How is it that women in the United States, a society that styled itself as the defender of the “free world” more than 50 years ago, are still fighting for basic human rights in 2024?
In the landmark decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court abandoned its duty to protect fundamental rights by overturning Roe v. Wade, ruling that there is no federal, constitutional right to abortion. In the nearly two years since, 21 states have banned abortion or restricted the procedure to earlier in pregnancies than the standard that had been set by Roe v. Wade that allowed abortion until the fetus became viable, or 24-28 weeks post-conception.
History has demonstrated that banning abortions does not prevent them. Criminalizing abortion only restricts access to safe abortions and increases the risk of female mortality and severe health issues. In the years following a total abortion ban, a study found the U.S. would see a 21 per cent increase in the number of pregnancy-related deaths overall and a 33 per cent increase among Black women.
All individuals who can become pregnant are affected by these policies. However, marginalized groups with documented discrimination within and outside of the health-care system are disproportionately impacted, particularly those who are racialized as well as people with disability, low socioeconomic status and intersecting identities.
Women’s rights are not just a matter of equality, but of survival. One in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. This is more than just a statistic; this number represents the lives of our sisters, daughters and mothers. Reproductive rights are not simply about abortion, they are about the right to choose what happens to our bodies and our physical and mental health. Imagine if men had to fight for their basic rights?
Yet, what these policies truly aim to protect is the control men have over women and our bodies.
We know that Dobbs has already had far-reaching consequences in the U.S. On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that stored embryos have the same legal protection as children under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act of 1872. Though Alabama lawmakers rushed to protect in vitro fertilization after the controversial decision, it is important that the gravity of the ruling be recognized. According to the American Bar Association, if an embryo is given personhood status, pregnant women can be held criminally liable if they have an abortion.
As public health practitioners in Canada and self-identified women, we are anxiously and helplessly watching women’s rights erode in the U.S. We may not be directly impacted by these laws, but Dobbs’ influence has already leached across the Canadian border. Canadian women cannot take their rights for granted. In May 2023, Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall proposed Bill C-311, which encourages judges to consider physical or emotional harm to a pregnant victim as an aggravating factor during sentencing. Jagmeet Singh called the bill “a veiled attempt” to limit abortion rights through indirect means, as it implies legal recognition of fetuses as children.
The consequences of Dobbs have made clear that the restriction of reproductive rights does not exist in a vacuum. These decisions are reflective of a broader pattern of systemic oppression of women, and patriarchal dominance within our society. Dobbs has only provided the momentum needed to further this oppression. Let us be clear: the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was not about protecting embryos, it was about controlling women and revoking our rights, rights that were won after great struggle over the decades.
When women are denied the right to control their reproductive destinies, they are denied the opportunity to fully participate in society as autonomous equals. However, when women are empowered, societies flourish. When girls are educated, economies prosper. When women have control over their bodies, families thrive.
We must ensure that every woman, regardless of her circumstance or location, has access to comprehensive reproductive health-care and the right to make decisions about her own body. We cannot support policies that disproportionately harm populations and are known to threaten health.
Access to abortion is not just a matter of health; it is a matter of basic human rights. With an election coming in the U.S. in the fall and one in Canada soon to follow, we call on all women to vote for leaders who respect our basic, non-negotiable rights.
