Today is the first anniversary of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization v. Dobbs decision, which undid decades of reproductive rights & privacy protections provided under Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
This decision has been devastating to reproductive healthcare in this country. In just one year and despite consistent public opinion in support of legal abortion, abortion is banned in 13 states, according to the Guttmacher Institute. States have made efforts to restrict the availability of mifepristone, passed laws that ban people’s ability to travel for abortion care, and threatened jail time for physicians that provide abortions. These laws and limits have deeply impacted reproductive healthcare in this country, forcing clinics to close and leaving many communities without access to basic medical care.
Luckily, some states and communities have stepped up and protected abortion access. In the year since the Dobbs decision, at least 15 municipal and six state governments have allocated nearly $208 million to pay for contraception, abortion and support services for people seeking abortions, according to data provided to NPR by the National Institute for Reproductive Health.
We know that Roe and its protections were never enough. The ability to choose when, and if, to have a child is a profound choice with lasting consequences that every person should be able to make for themselves. Studies show that abortion access impacts financial security, earning potential, labor force participation, career opportunities, and educational attainment of those seeking abortions. For example:
- Legal access to abortion increases women’s probability of graduating college by 72%. The effect was even larger for Black women, whose chances of completing college increased two- or three-fold.
- Delaying motherhood by one year due to access to legal abortion increases women’s wages by 11%.
- Abortion legalization also reduced Black maternal mortality by 30 to 40% by increasing access to safe and affordable procedures.
- Legal abortion access also decreases the percentage of children who grow up in poverty.
With our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women guiding us, YWCA National Capital Area remains committed to equitable reproductive rights and calls on you to show your support for abortion access for all. Here are some ways to make your voice heard:
- Call on Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) of 2023, which would create a statutory right for healthcare providers to perform abortion care and for patients to receive abortion care — free from any bans and restrictions that impede access.
- Make your voice heard on the local level. Women’s March are hosting rallies and gatherings today across the country. Find a local action here.
- Donate to your local abortion funds. Learn more at https://abortionfunds.org/
- Abortion remains legal in Virginia, Maryland and DC. If you are in need of reproductive healthcare, Planned Parenthood is a good place to start.