Abortion rights advocates protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court. CREDIT: Jon Garr for Fòs Feminista
What once was a day of triumph now serves as a bitter reminder.
New York, NY — Since 1973, the date of January 22 has marked a crucial victory for the feminist movement in the United States that sparked change across the globe: the decision of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. Nearly 50 years later, the Court’s decision to overturn Roe in the summer of 2022 tarnished the U.S.’ reputation on the world stage and changed the meaning of this day. Instead of celebrating the decades of painstaking effort by feminists to codify reproductive rights and increase access to care, today we mourn in solidarity with people in the United States, whose government is now one of a handful to revoke access to abortion after once granting it.
Though it held no legal standing beyond U.S. borders, Roe inspired feminist movements worldwide to demand the right to bodily autonomy. Over 60 countries expanded access to abortion in Roe’s wake.
Without the protection of Roe in the U.S., today is no longer a day of celebration. Now we mark a day of mourning and a moment for the global feminist movement to recommit to the ongoing fight for abortion access in solidarity with U.S. feminists. In recognition, Fòs Feminista Chief Executive Officer Giselle Carino released the following statement:
“Today, feminists across the globe mourn in solidarity with those in the U.S. We mourn the loss of this day’s meaning — the celebration of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade becoming the law of the land. What once was a day of triumph is now a bitter reminder of a loss suffered due to the U.S. government’s failure to sufficiently protect abortion access by law over the past 50 years.
“While this current struggle is unique to the American people, feminists worldwide know all too well the fight to regain and expand abortion access. We understand what it takes to win those fights and reclaim our rights. We’ve learned from our experience and eagerly share knowledge and experience globally. We know the power of locking arms in unwavering solidarity across borders and oceans to fight for reproductive justice. The global feminist movement will not stand down from this latest assault on reproductive justice, and we will never lose hope that this, too, is a fight we will win.
“In this moment we demand meaningful action from the U.S. Congress. We call on American leaders to follow the courageous lead of the people of California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, and Vermont who took action by voting to protect abortion rights in their states, and the leadership of their colleagues in Puerto Rico who pushed back against several anti-abortion bills to protect their people. We hold up these voters and leaders, along with feminists in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Sierra Leone, Benin, Ireland, and elsewhere, as examples of what it looks like to overcome the obstacle of oppressive restrictions to bodily autonomy.
“We lend every ounce of our hearts, courage, and determination to activists in the U.S. who have bravely continued their struggle without hesitation. We join their struggle and will not stop fighting until we achieve reproductive justice and equality for everybody everywhere.”
Fòs Feminista is an international feminist alliance centered around sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Together with more than 220 organizations in 40 countries worldwide, we engage in healthcare, education, and advocacy to advance our agenda. This includes providing sexual and reproductive health services and implementing community-based strategies that make sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women, girls, and others at the margins. We also engage young people with comprehensive sexuality education and provide care to survivors of gender-based violence. We stand alongside our partners in the streets, in the courts, and in other advocacy spaces as an unapologetically feminist voice, resisting injustice and advocating for gender equality and reproductive rights locally and globally.
