January 22, 2020
Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on the 47th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Ms. Foundation Speaks Out on the 47th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
NEW YORK (January 22, 2020) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion:
“Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Court’s ruling of Roe v. Wade, reproductive freedom and justice are still far from realized. Although 7 in 10 people support the landmark decision today, our bodily autonomy and privacy continue to be attacked.
“While Roe v. Wade provided women with the ability to make critical decisions about their own bodies, this reality is not equally accessible to all. Across the country, people face extreme barriers to accessing abortion as an increasing number of TRAP laws, mandatory waiting periods, and even full-on bans are being put in place. In the first half of 2019 alone, 58 abortion restrictions were enacted in 19 states, including 25 abortion bans. These tactics work to criminalize both patients and providers, and disproportionately affect people of color, rural communities, and poor people.
“No part of the country is safe from these attacks on our constitutional right to an abortion. We have grantee partners on the ground in states like Louisiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Connecticut, and even California, fighting as politicians try to remove our human right to healthcare.
“This coming year poses its own battles. In March, the Supreme Court will hear June Medical Serivces LLC v. Gee, the first abortion case under the conservative majority court. Already, 207 members of Congress, most of whom were men, have signed a letter asking the Supreme Court to use this case as an opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, in Georgia, our grantee partner SisterSong is taking on the recent six-week abortion ban as the named plaintiff in SisterSong v. Kemp.
“To be clear: abortion is healthcare. The Ms. Foundation for Women and our grantee partners are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their race, gender identity, finances, or zip code, can access proper healthcare and have bodily autonomy. Together, we will fight to uphold 50 years of progress to protect and expand our right to choose.”
Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or in-person from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected].
###
The Ms. Foundation for Women transforms our democracy by building women’s collective power. Guided by a gender and racial justice lens, we resource grassroots movements that center women and girls of color, advance feminism in philanthropy, and advocate for policies that improve women’s lives across the country. Since 1973, we’ve opened up worlds of possibility for women and girls. But to finally achieve justice for all, we need you in our fight. Learn more and get involved at ForWomen.org.