Era of Uncertainty: American Women’s Rights Under Threat

About ten thousand eligible women who can vote in the upcoming November elections were born before women were granted the right to vote. In the past century, American women have made strides in securing their rights, from the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s to the landmark Roe v Wade ruling in the 1970s.

This progress, once seen as irreversible, faced a setback two years ago when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, decentralizing the decision on abortion legality to individual states. The repercussions of this decision have been significant, with approximately one-third of American women aged 15-49 now residing in states where abortion access is severely limited or non-existent.

States like these have introduced strict laws that not only restrict abortion but also create a climate of fear among healthcare providers. Ambiguously worded statutes have left doctors apprehensive about making medical decisions that could either endanger a patient’s life, especially in cases of complicated pregnancies or miscarriages, or potentially lead to legal consequences.