This article was written before the US electoral results were released
In the wake of the upcoming US election between Republican Donald Trump and
Democrat Kamala Harris, it seems as though the eyes of the world are focused on
the presidential campaign, particularly on the critical issue of women’s bodily
autonomy. This article will demonstrate how this topic is shaping the election and its
implications for women’s rights.
The controversy stems from the overturning of Roe v. Wade which triggered abortion
bans in multiple US states. As of 2024, 14 U.S. states have implemented near-total
abortion bans, with at least 9 states having total abortion bans with no exception for
rape or incest. Other states have passed early gestational limits, ranging from 6 to
15 weeks, and while others are implementing strict medical guidelines that
complicate abortion access even where it is legally permitted. The legal landscape
widely varies across the country due to different state policies enacted after Roe v.
Wade was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In his 2016 campaign, Trump promised to appoint “pro-life” justices with the aim of
overturning Roe v. Wade. He aligned himself closely with the anti-abortion
movement, securing its backing by pledging to appoint justices likely to oppose
federally protected abortion rights whilst claiming that there “must be some form of
punishment” for women who have abortions. The overturning of Roe v. Wade in
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was influenced significantly by the
former President’s appointment of three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme
Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. These appointments
altered the balance of the Court, creating a strong conservative majority, ultimately
leading to the Dobbs decision overturning Roe.
The effects of such bans and regulations have been profound and ongoing. A study
taken in January by Planned Parenthood estimated that there have been 520,000
rapes that led to 64,565 pregnancies in the time since abortion bans have been
enacted in 14 states. Further evidence suggests that infant mortality rates have
increased after the overturning of the Roe v. Wade case suggesting that restrictive
abortion laws may lead to more high-risk pregnancies carried to term, contributing to
health complications for both infants and mothers. Notably, maternal mortality rates
in Texas increased by 56% from 2019 to 2022, compared to an 11% rise nationwide
during the same time period.
Whilst Trump has claimed he would veto a national abortion ban, he has emphasised
that such decisions should largely rest with the states. This heightens concerns
about whether this stance genuinely protects women’s reproductive rights. Over the
course of his campaign he has suggested that he would not stop individual states
from monitoring pregnancies to track abortions and aid prosecutions. His
campaigners have advocated for an establishment of foetal personhood under the
Constitution’s 14th Amendment, raising concerns over the impacts on IVF and could
effectively lead to a nationwide abortion ban, even without a formal federal ban.
Ultimately this could be a strategic attempt to progress anti-abortion policies through
state laws and the judiciary.
Because of this there has been a national outcry in America for the protection and
reinstatement of women’s reproductive rights, led by Democratic front runner Vice
President Kamala Harris. This movement has seen a mass surge of endorsement
from a range of influential figures and celebrities to the grave of suffragette Susan B
Anthony being adorned in ‘I voted’ stickers. This image acts a symbol of American
citizens voting to secure women’s freedom over their bodily anatomy- a freedom to
have the opportunity to choose.
So why should other countries care?
Despite the eye rolls from many when the question of feminism is raised, the truth of
the matter is that true gender equality has not been achieved. It only takes one look
in the news to see the disproportionate and quite frankly disturbing treatment of
women, as well as a troubling dismissal of their rights and safety globally.
Following the Taliban’s rise to power in August 2021, the situation for women in
Afghanistan has deteriorated sharply. Most recently, the Ministry of Propaganda for
Virtue and Prevention of Vice have forbidden women to talk in the presence of other
women, with the minister Khalid Hanafi stating: ‘Even when an adult female prays
and another female passes by, she must not pray loudly enough for them to hear’.
Nearly one in five women said they hadn’t spoken to another woman outside of their
immediate family in three months. The UN announced more than 70 decrees,
directives, statements, and systemised practices have targeted what women can and
can’t do. These include being prohibited from speaking loudly inside their home,
going to school or university, showing their face in public or seeking medical
attention from a male doctor, just to name a few. The breaking of these laws could
result in imprisonment and the Taliban’s supreme leader has vowed to reinstate
public stoning to death for those who disobey. Research by the UN has found that only 1% of women believe they have influence in their communities, and that just
nearly one in 10 women knows another who has tried to commit suicide since the
Taliban took over.
The femicide crisis in the UK has been announced at “epidemic levels” by the
National Police Chiefs’ Council. The report released in July this year announced
violence against women and girls in England and Wales as a national emergency,
prompting first responders treating the issue with the same urgency as terrorism and
organised crime. It is estimated one in every 12 women will be a victim of violence
against women and girls, with crimes including rape, domestic abuse, stalking and
harassment increasing by 37% in the past five years.
In the southern hemisphere, whispers of abortion restrictions are being echoed in the
political spheres of Australia. The resurgence of the abortion debate in Australia,
particularly in Queensland and South Australia has stirred sentiments similar to
those seen in the US. In Queensland, the issue has gained traction ahead of
elections, with candidates divided on the current decriminalisation of abortion up to
22 weeks. The conservative Katter’s Australian Party has called for stricter
regulations, sparking strong responses from pro-choice advocates and the current
government, which has vowed to protect abortion right. In South Australia, a recent
bill aimed at banning late-term abortions past 28 weeks was narrowly defeated in the
upper house. This would mean women seeking an abortion after this point to
undergo induced labour, regardless of the medical context, despite being invasive by
medical and legal. Although there is no federal push to ban abortion, conservative
voices like Senator Jacinta Price have suggested that it could become a national
issue, indicating that abortion may continue to surface in political debates.
The question of women’s rights is not an exclusive problem to America. It is a very
real issue that we face globally and simply ignoring the issue only allows for
inequalities to deepen. Women’s rights and autonomy impact everyone- our mothers,
sisters, partners and ourselves. The situation in America serves as a stark warning
to how quickly the fight for women’s rights and equality can be diminished, far
quicker than they were won.
“We have worked too hard and fought too long to see our daughters grow up in a
world with fewer rights than our mothers” – Kamala Harris