ROE V WADE

Roe v Wade

The question of equality had always been an important part of society’s history, whether it is in relation to the skin color or the gender of the person. Women, through time, were always considered weak and less incapable than men, meaning that the society was and still is patriarchal. Decades of revolts and campaigns were hold for the obtention of equal rights: from the right to vote to the right to own a bank account, many accomplishments were made. Today I am going to present to you the law Roe V Wade and how the decision of June 24 changed the life of thousand of women in the US.

1 what is Roe V Wade and its origin

So first, what is Roe v Wade?

Roe v Wade is a landmark decision of the US supreme court, which conferred the right to have an abortion. The initiator of the case was Norma McCorvey, also known as “jane roe”.

She was pregnant with her third child in 1969 but she didn't plan to keep it. The problem was that she lived in Texas and an abortion is illegal there unless the mother’s health is danger. So, with her lawyers Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, they filled a lawsuit in March 1970 against Texas’ representative at the time, Henry Wade, accusing the law banning abortion for being unconstitutional.  Unfortunately, Roe lost the case. But her lawyers appealed, basing their arguments on the vagueness of the anti-abortion laws and the contradiction with several amendments and then followed many debates. On January 22nd 1973, a decision was given, with a majority of 7 in favour of Roe to 2.

The American public opinion was and still is divided between the "pro-life” and the "pro-choice" who defend the right of a woman to choose.

2 the annulment of June 24, 2022 and its origin

Nevertheless, the law was revoked by the court on June 24 this year.

Indeed, in 2021, Mississippi wanted to restrict abortion for its own state but had to ask the court to overturn the final decision in Roe v Wade, meaning to change all the decisions made on abortion over the last fifty years. Thousands of people, including members of Congress, doctors, nurses, and celebrities, have filed memoires to dismiss the request.

However, on June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion before 12 weeks. Mississippi won the Roe v Wade by the vote 6-3 and cancelled Roe V Wade. Now, States are free to specify abortion policies.

3 the consequences

Here we have a map of the United States and their decision on the matter.

In total, more than 20 states are taking steps to limit access to abortion. Some intend to ban abortion from the moment of conception, while others introduce bans at six weeks or more. All states agreed on an abortion if the mother will die. If they are victims of rape or incest, only a few states allow them to have an abortion.

The consequences of this decision are already present, endangering several women but also little girls: for instance, a 10-year-old in Ohio was raped and the state told her to consider this as an opportunity. She had to do the procedure in Indiana. Another 16-year-old girl was refused to have an abortion in Florida because she was said to be “too immature to decide whether she wants to keep the child or not” but was mature enough to “be a mother”.

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