January 22: celebrating Roe v Wade,
the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the USALegalization
of abortion has dramatically improved women's health. Abortion moved from the
back alleys to safe professional clinics. As more doctors began to openly provide
it, share their expertise, and work to develop better procedures, abortion became
even safer. In the early 1900's, an estimated 800,000 illegal abortions
occurred annually, resulting in 8,000-17,000 women's deaths each year. Today,
abortion is the most commonly requested outpatient surgical procedure and it is
8 to 10 times safer than giving birth... 43% of American will have at least one
abortion by age 45. On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, it is imperative
that pro-choice Americans send the message
to Congress and the White House that we will not go back to the days of illegal
abortion. We will never again allow women's lives to be sacrificed in the name
of politics. We strive to ensure that all women are granted equal access to safe
abortion care, regardless of their socioeconomic, cultural or religious backgrounds. The
following websites have detailed information about the U.S. Supreme Court and
efforts to preserve Roe v Wade.  Roe v Wade
- the complete text of the Supreme Court's decision. Understanding
Roe and your right to privacy from the Center
for Reproductive Law and Policy.
Roe
v Wade - Then and Now - New article in January 2003 from the Center for Reproductive
Law and Policy. Governor Gary Locke's remarks on the 30th Anniversary
of Roe v Wade in 2003. The
Supreme Court and Women's Rights: Fundamental Protections Hanging in the Balance.
Published in Sept 2000 by the National Women's Law Center. It explores the numerous
Supreme Court decisions affecting women's rights.
Seattle
City Council Proclamation on the 28th Anniversary of Roe... "Roe v. Wade
is a pillar of social justice and gender equity."
Concentric Media's documentary trilogy
by Dorothy Fadiman tells the whole story "from the back alleys to the Supreme
Court and beyond." Dramatic stories about the fight to make abortion legal
and what happened afterward. Jane is a documentary film that tells the story of an underground
safe abortion network operating in Chicago in the years before Roe v Wade.
"We're
talking about freedom, and you can't take a picture of freedom."
Feminist Women's Health Center |
