Feminist Leaders Speak Out on How to Protect Our Rights

The inauguration of Donald Trump in January was a difficult day for feminist activists and organizers. His administration’s policies and rhetoric, not to mention the executive orders he’s already issued, signaled a concerted effort to roll back rights for women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized communities.

But if history has shown us anything, it’s that resistance thrives in times of adversity. In the wake of Trump’s rise to power, I reached out to several feminist leaders and activists and asked them to share how they plan to mobilize, strategize, and protect our hard-won rights in the face of new challenges — and how you can, too. Here is some of what they had to say (quotes have been edited for length and clarity):

Fatima Goss Graves (president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center): Here’s what we must do going forward: Recognize that winning is possible. This outcome is not far-fetched as we watch Trump begin to execute the extreme Project 2025 plan that he disavowed last year. Members of Congress who refuse to stand up to him will have to face the ire of voters. And the legal challenges to his actions have already begun and will only grow.

Defend communities that are in harm’s way. Many of Trump’s plans are not only unpopular, they run afoul of the law. Where we have laws and rules on our side, we will use them to slow down this agenda.

Tell the story of the harm. We must make sure the public understands the steps that Trump has taken and the devastating repercussions they have on peoples’ lives.

Mobilize. Reach out to your friends, family, and neighbors and encourage them to tap back in. We will need every person possible to help hold the line.

Stacey Abrams (entrepreneur, voting rights activist, author): Progress during this time demands resilience, creativity, ambition, and bold collaboration. We need to strengthen coalitions across communities, weaving together causes and perspectives to create an unshakable foundation for engagement. The attacks will be potent and painful, which often weakens commitment — no one wants to be hurt. Instead of cowering, this moment calls for innovative strategies, from digital organizing to amplifying personal stories that show the tangible impact of our policies. We must also commit to becoming local leaders and holding those with power accountable, recognizing that the solutions to our greatest challenges are often closest to home.

Dolores Huerta (founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, co-founder of United Farm Workers): We need to continue to organize and educate with a focus on progressive, enlightened political representation. We must continue to organize for women’s equality at all levels: education, politics, and business. We also have to be more assertive to challenge sexism and anti-trans and -gay policies and actions. We can look to our neighbor to the south, Mexico, for inspiration. Not only did they elect the first female president, but she is progressive and very in tune with the people’s needs. We should also look at economic policies in other countries like [those in] Scandinavia, where the government controls natural resources rather than private corporations owning and managing what naturally belongs to the people. I do have faith in the goodwill of the people in our country and that ultimately justice will prevail, but it’s going to take a lot of organizing, education, and hard work to make it happen.

Ai-jen Poo (co-founder and president of Care in Action): We make progress by doubling down on what we know works: organizing, coalition-building, and centering care in every policy conversation. But we must also adapt — this moment demands new strategies and bolder action. We’re entering an era where we must go on the offensive. Our organizing must not just be defensive, but expansive. We will build power in every corner of this country, in both red and blue states, bringing more domestic workers and care advocates into our movement. We will push for city- and state-level policies that protect care workers and create models that can outlast any administration. And we will make care a top political issue that no leader can ignore.

Sarah Kate Ellis (president and CEO of GLAAD): Each of us has the power to change hearts and minds and to use our voices, talents, and platforms. Have you spoken to your family about how important it is to support transgender youth? Now’s the time. Have you spoken up in meetings at work about the importance of inclusion and diversity? Now’s the time. Have you checked in on your friends who are LGBTQ people, immigrants, and people of color? Now is the time to ask them how they are doing and let them know they have your support.

Each of us has the power to influence leaders. Have you written to your Congress member about the importance of protecting transgender women from violence, which they face at disproportionate rates? Do that now. Have you met with your local city councilperson and school board members to explain your support for inclusive books in schools and libraries? Do that now. And for those who can, donating your time and resources is more important today than it was yesterday. Find local organizations that share your values, sign up, and pitch in what you can.

