In an unprecedented move, Planned Parenthood is expected to cut between 10 to 20 percent of its national workforce, a measure that equates to at least 80 job losses, according to a recent report by NPR.
The organization’s leadership announced that the layoffs are integral to a broader restructuring plan designed to bolster local affiliates, as reported.
The decision is significant, coming almost a year after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, thereby empowering individual states to regulate abortion.
Union officials from New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., expressed their disappointment in a joint statement.
They decried the decision by Planned Parenthood leaders to force out some of the brightest minds in the movement during a critical time for reproductive freedom and amidst challenging economic conditions.
Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022, Planned Parenthood affiliates have had to navigate a drastically altered legal landscape.
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Over a dozen states enacted pro-life laws safeguarding the rights of unborn children.
In response to these challenges, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund shared plans to “reimagine” their national office and invest an additional $70 million in affiliate support, as stated in the report.
Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood’s President and CEO, declared the organization’s commitment to enhance its telehealth services and other patient-focused technologies.
According to the report, she emphasized that these efforts are designed to ensure care is available to patients, irrespective of their geographical location.
Planned Parenthood also intends to increase its investment in national elections and initiatives related to race.
McGill expressed the pressing need for change within Planned Parenthood in light of the altered societal and legal landscape.
“Without question, the world we are living in right now — the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the loss of abortion access, the weaponization of our courts and attacks on our democracy, the criminalization of providers and patients, and rampant misinformation — is vastly different than just a decade ago,” McGill stated. “Planned Parenthood must change too.”
