It\u2019s tempting to think that the four years after January 20 will be a wasteland for gender rights and women\u2019s equality policy. We\u2019ll be lucky if we can merely stem the bleeding and fend off the rollback of rights. The signs are certainly not promising, starting with a presidential campaign marred by sexism and boasts of sexual assault and a climate of restrictions, particularly on reproductive health.<\/p>\n
We know how influential US policy direction and decisions can be. They are not confined to US borders \u2013 they spill over, affecting policy environments and decisions around the world, and particularly in Canada. So, what will the next four years look like for gender rights and women\u2019s equity policy?<\/p>\n
The first impact of a Trump administration will likely be a shifting rightward of policy norms, where the scope of public policy debate tightens to exclude previously acceptable views. Put plainly, we should expect discussions of trans rights, increasing abortion access, and Black Lives Matter for example, to be off the table. Public policy professionals and women\u2019s advocates will have to decide whether to constrain the options they publicly present, to conform with what is deemed acceptable by the new administration.<\/p>\n
Already progressive organizations are debating how and whether they can retain their focus on evidence-informed policy, in a political environment that appears to view science as counter to its ideological leanings. It is not merely that the new administration views evidence as suspicious, it views it as almost antithetical to its mandate. How does an organization promote public policy when the new administration rejects the very underpinnings of that policy? For example, how much change can a women\u2019s rights think tank effect, in an administration that doesn\u2019t seem to believe women need any additional rights?<\/p>\n
How much change can a women\u2019s rights think tank effect, in an administration that doesn\u2019t seem to believe women need any additional rights?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This new landscape begs the question: can gender equity advocates make progress in such a hostile environment? Or does achieving progress mean minimizing one\u2019s values and accepting the policy decisions that do the least harm?<\/p>\n
If presidentially endorsed policy includes defunding Planned Parenthood and mandating bathrooms that exclude transgender people, what will happen to policies on women\u2019s economic advancement, equal pay, and paid maternity leave?<\/p>\n
For policy and advocacy organizations with US-based funders, this question could affect their financial viability. Funders, especially government ones, take their lead from the political debate. As in Canada under the previous government, where funding dried up for women\u2019s organizations like the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and the Feminist Alliance for International Action, we could see similar US organizations fold too.<\/p>\n
In the Trump era, it\u2019s likely the current gender equality voices will change. A new administration can influence which are the pivotal voices on public policy. REAL Women of Canada, which promotes the traditional family among other issues, arguably lost the influence it had enjoyed while the Conservatives were in power. Will we see organizations similar to REAL Women rise in prominence in the US? What will be the fate of Emily\u2019s List<\/a>, which works for \u201clarger leadership roles for pro-choice Democratic women in our legislative bodies and executive seats\u201d; NARAL Pro-Choice America; and women\u2019s labour and other progressive organizations in the public policy debate?<\/p>\n
Perhaps on the brighter side, it looks likely Ivanka Trump will take a key role in the administration; an appointment that is intended to smooth over the President\u2019s previous comments about women and present him as a champion for women.<\/p>\n
With smart positioning, a broad coalition and relationship-building, rolling back progress is not inevitable.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It\u2019s possible that gender and women\u2019s equality advocates can use this appointment to their advantage and propose policies on \u201csoft issues\u201d like child care, women in the workplace, and support for children\u2019s activities. A Canadian equivalent would be the tax credits for children\u2019s activities, or a blue ribbon panel on women in the boardroom. It\u2019s debatable whether this is progress, incrementalism or dressing up failure in equality\u2019s clothing. However, with smart positioning, a broad coalition and relationship-building, rolling back progress is not inevitable. Out of George W. Bush\u2019s administration \u2014 considered anti-choice and somewhat hostile to women\u2019s rights \u2014 came the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It\u2019s one of the largest efforts by a single country to address a gendered and stigmatized disease, and by 2013 it had received over US$48 billion for the fight against HIV\/AIDS.<\/p>\n
Outside the US, however, we may see a backlash against the Trump administration\u2019s position on gender equity. The presence of the Trudeau government to the north adds an interesting dimension, and much has already been written about Canada as being the last bastion of progressivism. As many countries tend to define themselves in opposition to the US, a sharp turn from Trump on gender equity could exacerbate this tendency. It\u2019s possible, for example, that opposition to US policy will result in increased funding for pro-choice organizations internationally.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also the possibility that Trump\u2019s stance on women will actually lead to an increase in the number of women seeking political office. More women in politics would help ensure effective contributions on all the issues, and it could provide an alternative way (that is, one not coming from the President) to promote gender equity policy. Governments at the state and lower levels may prove important and fruitful battlegrounds, and gender equity policy advocates may find more elected allies there than at the federal government level.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s stance could also, however, make policies that once were deemed extreme appear mainstream. It is hard for global leaders to disavow policies they view as extreme or outside the norm when they are proposed by the President of the United States. Witness British Prime Minister Theresa May\u2019s discomfort when she was asked in an interview about Trump\u2019s \u201cgrab her by the pussy<\/a>\u201d comments. And protests outside sexual health clinics in the UK were unheard of even five years ago. They have crept in from the US and now occur relatively often. Tactics and strategies can and are being imported.<\/p>\n
Canada taking a more assertive stand on women\u2019s rights, with wide public support, sets up an interesting dynamic between the two countries. It\u2019s a dynamic the Trudeau government is already gingerly beginning to navigate. How can Canada still make global progress on gender and women\u2019s rights? Best case scenario is we will be able to neutralize the impact of our southern neighbour\u2019s actions. At the very least, Canada will avoid being seen as subservient to US policy on gender.<\/p>\n
While much remains unknown about Trump\u2019s stance on many issues, as a result of his and his advisers\u2019 public comments we can at least be reasonably sure of the direction he will pursue on women. In the US, the environment for gender equity advocates will be difficult, but not impossible. The state and municipal levels offer opportunities for progress. With clever positioning and strategy, it\u2019s possible that gender and women\u2019s equity advocates will achieve policy wins. In other global north countries, it could go two ways. Optimistically, I suspect Trump\u2019s stance will spur rather than hinder progress. However, there is very real risk that the tightening in the policy environment will spill over, affecting funding, discourse and progress.<\/p>\n
Photo:\u00a0\u00a0Della Rollins\/The Canadian Press<\/span><\/p>\n
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It\u2019s tempting to think that the four years after January 20 will be a wasteland for gender rights and women\u2019s equality policy. We\u2019ll be lucky if we can merely stem the bleeding and fend off the rollback of rights. The signs are certainly not promising, starting with a presidential campaign marred by sexism and boasts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":252503,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-08-30T05:48:10Z","apple_news_api_id":"e0d5aa9d-d6ad-41d3-85ae-506c789c1cd4","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-08-30T05:48:10Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A4NWqndatQdOFrlBseJwc1A","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9360,9357,9372],"tags":[8493,8476],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4217,4348,4251],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[7189],"class_list":["post-264728","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-politiques-sociales","category-recent-stories-fr","tag-gender-inequality-fr","tag-us-politics-fr","irpp-category-affaires-internationales","irpp-category-egalite-des-genres","irpp-category-politique-sociale","irpp-tag-etats-unis"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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