24th June 2022 marked a dark turn in history for the United States, as the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with a 5-4 majority. Here’s a summary of the significance of the decision and what you can do to help.
What is Roe v. Wade?
Roe v. Wade was a legal case in 1973 between Jane Roe (an alias used to protect the plaintiff’s real name, Norma McCorvey) and Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Roe in a 7-2 majority and set a legal precedent that protected the abortion rights of women in the United States. The Court concluded that criminalising abortion and placing restrictions on access to safe procedures would infringe on a woman’s right to privacy and is unconstitutional. Since then, the almost fifty-year-old precedent has allowed women to have abortions within the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
What does the overturning of Roe v. Wade mean?
The overturning means that individual states can now set their own laws for abortion without interfering with the Roe v. Wade ruling. This means that state laws could range from banning abortions altogether to imposing only a few restrictions to making it fully legal. Half of the states are expected to ban or heavily restrict abortion. This ruling is unlikely to stop abortions, as women who need it will still get the procedure performed, just in a more precarious and maybe even illegal manner, endangering their lives.
Why is the overturning harmful?
By reversing this landmark decision, the Supreme Court has placed the fate of women’s lives and their control over their own bodies in the hands of the government. They have violated women’s rights to privacy, equality, and freedom. The judges that opposed the overturning dissented, “Today’s Court, that is, does not think there is anything of constitutional significance attached to a woman’s control of her body and the path of her life. A State can force her to bring a pregnancy to term, even at the steepest personal and familial costs.” Additionally, it does not consider the state of marginalised communities, survivors of abuse, or one’s financial condition.
What can you do?
By donating, you can support agencies like Planned Parenthood and The United States of Women’s Reproductive Justice Hub, who are actively fighting against the ruling. You can also read up on the issue and vote and elect representatives that can genuinely make a difference.
