The discussion around reproductive rights and gun control shares a common, and critical, thread: at their heart they are both about human dignity and safety. The ability to access comprehensive reproductive healthcare and the assurance of security in our communities and educational institutions are intrinsic human rights, and they should be recognized as such. Instead, they have turned into subjects of political divisiveness. And as the election in November draws nearer, that is becoming increasingly clear. Which is why there is a new sense of urgency to actively participate in the process: by raising our voices, by championing change, and by casting our votes. The stakes of this election aren’t just about the next four years: the results have the potential to reshape our freedoms and safety for generations to come. Below we dive into how some decisions at the state level have already done just that.

she got the news from her doctor that the little girl she was carrying had Trisomy 18, an almost always fatal condition that had already resulted in malformations in the baby’s brain. The devastating diagnosis put the baby’s life at risk, but Cox’s own health and her future fertility were at risk too. Cox, who has two other young children with her husband and a desire to grow their family, decided to terminate the pregnancy. But she lives in Texas where doctors are penalized for performing abortions and the procedure is illegal except for in rare medical exceptions; her situation, shockingly, did not qualify. So, Cox — while pregnant and with her health in a precarious position — would become the first woman to sue for the right to terminate her pregnancy since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. And she would have to leave Texas to get an abortion. Along the way, Cox unwittingly became a talking point in the ongoing debate around reproductive rights in this country.

Ever since Roe v. Wade (the Supreme Court ruling protecting the right to an abortion) was decided in 1973, there have been concerted efforts made to dilute it, eventually resulting in the 2022 Dobbs decision.

Over the past two years, a slew of Republican-led states enforced new restrictions on abortion; and, as we saw recently in Alabama when the state’s supreme court ruled that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children, other reproductive health procedures have not been immune to their reach. While living in a blue state can feel like an insurance policy against these drastic measures, what happens in the federal courts can have a far-reaching effect.

The Supreme Court is now faced with two cases that exemplify just that.

The case around mifepristone (a medication that blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone and is used in conjunction with misoprostol for almost 2/3 of abortions nationally), currently being argued before the Supreme Court, could drastically limit its accessibility via pharmacies or telemedicine, which will impact miscarriage care (the drug is often prescribed for that) and medication abortions.

The second abortion-related case the Supreme Court will face is in April and stems from a lawsuit brought by the U.S. against Idaho, a state that has imposed an almost total ban on abortion via their Defense of Life Act. It will decide whether ER doctors working in states where abortion is prohibited will be allowed to perform them when medically necessary. The results of both rulings could have national ramifications for women’s health.

But while the immense efforts to impede women’s access to reproductive healthcare nationally can seem insurmountable, when abortion is on the ballot, people overwhelmingly vote for access to it. In Kansas, Ohio and Kentucky, it boosted voter turnout, and while Florida just enacted a 16-week abortion ban, a constitutional amendment protecting a right to abortion will also appear on the ballot this year, and likely drive more people to the polls. This is because, despite a vocal anti-abortion movement, most Americans don’t have mixed feelings on abortion: they support it. And national polls underscore that fact, including a recent one by Axios which revealed that 81% of Americans believe that abortion “should be managed between a woman and her doctor, not the government.” The most significant thing people can do this election year is to bring those feelings to the ballot box.

We live in a country where almost 50,000 people die every year because of guns, where the number of mass shootings often surpasses the number of calendar days. But despite the pervasiveness of gun violence in the U.S., the country’s entanglement with the far-reaching influence of pro-gun donors and groups, and the oft-referenced constitutional right to bear arms, has made it difficult to make meaningful reforms.

This is despite the fact that, much like with abortion, many voters support sensible regulations like universal background checks, safe storage, and a ban on assault weapons. The best hope may come from the efforts of grassroots organizations like Leaders We Deserve, started by Parkland survivor David Hogg, and Moms Demand Action, which was founded by Colorado mother-turned-powerhouse activist Shannon Watts and is now being led by Angela Ferrell-Zabala, who are working to get candidates elected that will prioritize gun control measures.

Mothers of Uvalde, Parkland, Aurora and Sandy Hook have all similarly, amidst their grief, leaned into advocacy roles for gun control. In Tennessee, where there has been little movement towards gun restrictions despite continued gun violence, Shaundelle Brooks, who lost her son in a 2018 incident at Waffle House is now running as a candidate for State House 60; and Katy Dieckhaus, who lost her 9-year-old daughter in the Covenant School shooting, has become an advocate with nonpartisan nonprofit, Voices for a Safer Tennessee. The year to come will likely see even more mothers turning their despair and anxiety into action.

That’s what inspired MOTHER to team up with Mother Tongue—an independent media platform that publishes a biannual print magazine known for centering women’s stories—on a cap and socks capsule that raises awareness about gun control and reproductive rights, the issues that matter most to women in this country right now. “We’ve been longtime fans of Mother Tongue’s progressive storytelling and ability to amplify women’s voices,” shared Lela Becker, president and co-founder of MOTHER. “With critical issues like reproductive rights and gun control on this year’s ballot, they were the perfect partner to feature and highlight women sharing what they stand for and what’s on their mind as November approaches.” In the spirit of the campaign and to help further advocate for these causes, MOTHER will donate $10,000 to both Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

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REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS & GUN CONTROL

Why you need to be paying attention to the 2024 Elections.

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