What does US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn ‘Roe v Wade’ mean for the society?.
The US Supreme court has overturned its decision made in landmark Roe v. Wade judgment. The court in 1973 had struck down state-level abortion limits on a foetus before it is viable to survive outside the womb, which is considered to be the 24-28 week mark.
Implications of overturning judgment
- The U.S. joined three other countries — El Salvador, Nicaragua and Poland — that have rolled back abortion rights since 1994.
- Years of research has shown that abortion bans severely impact people of marginalised groups who already struggle to access health care, including abortion.
- The UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that a staggering 45% of all abortions around the world are unsafe, making the procedure a leading cause of maternal death.
- The UNFPA said that it feared that more unsafe abortions will occur around the world if access becomes more restricted.
- Thirteen states have ‘trigger bans’ in place which means abortions are banned under most circumstances and come fully into effect with the overturning of Roe.
- Women who seek an abortion will have to travel to states where it is legal, making it an expensive proposition, not available to all.
Thus, access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality, a public health issue, and must be seen as a crucial element in the contemporary debates on democracy that seeks to provide the just society that abhors all sort of discrimination.
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