Women This Week: Georgia Supreme Court Reinstates Highly Restrictive Six-Week Abortion Ban

Ban had Recently Been Overturned by a Lower Court Judge  

This week, the Georgia Supreme Court voted to reinstate the State’s six-week abortion ban shortly after it had been overturned by a lower court. Between September 30 and the Supreme Court’s ruling only a few days later, abortion restrictions returned to where they stood pre-Dobb’s, where the practice was legal until about twenty-two weeks of pregnancy. In striking down the Life Act—which put the six-week restriction in place. Republican County judge Robert McBurney argued that “It is not for a legislator, a judge, or a Commander from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to tell these women what to do with their bodies during this period when the fetus cannot survive outside the womb.” His ruling came after a deeply troubling report from ProPublica, which highlighted the stories of two Georgia women—Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller—who died after not being able to access medical care for abortions under the ban. “It’s shameful to use our bodies for political gain instead of advocating for the safety and health of all Georgians,” commented Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, an organization that advocates for reproductive justice for women of color.  

Melinda Gates Announces $250 Million in Funding to Support Women’s Health 

Melinda French Gates announced that she will allocate $250 million of the $1 billion effort to advance women’s issues globally to promote gender equality in women’s health. French Gates originally announced the $1 billion commitment in May of this year. Through her organization Pivotal Ventures, French Gates has established “Action for Women’s Health,” a fund that will allow nonprofits that focus on women’s mental and physical health to apply for between $1 and $5 million grants. She has already given millions to nonprofits and individuals to bridge the investment gap in women’s health, citing that “women’s health has been underfunded, overlooked, and misunderstood.” Haven Ley, chief strategy officer at Pivotal Ventures, commented, “By focusing on women’s health, she’s expanded her definition of women’s power to include a precondition that women must have their health to be powerful.” In July, French Gates endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, citing her focus on women’s reproductive rights. 

Black and Latina Women Rising to the Top in Labor Unions 

After decades of decline, Black and Latina women are fueling labor union growth and are assuming more leadership roles. In 2023, the rate of Black women’s union membership rose from 10.3 to 10.5 percent, and the rate of Latina women increased from 8.5 to 8.8 percent. This has translated into concrete benefits for women. By having Black and Latina women leading conversations at the bargaining table, issues pertaining to family benefits, health care, and protections against sexual harassment are being given more attention. Roughly two-thirds of workers signed to a union contract are women and people of color. “If we want to build power on those who are perceived to have the least amount of power, then we’ve got to create space for our people of those identities to be able to lead,” said April Verrett, the first Black woman to lead the Service Employees International Union.