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July 15, 2020

Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on SCOTUS Finale

Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on Supreme Court Finale

NEW YORK (July 15, 2020) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the below statement following the conclusion of the Supreme Court term:

“The recent Supreme Court session brought us celebratory highs and painful lows. Each of these rulings has a very real impact on the communities the Ms. Foundation for Women serves. Our work, and the work of our grantee-partners, sits at the intersections of all social movements, as the fight for a feminist future is interconnected. 

“In the last two months, the Supreme Court protected the rights of 700,000 DREAMers to remain in the United States, that LGBTQIA+ folks are protected from workplace discrimination, and that abortion will, for now, remain safe, legal, and accessible. While the court sided with human rights in these cases they also rolled them back in others: employers can now deny birth control coverage and religious organizations can hire and fire without regard for discrimination laws. Although seemingly unrelated, these decisions are tied together in a larger fight for social justice. 

“These Supreme Court rulings illustrate what feminism looks like today and where it needs to grow. The wins are a clear result of grassroots work led predominantly by women and girls of color, while the losses point to where we, as funders, need to direct our efforts and resources. The interconnectedness of social movements necessitates an expansive feminist agenda, which the Ms. Foundation is committed to building by supporting women and girls of color. 

“Right now, those who are leading these movements receive the least funding. In our recent report, Pocket Change, we found that women and girls of color-led organizations received only 0.5% of all philanthropic giving in 2017.  If we want to prevent further curtailing of the rights of people who live on the margins of society, then we must trust women and girls of color and invest in their leadership. At the Ms. Foundation, we believe those who are closest to the issues to have the solutions for their communities and our broader society. 

“Let’s be clear: the conclusion of this Supreme Court session does not represent a conclusion in the Ms. Foundation and our grantee partners’ fight for equity for all. Instead, it calls for the expansion and interconnection of our movements. We are in this fight together, and together, we can build a feminist future.”

Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or in-person from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected]. 

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The Ms. Foundation for Women transforms our democracy by building women’s collective power. Guided by a gender and racial justice lens, we resource grassroots movements that center women and girls of color, advance feminism in philanthropy, and advocate for policies that improve women’s lives across the country. Since 1973, we’ve opened up worlds of possibility for women and girls. But to finally achieve justice for all, we need you in our fight. ​Learn more and get involved at ForWomen.org.