June 24, 2022: a dark day for the United States. Women’s rights have been dealt a devastating blow by the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In one decision, the high Court has revoked the right to reproductive freedom that has protected women in the United States for nearly 50 years. The International Action Network for Gender Equity and Law (IANGEL) is outraged. The majority opinion is a shameful and dishonest evisceration of the fundamental rights of privacy and personal autonomy that are the essence of liberty in a free society. The right of a woman to make this most personal decision no longer belongs to her; her body, her future, and her life are now just political fodder. Rights to birth control and marriage equality are also now in jeopardy, as expressed by Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion. This sad day will live in infamy in the history of the US Supreme Court.
In the majority’s view, federal constitutional protection of liberty only applies to rights “deeply rooted in the nation’s history and tradition,” and thus excludes women, people of color, and the poor. This antiquated, racist, misogynistic view has no place in a modern pluralistic society, let alone a SCOTUS opinion in 2022. It is an appalling throwback to days when the laws protected only wealthy white straight men. This decision will not prevent abortions – it will only make them less safe and available to pregnant people who cannot afford a trip to a state that respects their right to reproductive choice. Once again, women will be forced to choose between an unsafe abortion or giving birth against their will. Some will die. Others will suffer the lifelong impact of unwanted births, exacerbating existing social and economic inequality. We share the sentiment of the dissenting justices:
“With sorrow – for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection – we dissent.”
We are angry. We will not accept this brazen revocation of the right to self-determination that is essential to gender equality. We will turn our anger into action! We urge our communities to hold accountable all elected representatives who fail to support and advance gender equality, and to demand lasting legal protection for our fundamental rights. We demand that all governments uphold the human right to reproductive justice no matter where one lives. We call upon all mothers, sisters, daughters, and those who love them, to stand up, speak out, and join us. This is a fight for our lives.
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