It’s easy to think that because we can do pretty much what we want as long as we don’t harm others and obey the law, we will always have that privilege. But recent history has taught us that laws change; rights can be taken away, and once that happens, it’s very difficult to get them back. This is why vigilance and action are required by every single one of us. That means you need to be aware, listen and learn, find communities of women and men who feel like you do, and use your voice to speak out and advocate for the kind of world you want to live in and pass on to your children and your children’s children.
As the new administration and Congress head to Washington, change is in the air. For example, it has become clear that Project 2025 is not a threat; it’s a promise. The National Women’s Law Center has studied the 900 page document thoroughly. Their summary of it states, “Project 2025 seeks to impose a hierarchical, gendered, patriarchal vision of society. It is particularly focused on enforcing a vision of the family that relies on fixed and narrowly defined gender roles and in undermining protections that enable women and LGBTQI+ people to thrive outside of a male-dominated, heterosexual family.”
To counteract this, we must design our own path forward. That means we need to pay attention to what is happening in real-time. “It’s us who will be on this chopping block coming up for the next four years,” said Dr. Sophia Armen, Director of the Feminist Front, in a recent podcast interview with Dr. Nancy. As evidence of her prediction, she added, “For the first time in 20 years, there’s not a single woman who is going to be leading the House of Representative committees. There’s not a single person of color leading these committees. They are really trying to put us back, like, take us out of the power structure that women have fought so hard to be in.”
Why is that important? Committee chairs lead in multiple ways that can pass, delay, or prevent the passage of bills with “agenda-setting authority for the committee” and “whether to act through hearings and/or markup” of the bills. In addition to having no women at the top, the number of women elected to Congress continues to leave women underrepresented. Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) Director Debbie Walsh points out, “After breakthrough years in 2018 and 2020, the 2022 midterms remind us that we are still far from parity and our work continues.” No significant gains were made in 2024, and Walsh observed in a November 21, 2024 post, “After multiple cycles of breakthrough numbers for women’s representation in Congress, 2024 is clearly a stasis year.”
What can you do? Support women candidates from the party of your choice—candidates who support your interests, who not only say they fight for equality but demonstrate it by their actions. Look at what they’ve done and why they want to be in public office. Do their goals match yours? Supporting can look like many things. You can use your voice, speak out, make your views heard, and amplify why you are supporting them. Rosie Coutour, Harvard student and co-founder and co-executive director of the Young Feminist Party, advises, “Be that loud-mouthed girl in class.” Contact your elected officials and work to get worthy, talented women to run. More representation for women elevates women. In fact, it elevates us all.
Right now, and until January 20, you can help us get the word to President Biden to call on the National Archivist to publish the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution. Don’t have his number? Click here. The ERA Coalition, along with its 300 member organizations, are focused on getting the Amendment added to the Constitution before Inauguration Day. The ERA matters, and getting it published will benefit us all. There’s still time, but not much. Rosie said it best, “No pressure. But, yeah, this is for anybody listening, this movement is for you. The ERA is for you, and we need you to join us. Again, we’re talking about amending our nation’s most foundational document. It is no small task. It is the fight of our lifetimes. It’s the fight of our generation, and we need you to plug in any way you can.”
Speak out in favor of equality and, as part of that, push for making the ERA part of our Constitution. Don’t be left out. Make this your year of action. The first action, support the ERA. Next, protect and defend our free society. It takes a village. No one can do it alone. Make your project 2025 a personal commitment to the common cause of having the freedom to contribute your best talents to achieve the kind of life you want to live and the legacy you want to leave for the next 200 years.