• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMost Powerful Women

This Is What Women Can Expect From a Donald Trump Presidency

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 10, 2016, 12:48 PM ET

It’s official: Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States.

While many are still in shock over one of the biggest upsets in recent political history, the most practical observers are already looking ahead to what Trump will do once he’s in office. What will his presidency mean for Americans—and, more specifically, for American women?

Based on what Trump said on the stump, as well as on the positions laid out in the Republican National Committee platform, here’s an educated guess about what women can expect from the next four years:

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

Restricted abortion access in certain states

During the final presidential debate last month, Trump, who describes himself as “very pro-life,” promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 reproductive rights decision that protects a woman’s right to end her pregnancy. “That will happen automatically in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court,” he said. If the law were overturned, Trump said the decision of whether or not to allow abortions would “go back to the states.”

In March, Trump insinuated that women who receive abortions illegally should be punished. “There has to be some form of punishment,” should the procedure be banned in the U.S., he said in an interview with MSNBC host Chris Matthews.

Trump has also promised to sign the Hyde Amendment into permanent law. The amendment bars the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortion, except in order to save the life of the mother or if the pregnancy arises from incest or rape.

Planned Parenthood defunded

In a letter to pro-life voters, Trump promised to defund women’s health organization Planned Parenthood “as long as they continue to perform abortions.” Instead, he wrote, he would reallocate funding to “community health centers that provide comprehensive health care for women.”

That’s not to say that the next commander-in-chief doesn’t see value in the organization. In February, he noted that “they have millions of women going through Planned Parenthood that are helped greatly”—though he said he would not budge on the abortion issue.

Six weeks of maternity leave

This September, Donald Trump broke with the GOP in a big way by announcing a plan to provide birth mothers and adoptive mothers with six weeks of paid leave. While the proposal is a vast improvement over the U.S.’s current policy (or lack thereof), critics have pointed out that it lags behind paid leave policies in other developed countries.

Trump hasn’t yet specified what rate of their full pay women would receive, although he has said that women’s maternity leave pay would consist of unemployment benefits and has pegged the average weekly payout at $300. In the second quarter of 2016, the median weekly earnings for female full-time wage and salary workers was $744.

The proposal completely leaves out fathers—particularly problematic for men in same-sex relationships.

Tax breaks for child and elder-care

Trump plans to rewrite the tax code to allow working parents making less than $250,000 a year to deduct from their income taxes childcare expenses for up to four children and elderly dependents. He also proposes creating specialized savings accounts—these would have tax-deductible contributions and tax-free appreciation—so that families can “set aside extra money to foster their children’s development and offset elder care for their parents or adult dependents.”

The president-elect also promises to add incentives for employers to provide childcare at the workplace, though he doesn’t specify how.

Little progress on sexual harassment

In an August interview, Trump said that women who are sexually harassed at work have three options: Take action within the company, leave while seeking retribution, or quit.

“I think it’s got to be up to the individual,” said the president-elect, who has himself been accused of sexual harassment (he has denied all allegations). “It also depends on what’s available. There may be a better alternative; then there may not. If there’s not a better alternative, then you stay. But it could be there’s a better alternative where you’re taken care of better.”

When asked what he would want his daughter Ivanka to do if she were harassed, Trump said: “I would like to think she would find another career or find another company if that was the case.”

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: A view of Poppi drinks at #BFE (Big Flavor Energy) "poppi hour" at Azul On the Rooftop at Hotel Hugo on July 26, 2022 in New York City.
C-SuiteFood and drink
This TikTok sensation sold her startup for $2 billion. Now Pepsi is letting ‘Poppi be Poppi’
By Eva RoytburgApril 12, 2026
8 hours ago
takaichi
Arts & EntertainmentJapan
Japan’s Prime Minister welcomes Deep Purple, capping 50-year love affair with heavy metal: ‘You’re my god’
By Mari Yamaguchi and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
2 days ago
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
3 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gaining and losing power
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gaining and losing power
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
9 days ago
The short, uneasy tenure of Pam Bondi
NewslettersMPW Daily
The short, uneasy tenure of Pam Bondi
By Emma HinchliffeApril 3, 2026
9 days ago
Olympic champion Eileen Gu’s advice for women seeking her heights of career success: Don’t be a small fish in a big pond, ‘Create your own pond’
MPWMost Powerful Women
Olympic champion Eileen Gu’s advice for women seeking her heights of career success: Don’t be a small fish in a big pond, ‘Create your own pond’
By Emma HinchliffeMarch 31, 2026
13 days ago

Most Popular

'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
Politics
'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
24 hours ago
Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training
Future of Work
Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
1 day ago
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
Real Estate
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
11 hours ago
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
Real Estate
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
Economy
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
14 hours ago
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
Energy
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
5 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.