Two years after the disastrous decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, reproductive rights are still under attack in the Supreme Court and in statehouses around the country. Anti-abortion extremists in the U.S. have taken a page out of the authoritarian playbook used the world over: to undermine democracy, undermine women.

Issues of gender and bodily autonomy are inextricably bound up with our system of representative government. To be full participants in the body politic, people must have the power to make fundamental decisions that affect their lives, their bodies, and their families. Conversely, denying them a vote and a voice in the direction of their futures corrodes our pluralistic democracy.

Today, it can be tempting to view funding for gender justice as triage in the face of urgent and immediate attacks on reproductive rights. But philanthropies committed to defending democracy must embrace longer-term, more sustainable support for securing the personal autonomy necessary for political equity.

As women of colour supporting grassroots and reproductive justice advocacy work at both the funder and grantee level, we are part of a movement that centres people who have been historically marginalized and excluded. Now, we call on leaders in the private sector, philanthropy, and beyond to join us as we reclaim our power and build a more just, equitable, and democratic society.