On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Feminists Must Commit to Protecting Reproductive Rights

Send,

Print or

Share/Save this page | Shop Amazon

On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Feminists Must Commit to Protecting Reproductive Rights

January 22, 2004

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy

Women's rights advocates, including (behind sign, from left) NOW Membership Vice President Terry O'Neill, NOW Executive Vice President Karen Johnson, and NOW President Kim Gandy, gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court on Jan. 22 to commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Photo by Lisa Bennett.

On this day, the 31st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, women and men across the United States are honoring one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in our history. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court recognized that the right to choose abortion is protected by the U.S. Constitution. The acknowledgment of this right has allowed women to plan their families, although the full range of reproductive health care is not accessible to many women.

Conservative forces have been chipping away at the rights guaranteed in Roe v. Wade for more than two decades. The most vulnerable women among us—young women, poor women, rural women—have suffered the brunt of these attacks. During the last three years, the war against women's reproductive freedom has been stepped up dramatically. George W. Bush and the right-wing led Congress are literally signing away women's reproductive rights. When Bush signed the so-called "Partial-Birth" Abortion Ban into law on November 5, he was surrounded by a group of smiling men—men who will never know what it means to be pregnant. On that day, Bush confirmed that his administration and Congress have both the power and the will to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Feminist activists participated in the Jan. 22 candlelight vigil at the U.S. Supreme Court. Photo by Lisa Bennett.

Stacking the U.S. courts with ultra-conservative judges is another tactic this administration is using to ultimately deny women reproductive freedom. Just last week, while Congress was in recess, Bush installed Charles Pickering—an enemy of reproductive rights and civil rights—on the federal appeals court. Pickering had been rejected once by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but that didn't stop the President from sneaking him onto the bench. As the courts become dominated by right-wing ideologues, women could lose what's left of their reproductive rights for decades.

We are prepared to protect our right to abortion, birth control and all reproductive health services, as well as our right to have children and plan our own families without government interference. We will not allow Bush and his cronies to continue trampling on women's reproductive freedom and self-determination.

NOW applauds Senator Barbara Boxer for making a positive move today by introducing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). If passed and signed into law, FOCA would codify a woman's right to abortion and strike down a host of federal and state restrictions. With so many powerful men hostile to women's rights, FOCA has the potential to protect women's lives, health, liberty and privacy.

On April 25, hundreds of thousands of women's rights supporters will come to Washington, D.C., for the March for Women's Lives. This event will demonstrate the overwhelming support for reproductive rights and our determination to make our voices heard. On that day we will stand up and demand safe, legal and accessible abortion and reproductive health services for all.

###

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mai Shiozaki, 202-628-8669, ext. 116; cell 202-641-1906

Send, Print or this page