The road to equality for women and other marginalized groups in our country has been a slow and arduous one. While we’ve made substantial progress due to the perseverance and ongoing work of committed activists, leaders and organizations, we’ve seen progress followed by backlash and backsteps time and time again—and this moment is no exception.
Since taking office, President Trump has signed a number of executive orders that roll back many of the hard-fought gains we have made in this country—not just for gender equality, but also for racial equality, reproductive freedom, and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, immigrants and other groups.
While this reality is setting in—and with many advocates and organizations that work to advance gender equality and intersecting issues regrouping on how to navigate this new landscape—I reached out to an esteemed group of thought leaders and activists across various movements to get their insights and strategies on where we go from here. I asked them, “How can we continue to make progress? What strategies will we need to implement? What is your call to action?” Here are some of the responses they shared.
Stacey Abrams | Entrepreneur, Voting Rights Activist, Author: “We must move forward with determination, understanding that we have made incredible strides and have much further to go. Gender equality and intersecting issues are not optional; they are central to the strength and progress of our nation. We must safeguard what we’ve fought so hard to achieve while expanding our alliances and connecting these achievements to others’ lived experiences. These advances did not simply accrue to the benefit of women: gender equality secured paid family leave for all, enhanced voting rights for all and supported educational progress for all. Whether the benefit is reproductive freedom, pay equity or access to healthcare, we cannot afford to see backlash as defeat. Instead, it is a stark reminder that we must continue to insist on the progress that justice demands.
Insist on being heard, on standing firm and on building a future where equality is non-negotiable. Setbacks are part of the journey, but they don’t define the outcome. Your voice, your effort and your persistence matter. Together, we will keep moving forward.”
Lauren Leader | Cofounder and CEO of All In Together: “Our mission is unchanged and undeterred because we have always viewed women’s progress as a lifetime project and democracy as a marathon not a sprint. Our message has always been that we must lean into civic participation no matter who is in power. We will continue to focus on supporting women across the political, racial and economic divides, especially those at the margins. It matters more than ever that they understand the tools of power and leadership available to them. Many of the issues most vital to women’s health, power and welfare are decided at the state level where there remain many opportunities for women to use their voice and power. And I do believe there are places for common ground that are always possible.”
Carmen Perez | President & CEO of The Gathering for Justice: “The return of a Trump administration signals a renewed urgency to protect and advance gender equity, racial justice and human rights. We cannot afford to be reactive, we must be proactive in strengthening the resilience of our movements, building collective power and safeguarding the policies and progress that directly impact marginalized communities. This is not just about surviving the next four years; it’s about continuing to build a future where justice, equity and human dignity are non-negotiable.”
María Teresa Kumar | Founder, President and CEO of Voto Latino: “I think it’s important for us to all take a beat. We have to give each other grace and a space to think strategically about what is next. We need to have convenings and conversations that are not siloed, but that are intersectional. These values that we share together are not isolated to abortion or to the environment or to LGBTQ—it is the strength of our intersectionality that actually creates the fabric of resistance.
Trying to create divisiveness among Americans is a strategy. If you look at other incoming governments that are trying to disrupt a democracy, oftentimes what they do is overwhelm the system and overwhelm folks so that they tap out of participating. So if we’re very clear-eyed that there’s going to be an onslaught of values and that we are going to push back collectively on issues that try to undermine our democracy, that becomes really important.”
Brittany Packnett Cunningham | Host and Executive Producer of UNDISTRACTED: “We (re)invest in ourselves. This is the time to remember that we have everything we need to thrive—even when traditional power wants to squash that. It’s time for us to get back to basics and re-engage elements of community, mutual aid and creative subversion. Yes, we push back on all that is coming for us, but we also grow what we need in solidarity and community, together. If you have resources, share them. If you have knowledge, teach others. If you have space, offer it. If you have talent, gift it. We save us—now more than ever.”
Carol Jenkins | Board Chair of The ERA Coalition, Host of Black America:“President Biden’s parting declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is ‘the law of the land’ should give encouragement to those who have waged a century-plus war for equality. His recognition that all requirements for amending the Constitution have been met (agreeing with activists, constitutional scholars and the American Bar Association) means that we wage this war with better ammunition. It is still an argument that will go up to the Supreme Court where we will demand closure—and full rights for people—no matter their sex. During this time when our LGBTQ family and friends are increasingly targeted, as reproductive freedoms are increasingly restricted, we need to organize under the protective umbrella of the ERA.”
Sarah Kate Ellis | President and CEO of GLAAD: “Make no mistake: the election of an anti-equality president is a crisis, but it is also a catalyst for change. LGBTQ leaders and our allies across movements are working closer together than ever before. We understand where this incoming administration aims to attempt to dismantle our rights, erase us from public life, pit us against each other and send us into chaos with confusion and degrading legislation and language. We are prepared, and we will come out of this administration stronger than ever.
We are not afraid. We are organized, passionate and strong. We continue to be joyful and thrive. And we are ready to defend ourselves, our families and our neighbors against baseless attacks, hateful rhetoric and whatever is to come. We are more resolute in our mission for equality than we ever have been. And we are certain that even more Americans will see the light and join us in the coming weeks and months. Now more than ever, we all must realize our power—as individuals and as a united community for progress.”
Raquel Willis | Cofounder of the Gender Liberation Movement: “For a lot of us, it is about continuing and deepening the work that we have been doing around gender justice. We’re not starting from zero, as I think a lot of people are being made to feel like we are. It’s about continuing to build spaces where we can learn from each other. There still needs to be a tremendous amount of political education around the experiences of people marginalized by the patriarchy and by gender. Folks have to understand that attacks on trans and non-binary people are attacks on everyone because none of us fit these perfect scripts and boxes around gender—we all defy norms in some way.
