Why we took on the topic of Dobbs.

Uncharted Territory

Gnarly, difficult conversations, seemingly unanswered questions, and uncharted territory are in the DNA of Rebel. As a research and strategy agency, we work with global brands to identify the needs of their target audiences, and then we create the strategy that meets those needs.

We use research to create action.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, women on both sides had a lot of questions. Those questions bled into our conversations at home and at work. To us, the noise felt like it was becoming louder and louder. Our employees were asking questions we couldn’t answer.

We wanted to push past the noise, listen to the voices of the women, their stories, experiences, questions, fears, and to tackle the tough questions about real decisions that have to be made moving forward.

We felt the need to tackle this topic with the goal of understanding how we got here, how women across the country were actually feeling, and what this meant for women and American society as a whole.

Our Goal

The Noise

Our goal was simple: eliminate the noise and put the voice of women front and center.

The current public forum does little to advance the voices of ordinary, everyday citizens. It is our hope that this research sparks new conversations, creates empathy, and drives connection.

What we learned through our research.

FRUSTRATION

When we launched the research, we weren’t entirely sure what we’d find. We figured the opinions on the topic would be split along party lines.

Instead, what we found was an overwhelming sense of frustration among all women of all parties.

THE VOICES OF THE WOMEN

The consensus among the women we spoke with was that the Dobbs decision improved nothing.

Have a listen to what they had to say:

01—Woman, Age 20. Independent, Pro-Life.

02—Woman, Age 40. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

03—Woman, Age 27. No Party Preference, Pro-Choice.

04—Woman, Age 60. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

Moreover, women, irrespective of political affiliation, lack faith that their state legislatures are going to create solutions that support them in any capacity. In fact, most women we spoke with wholly believe that not only are they not on the radar of their policy-makers, many of them believed the rhetoric was little more than lip service.

Listen to their voices.

05—Woman. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

"Our governor, no. House of Representatives at the state level, no. I do tend to be a person who sends emails saying I support voting on such and such in this manner. I do feel like they're going to vote how they're going to vote and they're not really listening to what their constituents are asking for."

06—Woman, Age 40s. Republican, Pro-Life.

…I don't think it will become a priority until a majority of people are candid and honest about their opinion and say, look, we would rather talk about how do we prevent this? And I don't really think that's on anyones... I'm not saying I have some deep philosophical insight into society or to the state legislature at all, but I don't think that's on anyone's real radar if that makes sense. I think they stand to gain more on both sides from a divisive rhetoric than they do from where do we agree.

07—Woman, Age 40s. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

We have two senators in each state. Neither of the senators in this state care about anything, regardless of all the letters that I can write. And it's because they have their interest. They have to side with whoever the leaders are of their party. And so it's their career. The way I see it, if they are going to advance in their career, they have to align to the people that will benefit them, regardless of the impact to half of the population.

HISTORY

Here’s Why it Matters

The collective voices of women over the course of history is what has moved the needle forward, time and time again.

Women in America have come a long way and have seen many, many victories over the years.

Historical photos of women throughout history

1776: Abigail Adams sent a letter to her husband, John Adams, and the Continental Congress, as a private plea to “remember the ladies.”

1869: Wyoming, the 44th state to enter the union, becomes the first state to grant women the right to vote and hold office.

1916: Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic, deemed illegal under the “Comstock Laws.”

1917: Jeannette Rankin of Montana is sworn in as the first female elected to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.

1920: The ratification of the 19th Amendment is complete, giving women the right to vote.

1960: FDA approves the first commercially produced birth control pill in the world.

1961: Rules in Florida are upheld by the Supreme Court making it less likely that women are called for jury service because a “woman is still regarded as the center of home and family life.”

1963: JFK signs into law the Equal Pay Act.

1964: Johnson signs into law the Civil Rights Act.

1971: Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private employers refusing to hire women with preschool children.

1972: Title IX of Education Amendments is signed into law by Nixon.

1973: Roe v. Wade is decided, declaring a woman’s right to abortion.

1974: Women could obtain a credit card or loan without a male signature with the passing of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

2022: Roe v. Wade overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sources: History.com and NWHA

Women throughout history have fought hard for equality.

Prior to these major moments in our collective history, women were relegated to working behind the scenes to make a political impact or resigned to remain more reactive than proactive when planning the trajectory of their lives.

Today, women are using their voices to impact change in real ways. And, they're demanding real solutions.

AmGovernor of Kentucky Edwin P. Morrow signs his states ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Kentucky, January 6, 1920 — 102 years ago

Women were granted the right to vote through the ratification of the 19th amendment. For some of us, our great-grandmothers would remember this if they were still living today.

Photo of a woman from 1960s holding a birth control pill and winking. — 62 years ago

The FDA approved the first commercially produced birth control. Your grandmother, maybe even your mother, may remember when this happened.

Vintage photo of an African American woman in a 1970's car driving. — 48 years ago

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed allowing women to obtain a credit card or loan without a male signature. Chances are, your mother, friends, and maybe even you remember when this happened.

The Advancement of Women

Over the last decade, women have made significant advancements. Yet, despite these advancements, women still lag behind their male counterparts.

Group of college graduates: 3 females and 1 male

The number of women receiving their college degree now surpasses men, accounting for more than half of the college-educated workforce. Source: Pew Research

Photo of a young woman looking dispondant — 10% less

Women are still earning roughly 10% less than their male counterparts on a weekly basis in similar occupations, despite having nearly identical experience and background.

Group of 4 women from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. — 87 women

For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women are promoted.

Confident executive woman holding her laptop posing outside an office building. — 1 in 4

Only 25% of C-suite executives are women.

Candid photo of a woman speaking and talking at her desk. — 2.3%

Female entrepreneurs received only 2.3% of VC funding in 2020. Despite reports indicating that female-founded businesses ultimately deliver higher revenue.

ACTION

We’ve Got Work To Do

It’s true: the Dobbs decision is a big, hard conversation with no easy, direct answers. But, looking at our timeline, we’ve had difficult conversations before.

When we asked women what they wanted to see moving forward, their answers were surprisingly similar—regardless of where they fell on the spectrum of pro-life or pro-choice.

The voice of women.

08—Woman, Age 20s. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

09—Woman, Age 20s. Independent, Pro-Life.

10—Woman, Age 40s. Republican, Pro-Life.

11—Woman, Age 40s. Democrat, Pro-Choice.

REBEL NOTE

From Rebel’s CEO

We’ve thought a lot about how we, as a company, respond to this. To be honest, when the news first hit—like many others—we stopped dead in our tracks. We had a few big questions to answer in our own organization.

As a CEO, mother, and woman—my concerns mounted. How do we navigate this well?

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t sure. There are days, I’m still not entirely sure.

What I do know is that together, we can move the needle forward. Regardless of where we individually stand on this topic, the reality is: we can do better.

It is my hope that you read this report with an open mind and create the space to hear voices that may oppose your own. From here, together, we can create solutions that enable progress for women across the country.

—L

Additional resources to learn more — Where do we go to learn more?

What are the abortion laws in my state?
Additional Research: The Turnaway Studies
Who are the politicians for my county, town, and state?

Abigail Adams quote in a letter to her husband John Adams and the Continental Congress.“...If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

Research report cover and interior spread shown.

I'm Speaking. Women on the Topic of Dobbs

In July of 2022, Rebel surveyed 2,593 women and conducted ~13 hours of 1:1 interviews with women and men across America on the topic of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. What we found is highlighted in our report.

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