The Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition is outraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This decision defies logic, is out of touch with the reality of the lives of women and families in the U.S., and is far from what the American people believe or practice.
Safe, legal abortion has been common in our health care system – if already not accessible for all – and the court’s action will not make the need for it go away.
This decision is an unprecedented stripping away of rights that have protected and reaffirmed for nearly 50 years. It is a tremendous step backward for women in this country.
According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, 24 states are poised to take action immediately to prohibit abortion, and 12 states have trigger laws that are designed to outlaw abortion immediately under the fall of Roe.
“This scenario will create a patchwork of abortion laws that will differ around the country, making abortion inaccessible for those who don’t have the time, resources, and especially the money needed to access abortion in states where the right is protected. This is expected to not only cause chaos, but to have the most devastating impact on people of color who are already disproportionately harmed by abortion restrictions,” said Issue Specialist Maggie Leigh Groff. Marginalized communities have already faced inequity and discrimination in health care and this will only make access more difficult.
This ruling is a dramatic departure from the previous decisions related to abortion that have relied on the “undue burden” standard – which is based on the notion that a state cannot put up roadblocks that prevent a woman from accessing an abortion. That standard has been decimated in this case, allowing for states to ban abortion completely.
It is important to recognize this difference – under Roe and cases that followed, the court recognized that abortion should be a personal choice, with reasonable restrictions aimed at protecting women’s health – this is no longer the case. This court ruling ignores that principle and turns back the clock on fundamental rights to participate equally and fully in our society.
Access to birth control and abortion has enabled women to participate more equally in our society by allowing people to pursue goals and opportunities that would not be available to them if they were not able to control their own fertility. “Access to abortion is absolutely fundamental to women’s economic self-sufficiency and independence. These are among the primary principles the BCWAC fights for every day. Abortion access has helped fight the discrimination that continues to limit women’s rights in our country,” said Executive Director Ify Aduba. “Personal decision making and control over one’s body is a human right. We believe abortion must be accessible and affordable for us all to be able to create our own path in life and make our own personal health care decisions.”
Groff noted that it is important to emphasize that for the time being, abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania. Nothing has changed that until the state Legislature acts to further restrict access to abortion. Although many members of the Pa. Legislature have made it clear that certainly will try to further restrict or even to ban abortion, the outcome of the 2022 elections will determine how this plays out moving forward.
The BCWAC is a nonpartisan coalition of Bucks County individuals and nonprofit organizations that serve women and families. The BCWAC educates and advocates to promote gender equity and economic security for all. More than 300 individuals and 49 organizations speak with one voice about systemic public and private reforms needed to foster economic security for Bucks County women and their families.
To learn more about the work of the BCWAC, visit bcwac.org.
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