happy roe-versary!
today is the 35th anniversary of the roe v. wade decision that legalized the practice of abortion, allowing women further access to and control over their reproductive health.
this has meant 35 years of fighting to keep abortion legal.
this has meant 35 years of domestic terrorism aimed at abortion and reproductive health providers.
this has meant 35 years of women fighting to get access in a timely, non-judgmental manner.
this has meant 35 years of right wing attacks on the public's understanding of reproductive politics and rights.
this has meant 35 years of gradual erosion of laws associated with reproductive rights.
today is absolutely heartening in what it means for US women. but there's still so much work to be done worldwide to ensure that all women have access to reproductive health care, not just abortion.
currently, bush's global gag rule is LITERALLY killing hundreds of thousands of women every year. not just by denying safe abortions (or denying discussion of that option), but by denying life-saving health care in the form of birth control (including condoms), pre and post natal healthcare (for mothers and children), and complications that arise from the actual process of birthing. further, this does not curb the number of abortions. in fact, it increases the number of deaths from ILLEGAL, UNSAFE abortions performed for women who are desperate to terminate pregnancies (for WHATEVER reason). (please see this paper published by ipas, an organization dedicated to bringing safe abortions and reproductive health care to women worldwide.)and typically, most of the women affected by this policy are poor women of color. for more about the global gag rule, please see here.
this practice of denial, while abhorrent and unacceptable in the US, is absolutely inhumane in its imposition on other countries that receive funding for healthcare clinics from the US. it increases maternal deaths, post-(illegal, unsafe)abortion related deaths, the spread of HIV/AIDS, child and infant mortality, and rape and sexual assault victims' services.
it's all part of the protracted and well-documented bush war against women in general and people of color in particular. hopefully, this day can serve as a reminder to all people in the US that the fight for reproductive justice and rights is global.
this has meant 35 years of fighting to keep abortion legal.
this has meant 35 years of domestic terrorism aimed at abortion and reproductive health providers.
this has meant 35 years of women fighting to get access in a timely, non-judgmental manner.
this has meant 35 years of right wing attacks on the public's understanding of reproductive politics and rights.
this has meant 35 years of gradual erosion of laws associated with reproductive rights.
today is absolutely heartening in what it means for US women. but there's still so much work to be done worldwide to ensure that all women have access to reproductive health care, not just abortion.
currently, bush's global gag rule is LITERALLY killing hundreds of thousands of women every year. not just by denying safe abortions (or denying discussion of that option), but by denying life-saving health care in the form of birth control (including condoms), pre and post natal healthcare (for mothers and children), and complications that arise from the actual process of birthing. further, this does not curb the number of abortions. in fact, it increases the number of deaths from ILLEGAL, UNSAFE abortions performed for women who are desperate to terminate pregnancies (for WHATEVER reason). (please see this paper published by ipas, an organization dedicated to bringing safe abortions and reproductive health care to women worldwide.)and typically, most of the women affected by this policy are poor women of color. for more about the global gag rule, please see here.
this practice of denial, while abhorrent and unacceptable in the US, is absolutely inhumane in its imposition on other countries that receive funding for healthcare clinics from the US. it increases maternal deaths, post-(illegal, unsafe)abortion related deaths, the spread of HIV/AIDS, child and infant mortality, and rape and sexual assault victims' services.
it's all part of the protracted and well-documented bush war against women in general and people of color in particular. hopefully, this day can serve as a reminder to all people in the US that the fight for reproductive justice and rights is global.