In February, I wrote a post highlighting New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s attempt to hold women’s equality hostage, in order to expand late-term abortion. This was all part of a last-ditch effort by the Governor to pass a reproductive choice bill that had previously been defeated on its own. The tactic was to tie the abortion provisions to a set of nine other points which have widespread support. The other 9 points were:

• Achieve Pay Equity
• Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
• Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
• Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
• End Family Status Discrimination
• Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
• Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
• Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
• Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws

In an epic showdown, the pro-life coalition in New York—largely through the outstanding lobbying of Pro-life Democrats—successfully defeated the expanding reproductive choice provision (AGAIN!). Cuomo clearly overplayed his hand.

However, this isn’t quite the victory some are claiming.  Once again, in the all-or-nothing battle that is abortion politics, vulnerable women have come out on the losing end. Despite extending the legislative session, the New York legislature did not pass the other nine provisions. The Pro-life Democrats tried pushing for their passage, first as a package and then for nine individual votes, as occurred in the Senate, but the Assembly refused to vote on them.

Defeating the abortion provision is a victory. But we must fight back with equal intensity against the injustices that persist because the other nine provisions failed.  In celebrating one victory, remember the war for women’s equality must go on.  And here are some of the specifics.

According to the Governor’s website:

“Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces: The new law would ban sexual harassment in every workplace, regardless of the number of employees, so all workers are protected. Currently, New York State law only prohibits sexual harassment in workplaces with four or more employees. In 2011, women accounted for 75% of all sexual harassment complaints filed with the NYS Division of Human Rights and 83% of those filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Over 60% of New York State employers have less than four employees.”

Discrimination against pregnant women is persistent and on the rise. This provision would have made it mandatory for employers to provide reasonable accommodation for pregnant women throughout the state of New York. Likewise, the discrimination against victims of domestic violence is often hidden but equally real (as a recent Catholic school case in San Diego illustrates).

Ultimately, all I can say is that Governor Cuomo and the NY Legislature failed women this term, even with the defeat of the abortion provision. As a pro-life feminist, the ease with which Cuomo and others were willing to tie all of these other provisions together in order to expand abortion (in a state that already has some of the most permissive abortion laws) demonstrates massive cognitive dissonance.  It seems like every time I turn on the news there are more news stories involving dangerous and persistent harassment, discrimination and violence against women. We live in a culture that belittles these concerns and the dignity of vulnerable women. Discussions on rape culture and sexual assault in the military demonstrate this disconnect. Every legislator who stood in the way of voting on those other nine provisions owes these vulnerable women an explanation. Pro-choice Democrats should be embarrassed by their failure to pass these provisions.  And all pro-life groups and legislators better push as hard for their passage as they fought against the 10^th point on abortion.

In this small pro-life victory, we must recognize that we haven’t won…not until those other nine provisions are signed into law.