Elizabeth Barajas-Román (president and CEO of the Women’s Funding Network): Now is not the time to walk away or throw up our hands. In fact, we need to do the opposite. We need to stay in the fight, keeping calling and meeting with elected officials — even and especially those we disagree with — to make sure our ideas are heard. This September, [the Women’s Funding Network is] hosting a Global Policy Action Day with a Senate briefing on exactly the issues that we know will drive greater change for some of this country’s most pressing issues. Our first-ever Feminist Philanthropy Hill Day in the fall of 2022 brought more than 150 gender justice funders and advocates to Capitol Hill to make sure our issues were heard by our representatives. It’s this type of work that we can’t slow down.

María Teresa Kumar (founder, president, and CEO of Voto Latino): Our democracy has been built on ebbs and flows, meaning that every single time we’re about to make a big breakthrough, if you look at our history, we’ve always taken a major step back. And we should look at this as the opportunity to say, ‘What is it that we need to do for this moment?’ but also, ‘What have we learned from when [President Trump] was in office last time?’ And one of the things we learned last time was that groups of multicultural Americans came together and spoke very directly at what our values were, and our values were very much creating a robust, equity-driven agenda for Americans to thrive. And we were highly successful when we organized. In 2018, we became the most diverse body that we’d ever seen. And in 2020 we doubled down and did the same.

Christian F. Nunes (president of the National Organization for Women [NOW]): We must keep fighting. After all, our foremothers didn’t stop fighting when they were tired and worn out, thought they would fail, and wanted to give up. We must remember what they were willing to sacrifice for the movement, the fight, and the rights we have now. We can find strength in that.

I do know that NOW and our members won’t sit still. We have seen a lot of change since NOW was founded almost 60 years ago, but we still have much work to do. Over the next two years, NOW, its members, and partner organizations will take on a nationwide campaign called Disrupt NOW with the national and local objectives to:

• Increase education and awareness on issues impacting women’s equality, with a focus on health care, the economy, and women’s safety.
• Advocate for policy reform.
• Empower the next generation of leaders.
• Strengthen partnerships to protect our democracy.
• Organize: Find a local or national organization fighting for the issues you care about and get involved.
• Educate: Stay informed, share knowledge, and disrupt misinformation that weakens our movements.
• Mobilize: Take to the streets, vote, lobby, and engage in direct action.
• Protect our communities: Support mutual aid networks, community defense, and sanctuary policies that protect the most vulnerable.
• Invest in leadership: Uplift, mentor, and support women and gender-expansive leaders in your circles.

Raquel Willis (cofounder of the Gender Liberation Movement): I urge folks to find a political home, preferably near them, somewhere local, and get involved with the community around you or that you have access to. That means looking for groups and local organizations that speak to their values. We’re going to have to be a part of institutions or build institutions to fill the gap that so many of the institutions that are crumbling right now cannot fill anymore. So if you care about access to health care and honoring bodily autonomy, then get involved with the local clinic.

I think it’s about building with the communities around you. People need to be leaning on their community and their neighbors. This is a time where we are going to have to figure out how to break down the divisions within our society, because we know that we do not have political leaders, in the White House in particular, who are invested in doing that.

Carmen Perez-Jordan (president and CEO of The Gathering for Justice): My call to action is simple but urgent: Commit to the work.

• Organize: Find a local or national organization fighting for the issues you care about and get involved.
• Educate: Stay informed, share knowledge, and disrupt misinformation that weakens our movements.
• Mobilize: Take to the streets, vote, lobby, and engage in direct action.
• Protect our communities: Support mutual aid networks, community defense, and sanctuary policies that protect the most vulnerable.
• Invest in leadership: Uplift, mentor, and support women and gender-expansive leaders in your circles.

Our liberation is collective. Now is the time to show up with everything we have.

Carol Jenkins (former board chair/president and CEO of the ERA Coalition, host of Black America): Get engaged with any social problems that resonate with you — poverty, maternal health, the climate, education, cultural programs — they will all need more private support over the next few years. And it is not just about writing a check — your personal, visible involvement is essential.