On the heels of her name mentioned during the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate , Kentucky activist Hadley Duvall has been tapped as one of Glamour Magazine's "Women of the Year" for her story and activism centered around women's reproductive rights.
Duvall, a 22-year-old Owensboro, KY, native, has become a rising star in the U.S. political sphere, first sharing her experience of rape and miscarriage in a campaign advertisement for the recent re-election of Gov. Andy Beshear and later being invited to speak on the 2024 Democratic National Convention stage.
While you can read Glamour Magazine's full profile on Duvall , here's a breakdown of Duvall's story and how she has risen to the national spotlight:
Who are Glamour Magazine's 2024 Women of the Year?
Women's reproductive rights activists Hadley Duvall and Kaitlyn Joshua were featured as part of Glamour Magazine's 2024 selection of Women of the Year. In an in-depth profile by the New York-based publication , both Duvall and Joshua, from Kentucky and Louisiana respectively, speak about their experiences of miscarriage and why they currently dedicate their platforms to advocating for wider access to abortion care amid a post-Roe v. Wade overturned nation .
What is Hadley Duvall's story?
Duvall is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She discovered she was pregnant as a 7th grader after her stepfather raped her at age 12 .
Duvall would later miscarry. During her activism, she has said that when she was "that scared little girl, at least I had options."
" Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land . I wasn’t going to have to carry that pregnancy to term," Duvall wrote in an op-ed to The Courier Journal . "I miscarried, but if I hadn’t, the idea of politicians forcing me to give birth to my rapist’s baby is unconscionable."
Duvall’s stepfather was convicted of rape and is in prison.
Is abortion legal in Kentucky?
Abortion is banned in Kentucky with very limited exceptions.
Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion through the 14th Amendment when the decision came down in 1973 , was overturned in June 2022 with the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. As a result, Kentucky's 2019 trigger law , which stops abortions unless posing a serious medical risk to the mother, went into effect.
The law issued an immediate abortion ban in the event of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, only allowing physicians to perform abortions "in reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death or substantial risk of death" or to prevent "serious, permanent impairment to a life-sustaining organ of a pregnant woman."
It contains no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, which would have been in Hadley's case; or when a fetus is severely malformed and unlikely to survive.
Violating the law is punishable by felony charges and could result in up to five years in prison.
Was Hadley Duvall in a campaign ad for Kamala Harris?
Yes. Duvall featured in a campaign ad for Kamala Harris, in which the 22-year-old lobbed criticism against Donald Trump for the loss of federal abortion protections.
She was previously featured in a campaign ad for President Joe Biden during his now-defunct presidential campaign and appeared in an advertisement for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear during his successful 2023 re-election endeavor.
At the recent CBS News Vice Presidential Debate , Democratic nominee Tim Walz referenced her when the discussion circled around to women's reproductive health issues.
"If you don't know an 'Amanda' or a 'Hadley,' you will," Walz said, calling what happened to both women, "horrific."
Previously: Tim Walz mentioned Hadley Duvall of Kentucky in exchange about abortion rights. Who is she?
What is Glamour Magazine's 'Women of the Year' series?
Glamour's Women of the Year is an annual awards series aimed at recognizing women who have made significant contributions to their fields, such as acting, sports, and activism.
Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter. Reporter Marina Johnson contributed to this reporting.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky activist Hadley Duvall is a 'Woman of the Year' in Glamour Magazine. What's her story?
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