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Roe vs. Wade-A Woman's Right

© Gretchen Malik

Q: What event has shaped women's rights? A: Roe v. Wade.

In the '60s and '70s, women were "finding their voice" and gaining the right to decide what they did with their own minds and bodies. Now that George W. Bush is in the office, and has already vetoed funds for women in third countries to get abortions, are we looking at a loss of our gains for women's health and reproductive rights? I doubt it. I am a woman, a parent, a writer, a wife, but most important, a concerned citizen of the world. My mother was a product of the many major social changes that swept through the '60s and '70s and brought women some of the same rights as men. Even though I was only a child, those sweeping changes gave me a chance to understand what was ahead for me and to decide when and if I wanted a family. As a child, I spent many hours listening to other woman say how they had worked hard to get where they were. As women, we have been given not only more civil rights, but also more reproductive health rights. If George W. takes these rights away, will this mean an erosion of our gains? Will we have to start from the beginning again?

As you know, women led a struggle for decades to obtain legal, effective contraception. Many advocates of a woman's right to choose led a similar struggle, and Roe v. Wade assured that right. Numerous groups were active in bringing RU-486 to our shores. Still others have worked to bring family planning services or products to those women around the world and in the U.S. who had limited access or resources.

Today, women have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, have their doctors prescribe contraceptives or chose to terminate a pregnancy. Our long distance sisters in underdeveloped countries talk about how they suffered long-term consequences because they did not have access in the U.S. to safe contraceptives or abortions while we, in developed countries have become accustomed to having rights, resources, and options. We cannot go back to the past.

So, what can we do to stop this threatened reversal of our rights? Support legislators, agencies, and organizations that are working to ensure women's rights in family planning counseling and services. Support medical clinics and encourage funding of research groups that focus on women's health issues. And, most importantly, help our healthcare providers work to ensure that women's health is a priority in the new administration.