Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, 7 to 2, that the Trump administration can allow employers “with sincerely held moral convictions” or religious beliefs to deny contraception coverage to female workers. Employers seek to restrict a woman’s access to the full range of health services available, but will not provide personal protective equipment to protect vulnerable workers or provide hazard pay.
It is estimated that 70,000 to 126,000 women could lose coverage for women’s preventative services, which include all contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, emergency contraceptives, and sterilization procedures. Given the wage gap experienced by Black and Hispanic women, paying out of pocket for these services will be an added financial burden.
Providing research to increase the well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native Americ
an women is a daunting task. I am always thrilled when I meet young people interested in the work we do. Therefore, I am excited to welcome another intern, Himaja Nimmagadda. Himaja is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a double major in economics and gender and women’s studies with a minor in medical humanities. Her interests are primarily in healthcare policy and economic development. She is passionate about identifying barriers to access and improving inefficiencies within current systems- beginning with meaningful representation. When asked why she wanted to work for WISER, she replied, “I want to work at WISER because I am passionate about equitable, woman-focused policy as it feels more important than ever to address the nuances in the conversation surrounding race and gender. ”
Please join me in welcoming Himaja!
Rhonda V. Sharpe is the president of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race.
