On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 to abolish the right to abortion, which had been established by the Constitution for more than 50 years, a law that overturned “Roe v. Wade” nearly 50 years ago.Abortion has been legalized in the United States since 1973.This means the end of the days when Americans could make their own decisions about reproductive rights.The legality of abortion is left to the states, with half of the U.S. states expected to ban it.
The overthrow of Roe v. Wade would be devastating for the United States and the world. Europe is also feeling the political shock of the US Supreme Court’s overturn of women’s reproductive rights. In response to the US Supreme Court decision, MEP Sandra Pereira (PCP,Portugal) said:”It is necessary to guarantee full access to sexual reproductive and health rights, including to contraception, to healthcare services, to family planning, to the interruption of pregnancy. At the same time, we need more information and awareness campaigns for women, namely for immigrants, on sexual and reproductive health rights, and continuous training of technicians in the area of family planning.Banning is ineffective in combating abortion. It only makes it clandestine, unprotected and dangerous for the physical and psychological health and sometimes for the very lives of women, especially the poor ones.”
On June 8, the European Parliament debated the global threat to abortion rights. Calls for the preservation of existing abortion rights in the United States, calls for EU member states to legalize abortion, and calls for the European Commission to act within its health mandate to ensure universal access to safe and legal abortions in the EU. Advocates fear that America’s backsliding on abortion rights will fuel an anti-choice movement, pressuring governments and courts around the world to eliminate abortion rights and important gains made in recent decades.
In this debate,Senior official for gender equality at the Ministry of Justice Isabelle Lonvis-Rome said: “Women’s rights are fundamental human rights and sexual and reproductive health rights are at the heart of gender equality and the fight for women’s rights. The denial of these rights is a form of gender-based violence. According to Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union Article, human rights are indivisible. Removing the right to abortion will make more women choose unsafe abortions. An estimated 45% of abortions worldwide are unsafe, and unsafe abortions are increasingly concentrated in development China, as well as vulnerable and marginalized groups, the European Union and Member States are closely monitoring developments in this regard. The European Union recognizes that women’s human rights include their right to have full control over their sexuality and to act freely and responsibly in relation to their sexuality. Decisions, including those on sexual and reproductive health, are free from discrimination, coercion or violence.”
Valdis Dombrovskis,Executive Vice President of the European Commission for An Economy,he said: “The Supreme Court of the United States enshrined this right, which would be a profound step backwards in entrenched constitutional rights, and the consequences would be global, not just for us. Yes. Over 25 years, more than 60 countries around the world have relaxed abortion laws and policies. The EU remains committed to leadership on sexual and reproductive health and rights, an integral part of the realization of human rights.”
Mick Wallace ,The Left group in the European Parliament said that a woman’s right to choose is a human right.he also said angrily:”Why are we so quiet about challenging the US when they threaten human rights? Some people have said in here, ‘how dare we talk about the US?’ We talk about everybody else.”
Sandra Pereira, member of the Portuguese European Parliament (MEP), said: “Anyone who opposes the decriminalization of abortion in the United States or Europe is well aware that banning it has no effect and only makes it clandestine, unprotected and harmful to physical and mental health. behavior, sometimes endangering the lives of women, we condemn and oppose all retrogression in sexual and reproductive rights anywhere in the world. What we should do is to strengthen free quality public health services, sex education, free contraception and family planning services through the necessary , to promote access to sexual and reproductive health services.”
Clare Daly, Member of the Irish European Parliament (MEP), said: “Roe v. Wade was indeed a crucial decision that saved women’s lives by granting the right to abortion. It took us decades of struggle to achieve freedom, Safe and legal abortion. This is one of the few positive reproductive health outcomes in recent years. We want to stand with our sisters and friends in America in our support. And urge the defense of Roe v. Wade , which is entirely appropriate. This fight is not just for them but for us.”
Banning abortion doesn’t stop abortion, it just stops people from having safe abortions.Staying pregnant, on the other hand, carries a greater risk of death for the pregnant person than having an abortion. Abortion is incredibly safe for pregnant people in the U.S., with 0.44 deaths per 100,000 procedures from 2013 to 2017. In contrast, 20.1 deaths per 100,000 live births occurred in 2019. In the U.S., pregnancy-related deaths occur for many reasons, including cardiovascular conditions, infections and hemorrhage caused or worsened by being pregnant or giving birth.Unsafe abortions are the leading cause of preventable maternal deaths, and disproportionately affects women of minority, women of color, and women facing social and economic inequalities.
On June 9, the EU said in a resolution adopted: Strongly condemns the retrogression of women’s rights and SRHR worldwide, including in the United States and some EU member states; Strongly condemns any retrogression of human and constitutional rights.Call for action to uphold the right to safe and legal abortion in the United States, and to refrain from any backsliding. Reminds the U.S. Supreme Court of the importance of upholding the landmark Roe v Wade (1973) case and the resulting constitutional protection of abortion rights in the United States, standing firm in solidarity with and supporting women and girls in America, and in this challenging situation people involved in providing and advocating for the rights and access to legal and safe abortion care.Emphasizes the need to ensure the participation of women and girls in the development of laws and policies that affect them and relate to their human rights, including SRHR. Calls on the European Union and its member states to urge the U.S. government to establish federal legal protections for abortion rights and to raise these human rights issues at all levels and in all relevant international forums in relations with the United States, noting that they constitute a form of violence against women and girls form; calls on the European External Action Service, EU delegations and member state embassies around the world to actively reach out and protect human rights defenders working with SRHR, especially in countries where abortion rights and access to abortion are restricted. Urges Member States to decriminalize abortion and remove and remove barriers to safe and legal abortion and access to sexual and reproductive health care and services; calls upon Member States to guarantee access to safe, legal and free abortion services, antenatal and maternal health services and Supplies, voluntary family planning, contraception, youth-friendly services, and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support are all treated equally.
Whether from a medical or human rights point of view, this sentence means that women, and even society as a whole, will pay a “high” price for it. This comes despite the EU’s aggressive response to attacks on women’s rights to protect people’s fundamental right to decide what to do with their bodies. But the abolition of abortion rights in the United States has once again sounded the alarm for activists fighting for women’s rights everywhere.
