
Join us for IWPR’s 2026 Power+ Summit, The Power Grid: Driving Gender Equity Forward, taking place September 28–29 in Detroit, MI.
Together, we will spark bold ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of gender equity.
By Michelle Chen
The evidence bears out women’s choices; the long-term effects of abortion restrictions could be economically devastating for low income women. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, in the decades following Roe, abortion access has been correlated with increased labor force participation, as women who can choose whether and when to have children also have more freedom to pursue career goals. Abortion access is also linked to decreased teen births and in turn, increased college attainment, with an especially pronounced effect for black women. And their children did better economically and academically, with lower rates of poverty and higher college graduation rates.

Join us for IWPR’s 2026 Power+ Summit, The Power Grid: Driving Gender Equity Forward, taking place September 28–29 in Detroit, MI.
Together, we will spark bold ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of gender equity.