International Women’s Day

By Christel Allen, Pro-Choice Oregon

Today is International Women’s Day, and groups around the world are reflecting on the progress and barriers experienced by women, girls, and gender minorities. In the United States, the Supreme Court is poised to roll back reproductive rights and we know the struggle for gender equality is not over. In Oregon we are still fighting for equal pay, for bodily autonomy , and to be free from sexual harassment. As a woman, I know that many of us are tired of being discounted, dismissed, and disrespected.

Portlanders elected Jo Ann Hardesty to bring diverse voices into city hall, to create good public policy, and she has done just that. As the first Black woman elected to the City Commission, and despite the backlash, sexism and hate she has received, Jo Ann has gone above and beyond. She stands up for Portlanders, refusing to criminalize the poor and brings a lens of shared humanity to the complex problems we face in our community. She has listened deeply and worked tirelessly to create solutions like Portland Street Response, leading to some of the most transformative systems change in our city’s recent history.

While our reproductive rights are being threatened at the national level, Jo Ann has led a movement of  local leaders who are fighting back. Local leaders are essential in shaping a culture of gender equality. This is not a time to be silent. We trust Jo Ann because she has been on the frontlines working for human dignity and for civil rights for decades. We need women like Jo Ann in leadership, we can count on Jo Ann, especially during this pivotal moment in our movement’s history.