. But fighting has never been my way. Assembling information and appealing to logic has.?

Pregnancy and childbirth forever alter the course of a woman’s life. Especially in America, where:

• She faces the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations (and the numbers are rising for women of color);
• She has no guarantee of health care coverage, so she may well owe anywhere from $8,900 to $30,000 for a hospital birth without complications. That number only goes up with complications and for pre- and post-natal care;
• With no paid maternity leave she must figure out how to live without income while her body heals from a major medical event;
• Upon returning to work, her wages will stagnate thanks to the motherhood penalty, the additional wage gap mothers experience that grows up to a 40% gap by the time the child is 10;
• She’ll earn 28% less in her lifetime, translating to 16% less in social security payments, leaving her more likely to be economically disadvantaged later in life;
• She might be one of 51% of Americans who live in a childcare desert where there are 3 times as many children as there are spots with licensed providers. If she manages to secure a spot, it could cost her up to $20,000 per year.

It is a fact that in America, becoming pregnant is the start of a series of physical and economical challenges. When a pregnancy is planned and desired the benefits can far outweigh the challenges. But when that pregnancy is unplanned and undesired by the woman who must survive this uniquely American gauntlet called motherhood, forcing her to do so is simply cruel.?

As Americans, we are supposed to be free from cruelty exacted upon us by our government, and our government goes to great lengths to protect us from cruelty exacted by others. Every one of us is supposed to be guaranteed the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These elements of freedom and safety are what make the great American experiment such a marvel.

With last week’s news I find myself simply devastated. Devastated that I’m about to be a citizen of a country that believes half of the population’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness applies only when not with child. Once with child, half the population loses the freedom to protect herself from the physical and economical gauntlet that lays before her. There's no way out but through, and there's little provided to guarantee safe passage.

For women in the US, our country no longer protects our ability to decide what is best for our personal health and safety. Plain and simple. And that is a fact that should devastate us all.?