The United States Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe vs. Wade thus stripping away women's constitutional protections for abortion could set back women's rights decades, which is unacceptable.
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For years, women's organizations have fought for the right to vote and be elected, for equal pay, equal opportunities and also for the right to choose whether to continue an unwanted pregnancy. When Row vs. Wade was pronounced in 1973, it was precedent-setting and life-changing for millions of women.
The ruling hardly allowed indiscriminate termination. On the contrary. It set clear guidelines under which an abortion could be obtained: in the first trimester of pregnancy without state intervention, for the second trimester, the various states were allowed to enact reasonable laws on the subject taking into account the woman's health, and in the third trimester of pregnancy, states were allowed to ban abortions. All this was meant to protect women's life and physical and mental health.
Ensuring abortion rights sough to first and foremost young women and girls who clearly could not care for a child. Overturning the ruling essentially forces a girl who was raped to deliver a baby whose father was a rapist. The same goes for pregnancies from incest, as well as for pregnancies that are the result of causal sex.
Studies show that most this move will impact mostly Hispanic or African-American girls, who are already among the weakest in society. The gaps that already exist will grow wider and the demagogic, conservative argument that life begins in the moment of conception utterly ignores women's right to free will.
Donald Trump's term in the White House and appointments of conservative justices to the US Supreme Court have paved the way for this shameful decision, which could have far-reaching implications outside the US, as well.
There are those in Israel who also seek to ban abortions. They talk about the sanctity of life and halachic prohibition. We'll hardly be surprised if this issue gets thrown into the election rhetoric pushing for making the High Court of Justice conservative and subjecting the judicial nomination process to the Knesset. After all, we are very good at wanting to be like the United States.
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