An outside Democratic group has launched a six-figure ad campaign focused on reproductive rights in an effort to mobilize millennial women.
The digital ads from American Bridge’s Women Rights Initiative urge women to rally against the Trump administration and threats to abortion rights policies.
The ads, which will run nationwide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, link to a website detailing “extreme” policy changes made by President Trump and the Department of Health and Human Services that it says limit women’s access to a full range of health services.
“Young women today are living the realities of #MeToo, the rollback of reproductive rights, and attacks on women from all levels of government,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, director of the Women Rights Initiative. “Women have always been the backbone of the progressive movement — and we stand with the women now leading the resistance.”
The website displays an interactive timeline highlighting legislation, executive orders, and proposals under the Trump administration related to women’s health. The timeline dates back to Trump’s first days in office when he reinstated a Reagan-era policy, known as the “global gag rule,” that blocks foreign aid for international family planning charities that provide abortions.
In recent polling, American Bridge found that 84 percent of millennial women strongly agree that “everyone must have the freedom to decide whether and when to become a parent.”
As more women feel empowered by the #MeToo movement and marches across the country, many have become more engaged in politics. Bridge found in its polling that 66 percent of women were “very likely” to urge friends and family to vote, including 73 percent of African-American women.
Black women are a key voting bloc for Democrats, helping in competitive races like Alabama’s special Senate election last year. Democrats are hopeful more millennial women will vote this election because their priorities align more with Democrats, according to nonpartisan polling.
Despite losing ground with millennials overall, Democrats still hold the advantage over Republicans, according to a recent Reuters survey.
American Bridge declined to share the exact dollar amount of the six-figure ad buy.