I like to hone in on the values of empathy and humility. When we talk about experiences, we know that every person is different, and we should be able to understand that everyone deserves to live their lives on their own terms as long as they are not harming other folks.”
Aimee Allison | Founder and President of She the People: “Many assume the orders dismantling DEI and civil rights are attacks on Black people. Let’s be clear: they are also attacks on women…. In the weeks and months ahead, it is our job to study our own history and share this knowledge with this generation of leaders. It is our job to learn from countries around the world who represent the advancement of democracy—the kind of democracy defined by the best of our movement. Our job is to build a culture in which women lead by holding up values of equality and justice. Black women, as tired as we are at the moment, have the wisdom and history and courage that are critical to this transformation.”
Fatima Goss Graves | President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center: “This is the start of an extreme and chaotic agenda to undermine our freedoms and future, target Black and brown people, the LGBTQIA community, immigrants and many protections against discrimination that we have worked so very hard to protect. Trump’s rhetoric and chaos are intentionally designed to overwhelm and convince us that the ending of our story as a nation is a fait accompli. It is not. This is a moment that calls for active engagement. Take a deep breath and ask: What kind of country do we want to live in? And then fight for it.”
Jackson Katz | Author, Educator, Creator of The Man Card documentary, Cofounder of Mentors in Violence Prevention: “My call to action is for men who say they support gender equality and justice: we need you to step up your game! Gender justice is a core human right and democratic principle. Men at all levels of cultural, institutional and political leadership need to be much more vocal about our advocacy. Why should it always fall on women to be the ones who raise the basic issues of gender equality and fairness? Men need to be much more proactively profeminist.”
Christian F. Nunes | President of National Organization for Women (NOW): “We know that change doesn’t happen when you’re comfortable. Change happens when you’re agitated. Change happens when you can’t take it anymore. This is the time for change. This is a time for us to come together, devise a plan and develop a strategy.
The election showed that people voted based on their interests in a very siloed way instead of considering everyone. It’s time for a wake-up call. We cannot have these siloed movements. It must be a multi-strategy, multi-issue approach based on working together, not against each other or at the expense of one another. If your equality comes before my equality, it is inequality. We need to figure out how we will come together, convene and organize to identify our strategy and a movement that has solidarity.”
Ai-jen Poo | Cofounder and President of Care in Action: “The path forward is clear: we must continue fighting for a more robust care economy because care is at the heart of everything. Our movement doesn’t shift just because the party in power changes. The policies the administration will attempt to dismantle—Medicaid, Medicare, paid leave, Head Start, protections for care workers and immigrant workers—are essential for gender and racial equality, economic security and democracy itself.
Across party lines, voters overwhelmingly support care investments. We must stay grounded in our collective power, remembering that we’ve built an ecosystem of support at the national and local levels. Our movement is millions strong, and we are just getting started.”
S. Mona Sinha | Global Executive Director of Equality Now: “As we face shifting political landscapes, the question is not if we can continue to advance gender equality, but how we can amplify our impact. To continue advancing gender equality, we must: Forge Inclusive Coalitions – collaborative movements combining the voices of civil society, governments and the private sector are critical for systemic change; Invest in Women’s Leadership – women leaders bring transformative perspectives and solutions to the table, ensuring inclusivity and sustainability; Demand Accountability – we must hold leaders and institutions to their commitments, particularly in protecting and advancing legal and economic rights for all; Engage the Private Sector – businesses play a pivotal role in advancing equality through equitable workplace policies, closing pay gaps and fostering opportunities for women across industries to be equal contributors and beneficiaries of economic growth.”
Carmen Gloria Pérez | Artist, Creative Futurist, U.S. Army Veteran: “We must continue to advocate for women’s rights, gender equality and broader inclusivity—especially for marginalized communities. A crucial part of ‘where we go from here’ is storytelling: shaping inclusive modern myths that better represent women, minorities and youth. People often underestimate storytelling’s ability to inspire real change, but it is our stories—whether film, television, art, literature or social media—that have an immense capacity to shift mindsets, spark conversations and connect communities.”
Mini Timmaraju | CEO and President of Reproductive Freedom for All: “The road to protecting reproductive freedom was never going to be won or lost in one election, but with the vast majority of Americans in our corner, this fight is far from over. At Reproductive Freedom for All, we are going to be doing three things. 1. Continue mobilizing on the ground to build our movement’s power: Eight in ten Americans support the right to abortion. We are the majority, and we will be heard. 2. Hold Republican lawmakers, including Trump, accountable: Trump and other Republicans won this election by telling Americans that they wouldn’t ban abortion nationwide, and we must hold them to their word. 3. Prepare for elections in 2026 when we will have another opportunity to kick MAGA extremists out of power and elect champions who will fight to protect and restore our freedoms. As we always say: ‘When you come for our rights, we will come for your seats.’”
Elizabeth Barajas-Román | CEO of the Women’s Funding Network: “History has shown us that democracy is intertwined with gender equality. When there’s a rise in authoritarianism, women and girls pay the steepest price. The outcome of this U.S. presidential election is a sobering reminder that expanding human rights is the fight of our lifetime. What’s needed to win that fight has not changed: grassroots leadership, globally-informed national collaboration and shared analysis, and the resources to get the job done.
We need philanthropy’s greater-than-ever investment in gender and racial equity ecosystem leaders. Now more than ever, every single one of us should consider ourselves feminist philanthropists—whether we give $5 or $5000—to support initiatives that recognize race and gender and empower women, safeguard democratic values and promote equity. At WFN, we’ve seen firsthand the impact local efforts can achieve to protect democracy as a whole. But that can only continue if they remain well resourced. We have to galvanize the philanthropic community to invest in efforts that safeguard the rights of all of us.”
The quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity.