Nov. 5 was a pivotal day for the country. The 2024 U.S. presidential election was considered by many to be the most important national election of our lifetimes. For millions, this election was more than a political contest—it represented a pivotal moment for civil liberties, personal autonomy, and the safety of marginalized communities.
Across the country, hundreds of millions gathered around their TVs on election night, eagerly watching the news. Following President-elect Trump’s win, a lot of Americans responded in different ways. The Harvard Independent looked at two voices who are committed to preserving women’s rights in the coming months and believe reproductive rights are in jeopardy following November 5th.
On campus, Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP) organized an election watch party in Sanders Theater for the first time in the College’s history. The IOP’s Communications Director, Hana O’Looney ’26, described the event and its monumental impact in an interview with the Independent.
“We had over 2,000 RSVPs, and over 1,500 people showed up throughout the night, which was incredible,” O’Looney said. “We received lots of positive feedback from people that it got them really excited about the election and democracy in general, which I think was the goal of the event.”
The number of RSVPs reflects the significant turnout, representing 27.8% of the undergraduate population—more than a quarter of the College’s students. As the night went on and the results became clearer, the crowd’s energy began to wane, O’Looney said.
“I would definitely, in full transparency, say that the energy was very, very high at the beginning of the night when we kick-started things off at 8 p.m. and dwindled as the night went on,” she said. “The IOP is a nonpartisan organization, but I think that a lot of people, most people in that room, were rooting for Kamala Harris to win, and as the night went on… It just became clearer and clearer that that wasn’t going to happen.”
In the past few months, and into the middle of the election day night, O’Looney called attention to how many Americans are now wondering how Donald Trump’s return to office will look.
“I think what’s scary about this election in particular is it’s not just the presidency that Trump has. It’s also the Senate and, most likely, the House and also the judiciary. So with all of that in line, it kind of gives him full reign to operationalize whatever he wants to,” O’Looney explained.
O’Looney also expressed concern with abortion’s unprotected status at the national level.“I also think that it is scary to continue to leave this decision up to states in terms of women’s reproductive rights because we know that there are a lot of states that continually are making attempts to take those rights away from women,” O’Looney said.
Although she understands that many people on campus and at the IOP may be discouraged following the election’s results, O’Looney explained that there are still ways for students to get involved and fight for the issues they are passionate about.
Speaking from experience, O’Looney has always been involved in politics on the local level and was elected the Student Member of the Board of Education in Montgomery County, MD, in 2021. She explained that even though the presidential election gets the most media attention, it is not the only important election. In fact, O’Looney said that local elections could have more of an impact on our day-to-day lives.
“One thing that I hope that we can refocus on and gain more energy for with the IOP in the spring and moving forward with students on campus is to get students more engaged in Massachusetts politics, but also politics with wherever students are from back home, especially if big decisions like reproductive rights are going to be left to states. That means that we have to organize really hard at the state level,” said O’Looney.
On campus, Harvard offers numerous opportunities for students to get involved in political organizing: They can join advocacy groups, participate in campaign efforts, attend political forums and debates, or volunteer with student-run organizations focused on policy change and social justice.
But how are others responding around the nation?
David Smith, a writer for The Guardian, explained how the election’s outcome has sparked a surge of fear and uncertainty for many. He wrote, “the result is a catastrophe for the world.”
Some women around the country have also started taking action against what they fear is going to be a new era of infringement on their bodily autonomy. Instead of campaigning and grassroots activism, these individuals are responding to the election by rethinking their relationships with men altogether.
Jada Mevs, a 25-year-old living in Washington, D.C, is encouraging women across the United States to follow a movement started in South Korea: the 4B movement. The 4 B’s are four Korean words—bisekseu, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bihon—which translate to “no sex with men,” “no giving birth,” “no dating men,” and “no marriage with men.” This radical feminist movement has recently gained popularity among American women on TikTok.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mevs explained why she believes in the movement. “If we can’t control what they do in terms of legislation and abortion rights, we have to do something for ourselves,” she said. “Starting with cutting out the male influence in our life, and making sure we’re taking the safety precautions as well, visiting OB-GYNs, and making sure we are best prepared for when January comes and the years after that.”
The rising popularity of the 4B Movement is emblematic of the range of responses to the upcoming shift in presidential administration. At a time when some individuals perceive their reproductive freedoms to be increasingly vulnerable, the 4B Movement is designed to offer women a way to assert agency over their lives, choosing to forego traditional expectations in favor of solidarity and self-determination.
As this movement and these conversations gain traction, they underscore a growing sentiment in America: the need for unity, resilience, and creative resistance in the face of political challenges.
Whether through local political action, national advocacy, or personal choices to live life on their own terms, O’Looney noted that the road to safeguarding personal freedoms requires both legislative persistence and state-level engagement.
“I do think that we should continue fighting both within Congress, but also within individual states to protect women’s right to choose,” she explained.
Pippa Lee ’28 (pippalee@college.harvard.edu) is interested in how the political landscape will evolve following the recent election.