Sheryl Sandberg just made women everywhere breathe a little easier. The Facebook Chief Operating Officer recently donated $1 million to Planned Parenthood–according to Refinery29—as a reaction to the fact that President Trump would love to defund the organization.
Planned Parenthood currently services 2.5 million Americans each year, which is why the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare and funding for Planned Parenthood is kind of terrifying–and why Sandberg’s donation could not have come at a better time. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, stated how grateful she is to Sandberg for “her longstanding, and now increased, support” to women’s health:
“We are so thankful for the outpouring of support we’ve seen since the election by so many people willing to donate their time, money, and energy to help Planned Parenthood. It’s especially important right now, as extreme politicians want to defund and shut down Planned Parenthood, which would deny millions of people — nearly half of whom are people of color, and many people who live in rural areas — the health care they rely on. Shutting down Planned Parenthood would create a national health disaster for women.”
Thankfully, private donations to Planned Parenthood have significantly increased in the past few months. Of course, the real problem is the fact that PP receives a lot of reimbursements from Medicaid for health services. Sandberg has not been quiet about Trump’s presidency either–right after the election, she posted this conciliatory note, stating that it was time for women to dedicate themselves to fighting for rights:
“There is still so much to do, and we need the full talents of our population to tackle the challenges our country faces. We must encourage more women to run for office across every party at every level of government until our representation matches our share of the population. History is on our side – and we will get there.”
She also spoke out on Facebook last week when Trump signed off on the first anti-abortion policy of his term, boldly explaining how women deserve better:
“I started my career working at the World Bank on health care in India. I saw firsthand how clinics funded by foreign aid are often the only source of health care for women. When women are given even the most basic health care information and services, they live longer, healthier lives — and they give birth to children who live longer, healthier lives… The best way to prevent abortion is through more family planning services, not fewer… Women’s rights are human rights — and there is no more basic right than health care. Women around the world deserve our support.”
I’m thankful for Sandberg–she’s using her influence and wealth for the betterment of people everywhere–because women’s rights affect everyone, not just women. If women actually had equal rights and ownership over their bodies, can you imagine how much better the world would be for everyone?
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