The end of constitutional protections for abortions in the United States on Friday emboldened abortion opponents around the world, while advocates for abortion rights worried it could threaten recent moves toward legalization in their countries.
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The US Supreme Court's overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision "shows that these types of rights are always at risk of being steamrolled," said Ruth Zurbriggen, an Argentinian activist and member of the Companion Network of Latin America and the Caribbean, a group favoring abortion rights.
But in El Salvador, anti-abortion campaigner Sara Larín expressed hope the ruling will bolster campaigns against the procedure around the globe.
"I trust that with this ruling it will be possible to abolish abortion in the United States and throughout the world," said Larín, president of Fundación Vida SV.
In Kenya, Phonsina Archane watched news of Friday's ruling and said she froze for a while in a state of panic.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has taken away our right to abortion and overturned Roe v. Wade, opening the floodgates for states across the country to ban abortion.
The court has failed us all — but this is far from over. ⤵
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) June 24, 2022
"This is being done in America, which should be an example when it comes to the women's rights movement," said Archane, an activist for abortion rights. "If this is happening in America, what about me here in Africa? It's a very, very sad day."
She worried the ruling will embolden abortion opponents across Africa who have charged into reproductive health clinics or threatened attacks. "There is no safe place on the continent," she said.
The decision, which leaves it up to lawmakers in individual US state to decide whether to allow or ban abortions, lit up social media across Argentina, where a law that legalized elective abortion up to the 14th week of gestation took effect in January 2021 after years of debate.
Anti-abortion activists cheered the ruling, with legislator Amalia Granata tweeting: "There is justice again in the world. We are going to achieve this in Argentina too!!"
At the Vatican, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, joined US bishops in saying it is a time for reflection, healing wounds and civil dialogue.
"The fact that a large country with a long democratic tradition has changed its position on this issue also challenges the whole world." the academy said.
Colombia, which became in February the latest Latin American country to expand access to abortion, also will not be affected by the ruling, said Catalina Martínez Coral, director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Center for Reproductive Rights.
"We will not go back and we will not back down": Planned Parenthood president and CEO responds to Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, adding, "every single person who is running for anything is going to eat this decision for breakfast." https://t.co/EqNTvRMLLd pic.twitter.com/f8McPR4L67
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 24, 2022
Ahead of US President Joe Biden's trip overseas, the heads of at least two Group of Seven members called the decision "horrific."
"No government, politician or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, adding that he "can't imagine the fear and anger" women in the US must be experiencing in the wake of the ruling.
The French Foreign Ministry urged US federal authorities "to do everything possible" to ensure American women have continued access to abortions, calling it a "health and survival issue." France's president, Emmanuel Macron, added in a tweet that "abortion is a fundamental right of all women."
New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said: "Watching the removal of a woman's fundamental right to make decisions over their own body is incredibly upsetting. Here in New Zealand we recently legislated to decriminalize abortion and treat it as a health rather than a criminal issue.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said on Twitter that he was "concerned and disappointed" by the ruling. saying it reduces both "women's rights and access to health care."
The UN agency dealing with sexual and reproductive health said that whether or not abortion is legal "it happens all too often" and global data shows that restricting access makes abortion more deadly.
The United Nations Population Fund issued a statement following the Supreme Court's decision noting that its 2022 report said that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended and over 60% of those pregnancies may end in abortion.
"A staggering 45% of all abortions around the world are unsafe, making this a leading cause of maternal death," the agency said.
It said almost all unsafe abortions occur in developing countries, and it fears that "more unsafe abortions will occur around the world if access to abortion becomes more restricted."
Celebrities also panned the Supreme Court's decision.
"They did it. THEY DID IT TO US! #SCOTUS has overturned #RoevWade, enshrined in the Constitution as settled law for over 50 years. How dare they? This #SCOTUS is absolutely tone-deaf to the will and even the actual needs of the American people.," Bette Midler tweeted.
"This Supreme Court is an absolute disaster. From giving people the right to carry guns to taking away Women's rights of autonomy over their own bodies. We weren't being reactive, we saw it coming," Patricia Arquette tweeted.
It's the best Supreme Court the 19th Century has yet produced.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 24, 2022
"I'm absolutely terrified that this is where we are - that after so many decades of people fighting for women's rights to their own bodies, today's decision has stripped us of that," Taylor Swift tweeted.
"It's very hard to be told by your country that your life that you're actually living is not as important as some dividing cells," Elizabeth Banks said on Instagram.
"This is a dark day in American history. The Supreme Court destroyed women's right to choose. The result will shatter women's lives, make children & families poorer, increase the financial burden on men & erode the American economy. This is a terrible tragedy for all of us," Aisha Tyler tweeted.
"Gutted. Now more than ever we have to use our voice and power! WE the people," Viola Davis tweeted.
"Not too long ago, this would have been dystopian sci-fi. But the legacy of the 2016 election and the indelible mark of the GOP is printed here in black and white. How much farther this will go once again depends on American voters. Blame extremism or apathy, but this is America," Seth MacFarlane tweeted.
"Today is hard, but we are not done here because in this country the conversation and fight for our civil rights will always continue. Equality for all, not just for some. Stand together with those who need our help most right now," Cyndi Lauper tweeted.
"What a sad day for this country. Guns for everybody and no reproductive rights. Twisted. Twisted," Andy Cohen tweeted.
"Today's Supreme Court ruling overturning #RoeVsWade will have deadly consequences, with the harm falling hardest on people of color who already face disproportionate discrimination in our country and grapple with a severe maternal mortality crisis," Alyssa Milano tweeted.
"I wish more people understood that the decision to have an abortion is deeply personal and complex. It's a decision that should be treated with compassion and empathy, not vilified or criminalized," tweeted Padma Lakshmitweeted.
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