For 35 years, the Women’s Fund of Omaha has worked on issues foundational to achieving gender equity. We advocate for public policies that ensure all women and girls can reach their full potential. Our expertise in policy advocacy includes helping to pass legislation that supports survivors of sexual violence, provides pathways to economic security and creates solutions to problems set up by systems that were never meant for us.

Unfortunately, very few bills prioritized and championed by legislators this session support women, especially ones like Legislative Bill 89 that claim in name but fail to make any real positive impact in our lives. This so-called “Stand With Women Act” would, if it becomes law, let politicians decide who is “male” and “female” and ban a very small number transgender people from certain bathrooms and sports teams.

Help Women’s Lives

While some members of the Legislature spend a lot of time saying they “stand with women” and want to “protect women,” they fail to pass policies that provide us with paid leave when we are sick or caring for our young children and aging parents. They refuse to center our right to bodily autonomy and continue to restrict access to reproductive health care, inserting themselves into our most personal decisions and stripping us of our privacy.

They attempt to overturn our vote to raise the minimum wage, which impacts our ability to pay rent or put food on our tables. They use the weight of the government to tell us what it means to be a woman, while we’ve been living our lives all these years experiencing the ramifications of their votes.

Nebraska lawmakers could be doing so much more to support women in our state and create meaningful change in our lives. But they will fail again if they use the limited days left of this session attempting to pass legislation like LB 89 while claiming to support us. The bill will not protect us. It will not improve our lives in any measurable way. We know who perpetuates gender-based violence in our communities, and we can clearly see who and what systems are impeding our progress.

Actions, Not Words

For too long, lawmakers have attempted to distract and divide our energy. The Nebraska Legislature has pretended to care about us while taking away our rights or failing to pass the policies we need to support ourselves and our families, including those we voted for directly on the ballot.

To the women of Nebraska and our allies, it’s time to remember just what and who we are fighting for: equal pay for equal work, the ability to safely raise our families, the right to decide when and if to become a parent, the privacy to make our own medical decisions, fair workplaces and communities free from violence.

To Nebraska lawmakers: We are at a critical point in our state’s history, and in our work to protect and advance gender equity. Are you ready to pass meaningful legislation that supports all women? We are beyond ready.

Jo Giles is executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha. She has worked as a policy and training director for the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska and for years in media relations. She serves on multiple boards.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/04/30/paid-sick-leave-and-better-health-care-would-help-nebraska-women/

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