Reshma Saujani used to get invitations by the dozens to speak at networking events about her experiences as a woman building two nonprofits, struggling with fertility and running for Congress.
So far this year, the founder of Moms First, has received a grand total of 10.
"I was sharing my journey, my story, my past, my wisdom, my tools, my tips, my tricks, probably reaching hundreds of thousands of people a year," Saujani said. "Those opportunities are now closed. Those conferences aren’t happening. Those talks are not being organized."
The culprit, she said, is the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion that has had a chilling effect on women’s initiatives across the business world.
President Donald Trump swept into office on campaign promises to restore fairness in the workplace by eradicating "woke" DEI policies that he says harm men and White Americans. Fearing lawsuits and the loss of government contracts, dozens of the nation’s largest companies from McDonald’s to Facebook owner Meta rolled back diversity programs. Pressure to align with the president’s agenda has only increased in recent months.
