In April 1992, abortion was thrust

In April 1992, abortion was thrust onto the center stage of U.S. politics again, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to hear Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which threatened to severely restrict women access to abortion. In the lead-up to a mass protest planned for Washington, D.C. that month, Sharon Smith wrote this article looking at the state of women's right to abortion. This article first appeared in the April 1992 issue of Socialist Worker.

Thousands march in New York City to defend reproductive rights against legislative assaults on abortion and women's health services (J.B. Nicholas | Sipa)
IN THE early 1970s, the women's movement demanded that abortion be legalized as part of a larger movement for women's rights. It was clear that, without control over their own reproductive lives, women couldn't be the equals of men--no matter what advances women made in the job market or in higher education.

This is why socialists argue that all women deserve the right to control their own bodies, without interference from anyone. And in the 1970s, the women's movement demanded legal abortion as a right which should be available to all women--no matter how poor or how young, married or not.

Today, however, the entire terrain of the abortion debate has been shifted.

For more than a decade, the right to abortion has been steadily eroded, so that now the debate is over who should be able to pre-empt a woman's choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, laws now exist which allow parents, husbands or state governments to prevent pregnant women from having abortions.

Increasingly, abortion has been transformed from a right to a privilege, denied to ever greater numbers of women.

Thirty-seven states do not provide abortion funding for poor women's abortions. And 32 of these won't even fund abortions for poor women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or in cases of a severely deformed fetus.

Thirty-five states have laws requiring women under the age of 18 to notify or obtain the consent of a parent before they can have an abortion.

A Pennsylvania law now being reviewed by the Supreme Court requires married women to notify their husbands in order to get an abortion. This law also requires that women receive counseling on "alternatives" to abortion and then be required to wait 24 hours before they are allowed to have an abortion.

And Louisiana, Utah and Guam all have passed laws virtually banning abortion.

These cases haven't yet reached the Supreme Court, but when they do, they will provide the Supreme Court with the opportunity to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which made abortion a legal right.

The legal obstacles that already exist affect millions of women across the U.S., who musts travel to another state to get a legal abortion or are unable to get a legal abortion or are unable to get one at all because they can't afford it,

This is why socialists argue that, while we must fight to prevent Roe v. Wade from being overturned, it isn't enough to simply keep abortion legal. It is legal now, but inaccessible to millions.

The Freedom of Choice Act now before Congress should be viewed in this light--an important first step in restoring abortion rights in the U.S. The Freedom of Choice Act would guarantee legal abortion at the national level, no matter what the Supreme Court decides.

At the same time, the Freedom of Choice Act doesn't even mention the issue of restoring abortion funding for poor women, nor does it explicitly guarantee the right to choose for women under age 18.

But until we win back those abortion rights that have already been lost, abortion will continue to be a privilege rather than a right, in the U.S.

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Abortion is a class issue

Whatever restrictions are placed upon legal abortion, all women do not suffer equally. In fact, some women don't suffer at all. Social class has always been the deciding factor in the right to choose an abortion.

Wealthy women can always afford access to abortion, even if it once again becomes illegal.

In the century during which abortion was illegal, rich women could still obtain abortions because they had the money and the private physicians, which enabled them to travel or get around the law. Yet those women must desperately in need of the right to choose tend to be young and poor.

The single most common reason why women have an abortion is not being able to afford the cost of raising a child.

Poor and working-class women account for the vast majority of abortions.

Race is also an important factor in the U.S., where one in every three Blacks lives below the government's official poverty level.

Black women and other minority women are more than twice as likely as white women to seek abortions. Similarly, when abortion is illegal or not funded, Black and other minority women suffer disproportionately. Before 1970, when abortion was legalized in New York City, 80 percent of all women who died from botched i

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

In April 1992, abortion was thrust onto the center stage of U.S. politics again, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to hear Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which threatened to severely restrict women access to abortion. In the lead-up to a mass protest planned for Washington, D.C. that month, Sharon Smith wrote this article looking at the state of women's right to abortion. This article first appeared in the April 1992 issue of Socialist Worker.Thousands march in New York City to defend reproductive rights against legislative assaults on abortion and women's health services (J.B. Nicholas | Sipa)IN THE early 1970s, the women's movement demanded that abortion be legalized as part of a larger movement for women's rights. It was clear that, without control over their own reproductive lives, women couldn't be the equals of men--no matter what advances women made in the job market or in higher education.This is why socialists argue that all women deserve the right to control their own bodies, without interference from anyone. And in the 1970s, the women's movement demanded legal abortion as a right which should be available to all women--no matter how poor or how young, married or not.Today, however, the entire terrain of the abortion debate has been shifted.For more than a decade, the right to abortion has been steadily eroded, so that now the debate is over who should be able to pre-empt a woman's choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, laws now exist which allow parents, husbands or state governments to prevent pregnant women from having abortions.Increasingly, abortion has been transformed from a right to a privilege, denied to ever greater numbers of women.Thirty-seven states do not provide abortion funding for poor women's abortions. And 32 of these won't even fund abortions for poor women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or in cases of a severely deformed fetus.Thirty-five states have laws requiring women under the age of 18 to notify or obtain the consent of a parent before they can have an abortion.A Pennsylvania law now being reviewed by the Supreme Court requires married women to notify their husbands in order to get an abortion. This law also requires that women receive counseling on "alternatives" to abortion and then be required to wait 24 hours before they are allowed to have an abortion.And Louisiana, Utah and Guam all have passed laws virtually banning abortion.These cases haven't yet reached the Supreme Court, but when they do, they will provide the Supreme Court with the opportunity to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which made abortion a legal right.The legal obstacles that already exist affect millions of women across the U.S., who musts travel to another state to get a legal abortion or are unable to get a legal abortion or are unable to get one at all because they can't afford it,This is why socialists argue that, while we must fight to prevent Roe v. Wade from being overturned, it isn't enough to simply keep abortion legal. It is legal now, but inaccessible to millions.The Freedom of Choice Act now before Congress should be viewed in this light--an important first step in restoring abortion rights in the U.S. The Freedom of Choice Act would guarantee legal abortion at the national level, no matter what the Supreme Court decides.At the same time, the Freedom of Choice Act doesn't even mention the issue of restoring abortion funding for poor women, nor does it explicitly guarantee the right to choose for women under age 18.But until we win back those abortion rights that have already been lost, abortion will continue to be a privilege rather than a right, in the U.S.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Abortion is a class issueWhatever restrictions are placed upon legal abortion, all women do not suffer equally. In fact, some women don't suffer at all. Social class has always been the deciding factor in the right to choose an abortion.Wealthy women can always afford access to abortion, even if it once again becomes illegal.In the century during which abortion was illegal, rich women could still obtain abortions because they had the money and the private physicians, which enabled them to travel or get around the law. Yet those women must desperately in need of the right to choose tend to be young and poor.The single most common reason why women have an abortion is not being able to afford the cost of raising a child.Poor and working-class women account for the vast majority of abortions.Chủng tộc là một yếu tố quan trọng trong Hoa Kỳ, nơi mà một trong mỗi người da đen ba cuộc sống dưới mức nghèo chính thức của chính phủ.Phụ nữ da đen và người phụ nữ dân tộc thiểu số khác là nhiều hơn gấp đôi khả năng như các phụ nữ da trắng để tìm cách phá thai. Tương tự, khi phá thai là bất hợp pháp hoặc không tài trợ, màu đen và người phụ nữ dân tộc thiểu số khác bị disproportionately. Trước năm 1970, khi phá thai được hợp pháp hoá tại thành phố New York, 80 phần trăm của tất cả các phụ nữ đã chết từ hỏng tôi