In 1973, Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179 expanded women’s rights when the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S. However, in 2022, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 U.S. ___ (2022) saw the Supreme Court overrule both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, determining that the Constitution of the United States does not confer any right to abortion returning abortion regulation to the states. It’s just one of the many rights being compromised that are concerning women this International Women’s Day.
Women have come a long way throughout history, from the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote (which was taken away in 1777) to the passing of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) in 1974 that opened the door for women to get their own credit cards in their own name, and to the establishment of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program. Although we have seen setbacks in the past, the most recent setback at the constitutional level should still give U.S. society some pause.
Everyone should be using today as a reminder to take action by voicing their opinion and learning about the history of the women’s rights movement to protect everyone's rights. International Women’s Day was established to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity. IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere, and focuses on inclusion, especially for this year’s theme.
Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist, and activist, once explained, "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights." What affects women today affects all genders as well, and without the assurance that women hold equal access to the law and enjoy the same rights and freedoms as their male counterparts, no one can assure their own liberty and freedom.
These years of celebrating International Women’s Day following the recent diminishing of rights for women’s bodily autonomy are some of the most important days of observance for the United States as it serves as a critical warning and a litmus test for the shift in global politics. It reveals a widespread obsession with a more socially conservative agenda in one of the most politically influential countries in the world. However, other nations have expressed concern and have used International Women’s Day to freeze this trend in its place.
France has inscribed the guaranteed right to abortion in its constitution in a world-first and powerful message of support to women around the globe on International Women's Day. French legislators approved the constitutional amendment on Monday in a 780-72 vote backed by many far-right lawmakers. President Emmanuel Macron said the move was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 rescinding long-held abortion rights. You see, while abortion is a deeply divisive issue in the United States, it’s legal in nearly all of Europe and overwhelmingly supported in France, where it’s seen more as a question of public health rather than politics.
Macron has called for other countries to follow suit and proposed including the right to abortion in the European Union’s charter. Since 2021, abortion has no longer been a federal crime in Mexico, and many other countries have decriminalized or legalized abortion as well. These countries recognize that abortion bans will result in more women dying. Restrictions on access to healthcare place women's lives and health at risk, leading to increased maternal mortality and morbidity, a climate of fear among healthcare providers, and reduced access to all forms of care, making it a human health issue, and more people need to be aware of this.
This International Women’s Day, I urge people of all genders to speak out, help raise awareness, support campaigns that champion women’s rights, tackle stereotypes about gender roles, and help educate others. Together, we can improve women’s rights and push for equality for all.