Roe v. Wade has been in the headlines recently. With a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, overturning this landmark case can have serious repercussions for abortion rights. Currently, it is estimated that 1 in 4 American women will have an abortion by the age of 45 and overturning Roe v. Wade can have a drastic impact on women in the US.

Speakers

  • Lisa Matsubara, general counsel for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
  • Jessica Pinckney, Executive Director of Access Reproductive Justice
  • Jodi Hicks, CEO and President for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California

The 1973 SCOTUS decision on Roe v. Wade ruled that the Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to abortion. Advocates from Planned Parenthood and Access Reproductive Justice highlight the impact overturning this decision may have, especially for women of color.

With 26 states considering abortion rights restrictions, more than 36 million women, nearly half of the women in the United States of reproductive age (18-49), are poised to lose abortion access.

Last year, 106 abortion restrictions passed across 26 states and more than 180 bills promoting restrictions on abortions have been interested across 37 states, in 2022.

Justice advocates share their concerns with the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Lisa Matsubara points out that the Supreme Court has been positioned against abortion rights under the Trump administration. “In the four years of the Trump administration, the Senate led by Mitch McConnell confirmed 231 federal judges overwhelmingly white and male. Many of them also hold extremist and hostile views on abortion and access to reproductive health.”

Jessica Pinkney shares that there are over 80 abortion funds across the United States. The Access Reproductive Justice organization also has a support hotline for women seeking support for abortions. “The majority of callers are in their 20s, report being low income or having no income at all…” This problem is not concentrated to certain ethnic groups in America. According to Pinkney, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, about five million Black women, 5.7 million Latinos, over one million Asians, and about 340,000 Native Americans will lose access to abortion services.

Jodi Hicks shares a dire warning of the impact on future generations if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Hicks emphasizes that the culture of people is measured by how women and minority communities are treated. With states taking actions to potentially criminalize pregnant women, Hicks shares this eye-opening message, depicting her worry for the future, “I worry that for an entire generation, our entire values ​​and culture are going to be much different; that I’m leaving something to my daughter much different than what I grew up with.”