16 states have the most restrictive abortion laws, no paid leave and have weak fair pay laws
WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 13, 2025 – In time for Galentine’s Day today, the National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) released a new resource bringing attention to the states in the U.S. that pose the biggest threats to women and families:
The list of “red flag” states is being highlighted because they lack the policies essential to ensuring women and their families have the support they need to live healthy lives and build financial stability and security now and into the future. The 16 states lack access to abortion, fair pay and paid family and medical leave, but there’s more to the story.
The “not-so-sweet 16” states are among those named in NPWF’s recently released “Threats on All Fronts: More Divided Than Ever,” a report that looks at the increased threats women face to their lives when they live in states that put restrictions on their right to choose. As the report shows, when restrictive abortion laws collide with barriers to other basic needs – from a lack of access to Medicaid, doulas and midwifery care during pregnancy, to no pay for sick leave or low minimum wages – the negative effects are long-lasting on women’s quality of life both at home and in the workplace, and it also impacts their families. NPWF experts also note that these restrictive policies are not in line with what people living in these states want, as evidenced by the outcomes of ballot initiatives that have recently passed in favor of policies supporting women.
To accompany the report, NPWF released “dating profiles” for each state, which women can use to help determine whether those states are the right places for them to live.
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