On, June 24, 2022, the U.S Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, overturned one of the most important Supreme Court decisions protecting women’s rights – the right to autonomy with respect to our bodies.
In the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the Supreme Court ruled that Roe v. Wade (and, along with it Casey v. Planned Parenthood) had been wrongly decided. We have known since May 2021, when the Court chose to take up the case, that this was coming. But nonetheless, the ruling is devastating for women and girls.
In May 2022, when the Supreme Court draft opinion signaling this outcome was leaked, WDI USA wrote that “Roe is likely dead and, again, women are grieving and we grieve with our sisters. But we will never stop fighting for women’s complete reproductive integrity, including the right to abortion on demand, without apology.” We stand by that statement today.
We also clarified our position on Article 3 of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, which states: “States should ensure that the full reproductive rights of women and girls, and unhindered access to comprehensive reproductive services, are upheld.”
As we noted then: “Women will always seek and obtain abortions. The only question is whether those abortions will be legal. Some brave medical providers will continue to provide safe but illegal abortions. But most illegal abortions will be unsafe, and countless women will die, especially poor women, especially women of color. The Supreme Court knows this.”
WDI USA leadership plans to spend the next couple of days carefully reviewing the entire opinion, and we plan to provide a more thorough analysis in the coming days. For now, we state unequivocally that we stand firmly with all women and girls who seek abortions and on the side of women’s and girls’ right to exercise our reproductive liberty.
Feminists fight for women and girls. We fight for women’s liberation. This ruling will not stop us.
On June 30, 2022, WDI USA will be hosting a webinar called “WDI USA Living the Declaration Article 3: Reaffirming the rights of women and girls to physical and reproductive integrity,” where we will be discussing this topic. Please join us (register here).
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