Washington, DC (June 24, 2025) – Today, we reflect on the devastating impact of the Dobbs decision, a Supreme Court ruling that stripped away a fundamental constitutional right and overturned decades of legal precedent for women. During his first term, Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court, cementing the 6-3 conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), released the following statement in response:
“Three years after Dobbs, the cost is measured in women’s lives.
Adriana Smith. Amber Nicole Thurman. Candi Miller. Porsha Ngumezi. All preventable tragedies. All the direct result of cruel, calculated policies designed to punish, not protect, women. Policies that create chaos, fear, and suffering with blatant disregard for women’s health and autonomy.
Black women already face the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, and Dobbs has only made it worse. In states with abortion bans, care is delayed or denied entirely; clinics are closing; hospitals are turning people away. Birthing people are being forced to carry unviable pregnancies or risk death just to receive medical attention.
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to promote a lie about family values. But women aren’t fooled. We see it in the data. We see it in our decisions—to leave ban states, to delay or abandon plans to have children, to work for employers who stand up for reproductive freedoms. We know the truth is this isn’t just a policy failure, but a national identity crisis. And women are the ones paying the price.
We must confront this cruelty head-on. Say their names. Refuse to look away. And fight like hell to help repeal these laws—before more lives are lost.”
Relevant IWPR resources:
Media Contact:
Chandler Rollins, rollins@iwpr.org
