Global Access to Abortion and impact of Roe vs. Wade

Gender 305 Gender and International Human Rights

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the United States, the topic of abortion has been present in the minds of many in North America. There has been access to safe abortions for many years and now woman have to worry that their right to safe and legal abortions could be

taken away at any given time. Banning access to to safe and legal abortions does not mean that

they are not happening, they are simply occurring under extremely dangerous conditions and

may be fatal. Sexual and reproductive rights differ greatly among countries which affect the

safety of women in countries where these services are unavailable or illegal. Should the United

Nations / International law bodies establish sanctions to ensure the accessibility of sexual and

reproductive services across the globe as a way to promote the safety of women? Throughout

this podcast we will attempt to explore the complexities of sexual and reproductive rights across

the globe through the lens of international human rights and gender. Along with these theories, to better understand the discrepancies among these rights in different countries, we explore the role that religion plays in various countries around the world. As a group, we discuss sexual and reproductive rights with a focus on access to abortion through an international lens while assessing whether or not these rights will ever become universally adopted across the globe. In addition to this, we will discuss the challenges that may prohibit abortion and other sexual and reproductive rights from being adopted in a variety of different countries. Some of these challenges include religion, political stance, medical accessibility, and much more. There are many places around the world where women do not have equal rights to education and occupation formally and far too many countries where women experience vast amounts of discrimination simply due to their gender. Sexual and reproductive rights are just as important to the safety and wellbeing of women as the right to education as access to these rights greatly alters the way in which women live their lives. Although women in some countries have been granted access to legal and safe abortions (primarily wealthy countries), there are far too many countries that heavily restrict access to these services or completely prohibit them. We have chosen to explore sexual and reproductive rights through a gendered, and international perspective to assess the discrepancies of sexual and reproductive rights around the world. A woman living in Canada is no more valuable and deserves no more rights than a woman living in

the Dominican Republic, for example, where abortions are completely prohibited. It is through

international human rights that women around the world may be granted the same sexual and

reproductive freedoms which is why exploring this topic through a gendered and international

lens will provide insight as to how this possibility may be put into action.

References:

Influencing SRHR Law Across Borders - Center for Reproductive Rights

Roe v. Wade and the Right to Abortion - National Women's Law Center

International Human Rights and Abortion: Spotlight on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health

The United Nations Declares Abortion a Human Right

Access to Abortion is a Human Right. (2022, June 24). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved October

1, 2022, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/06/24/qa-access-abortion-human-right

MacKinnon, C. A. (2006). Are women human? : and other international dialogues. Belknap

Press of Harvard University Press.

UN Women. (2022, June 24). Reproductive rights are women’s rights and human rights.

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2022/06/statement-reproductive-rig

hts-are-womens-rights-and-human-rights

United Nations. (2014). Reproductive Rights are Human Rights. OCHR.

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/NHRIHandbook.pdf