Health & Safety
*Trigger Warning*
This page contains references to gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. We encourage readers to engage in ways that feel safe and supportive for them.
Due to the HR 1
(Big Beautiful Bill) put into law, more than 13,000 Chester County residents could lose their Medicaid health insurance.
What we know is that changing laws helps! The Fund’s Blueprint Report tracks a multitude of indicators on the status of women and girls in Chester County. Yet, the area with the most significant improvement from the first report in 2005 through the 2022 report was health insurance coverage, largely due to the Affordable Care Act.
Annual rates of domestic violence dropped by 67% between 1993 and 2022, while rapes and sexual assaults declined by 56% because of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. This law helps to fund the shelters and services that exist in our communities today, in addition to providing training for police officers and requiring communities to have a coordinated response to gender-based violence.
Still, much work remains, and we can never take our protections and laws for granted, as evidenced by the Supreme Court eliminating the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. This ruling set off a wave of state laws limiting individual rights to make decisions pertaining to medical and reproductive care for women.
HEALTHCARE
Our laws can be a matter of life or death. According to a recent study, Americans without health insurance are 40% more likely to die than those with private insurance.
The Inflation Reduction Act was what helped to keep health insurance affordable over the last several years whether to keep that law or let it expire as a way to subsidize billionaire tax breaks. If the latter happens, health insurance costs are expected to more than double for 20 million Americans, which will cause many more members in our communities to go without insurance.
In addition, a law passed in July 2025, called the "Big Beautiful Bill," (HR 1) included the largest cuts to the Medicaid program in its history. Because of this law, more than
13,000 Chester County residents could lose their Medicaid health insurance.
This does not include those who will no longer be able to afford regular health insurance if Congress lets the Inflation Reduction Act subsidies expire.
For women and girls, this means lack of access to healthcare for acute and chronic illnesses, no preventative health or early intervention (such as mammograms and cancer screenings), and limited pregnancy and pre-natal support for themselves and their babies.
As you vote in upcoming elections, it is crucial to understand where the candidates stand on this and other issues that may help to advance gender equity.
Visit The Fund’s Empower Her Vote initiative page for resources and tips to help you become an informed voter.
“The work of social justice is not glamorous. It requires showing up, doing the work, and centering the most marginalized.” - Tarana Burke
MENSTRUAL HYGEINE
Access to basic hygiene products is something many people take for granted.
We expect restrooms to provide soap, toilet paper, and paper towels free of charge.
Yet, essential feminine hygiene products are often missing from this list. Providing free tampons and pads is a simple change that makes public and private spaces more inclusive and equitable.
Menstruation is a natural biological function for about half the population. Like toilet paper and soap, menstrual products are essential for personal hygiene.
The lack of access to menstrual products can disrupt work and school. Employees might have to leave the office to buy tampons or pads, leading to lost productivity. Students may miss class time or even entire school days because they lack the supplies they need.
By offering these items in restrooms, employers, and schools can support their staff and students, helping them stay focused and present. In addition, this action helps to dismantle the outdated idea that menstruation is a private inconvenience and instead frames it as a normal part of public life that deserves accommodation.
“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.” - Michelle Obama
MATERNAL HEALTH & RACISM
In the United States, we have the worst maternal mortality rates of all high-income countries and it is getting worse each year.
In Pennsylvania, Black mothers have the highest pregnancy-related mortality rate, nearly 2-3x greater than White mothers. Additionally, 93.5% of pregnancy-related deaths in Pennsylvania were determined as preventable by the PA Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
Black Women of Chester County in Action, a volunteer-based organization started in response to
The Fund’s 2016 Blueprint Report, has initiated a “Birthing Equity Collective” with the goal of ensuring that Black birthing people in Chester County have access to the resources and support they need to have a safe and healthy birthing experience. This includes connection to culturally competent care, education about pregnancy and childbirth, and advocacy for policy changes that promote equity in maternal health.
You can read more about this initiative at:
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all.” - Gloria Steinem
MEDICAL & REPRODUCTIVE CARE
Women’s ability to make reproductive decisions based on individual medical and healthcare needs, financial considerations, and family planning goals continue to be restricted by legislators.
The Supreme Court eliminated federal protection of the right to abortion in 2022. This ruling set off a wave of state laws limiting individual rights to make decisions pertaining to medical and reproductive care for women.
The Fund for Women and Girls supports reproductive healthcare access for all and is currently supporting several pieces of state legislation aligned with this goal:
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Freedom Of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act (HB670) (State)
This bill would prohibit intimidation, obstruction, or violence in front of clinics.
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Removing the Waiting Period and Counseling requirements for abortion services (HB2005) (State)
In compliance with current state law, there is a 24 hours waiting period (meaning to access abortion services there needs to be two appointments no less than 24 hours apart) and counseling (with outdated information) BEFORE an abortion can be performed.
In addition, we continue to monitor the progress of:
Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA Department of Human Services, a case which challenges the fact that currently Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (Medicaid) coverage is limited to cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening situations, making the medical choice to have an abortion contingent on finances.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declared the existing prohibition on funding for most abortions "presumptively unconstitutional" and sent the case back to the Commonwealth Court for further review.
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” - Angela Davis
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Gender-based violence has been recognized as an international public health crisis and a human rights issue.
Concern Worldwide identifies 5 key causes of gender-based violence:
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Harmful gender stereotypes and patriarchal cultures
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Conflicts, crises and displacements
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Poverty and other economic challenges
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Lack of legal protections
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Inadequate political representation
The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County assisted 1,549 individuals impacted by domestic violence last year, of whom 93% were female. Most of these women were employed with an income of less than $35,000.
Meanwhile, the Crime Victim’s Center of Chester County responded to requests for help from 282 adult victims of sexual abuse or assault and 275 child victims of sexual abuse or assault.
According to a 2022 study by the University of New Hampshire, 16% of young adults have experienced at least one type of sexual abuse online before the age of 18. The study counted a variety of these abuses including being groomed online by an adult, being the victim of revenge pornography, sextortion, or nonconsensual sexting, or engaging in online commercial sex. Rates were particularly high for girls and transgender or gender fluid children.
Perpetrators often included people known by the victim, including adults, intimate partners, and peers.
In Chester County, the Domestic Violence Center provides educational programs designed to prevent intimate partner violence and the Crime Victim’s Center provides violence prevention programs designed to reduce sexual violence.
You can learn more about their programs:
CVC of CC, Prevention Education
The Fund for Women and Girls is working to pass the Family Care Act in Pennsylvania, which would provide survivors of violence paid time off to deal with the impact of violence and find a place of safety without jeopardizing their financial well-being.
Find more information about The Fund's Initiative Paid Family Leave.