Women for Independence stand in solidarity with women and human rights campaigners in the US and across the world, on this day and in the fight going forward.
The Supreme Court’s devastating decision to repeal Roe vs Wade ends almost 50 years of access to safe abortions in the US and rolls back 200 years of women’s and human rights activism. It is expected that at least 26 states will make abortion illegal as soon as possible. In 13 states this is effective immediately, and 40 million women live in states where they can be prosecuted for having an abortion. Many of these states still have the death penalty.
Women now face the choice between unsafe abortions or the implications of a full term, forced birth even when it is life threatening. The Supreme Court judges have blood on their hands. This is catastrophic for women living in poverty, of colour, with disabilities and LGBTQ people, all of whom already face significant, structural health and medical inequality. The US has no universal health care, no right to maternity care, and no paid parental leave – this lack of policy does not reflect a country that values life. The sole aim of this removal of rights is to maintain control over women.
Scotland is not immune to these issues. We have anti-abortion campaigners picketing reproductive health clinics and hospitals, we have a right-wing government at Westminster that has formerly tried to reduce abortion rights, and MPs and MSPs who would support our rights to safe access being removed. It is a common pattern for political developments in the US to occur here within the next 20 years, so we must act now to enshrine our rights.
We welcome the First Minister’s commitment to call an Emergency Summit on abortion access. We support calls to implement protest buffer zones/safe access zones around clinics. We will continue to call for our right to safe abortion to be made truly legal, and for equality of access across Scotland and across pregnancy stages.
If you want to join us in calling for these, our next National Council will focus on abortion rights and takes place on Saturday 9th July in Dumfries.
Abortions are healthcare. Bodily autonomy is a human right.
Women for Independence National Committee