A recent Wall Street Journal article confirmed what many of us already knew: women are not ignoring the escalating attacks on their freedoms. They’re responding.
According to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, approximately 146,000 residents left the 13 states with abortion bans in the year following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. These states (mostly in the South) had been growing rapidly. But once abortion bans took hold, that growth stopped.
Even more telling: fewer high-achieving women are applying to colleges in these states, and applications to medical residency programs are declining where abortion is heavily restricted. The message is clear- when basic freedoms are stripped away, people move.
This trend reflects more than a policy shift, it reveals a larger truth about what’s at stake when our rights are on the line.
That’s why our work at Ruth’s List Florida is about more than winning elections. It’s about shaping a future where women have the freedom to thrive and where leadership reflects the lived experiences of those most impacted by restrictive laws.
We are building a movement rooted in equality, opportunity, and reproductive freedom. We believe that when pro-choice women lead, communities are stronger, and the future is fairer.
