As Roe v. Wade and I turn 40, we get closer to middle age. A little wiser and more battle-worn than we were at 16. We know more than we did then about how and why abortion must remain safe and legal.
Last week, the Texas Health And Human Services Commission disabled the problem-riddled online provider search function on its Texas Women's Health Program website, which has, for months, directed low-income women seeking pap smears to call endoscopy clinics and pediatric offices.
Roe also acknowledges a related fact: until its passage women’s bodies, legally speaking, functioned like production facilities, holding tanks, regulated environments, the property of the men who impregnated them.
The death from gang rape of a 23-year-old student has turned a spotlight on India’s gender norms. In response, Human Rights Watch has come out with a series of policy recommendations for India. But without effective enforcement, these laws won't even move the needle on acts of violence against women.
Nebraska wants to make sure women seeking abortions have easily accessible, unbiased information to look at. Unfortunately, the info they will offer isn't.
However a person feels about abortion, it’s not their place to make that personal decision for someone else. And it’s certainly not the place of our elected officials.
On this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we honor and celebrate US women’s legal right to abortion, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that abortion is accessible to women everywhere, and that the promise of the decision is a reality for all of us.
