More Than A Magazine, A Movement
In the midst of a bloody war with an invading Russian military, the Ukrainian government took the time to ratify an international treaty to protect women and girls from violence. What does this historic act mean for the future of the Istanbul Convention?
As countless signs across the marches and rallies call for bans off our bodies and to keep abortion legal, a symbol that is new to many in this country, but beloved to the three of us, has unmistakably emerged all over the streets: a sea of green bandanas. The Green Wave, which had begun in Argentina — and then spread across all of Latin America — is now here, as a rallying cry to protect abortion.
On Friday, President Joseph Biden issued an executive order to protect reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in the Dobbs decision.
Biden’s executive order first directs HHS to take actions to protect and expand access to abortion medications regulated by the FDA. It also aims to ensure the reproductive health of people accessing care in federally-funded facilities. The order directs HHS to ensure enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s guarantee of free birth control and contraceptive counseling for individuals and covered dependents, including emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception like IUDs.
A biological pull, no matter how powerful, is not an imperative. In fact, while there is surely the possibility that I will one day regret not having had a child, there is an equal possibility that I would regret having had one—a possibility so terrifying that our failure to warn young people of its existence (just Google “I regret having children,” and be prepared for a ride) seems grossly negligent.
Overturning Roe also casts a shadow over the right to contraception and family planning services. We must face up to how reproductive decisions threaten our common future. Empowering people to make them responsibly will protect future generations in ways that other approaches have failed to do.
Violence against abortion providers rose significantly in 2021, following the trend of the past decade. Harassment of providers and patients also rose. After Roe, the focus must be on providing care and protecting providers.
A poem for the end of Roe v. Wade:
“the keyboard is mightier
than the sword
and our weapon lies
between our ears
not our legs
“we have marched for less
we have cried for less
yet together we burn bright
light the path for our daughters”
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday designed to expand access to medication abortion and education about legally available abortion options, as well as provide legal backing for people seeking or providing abortions. This order is the most official move in the direction of a clearly defined federal abortion strategy.
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: why gender-balanced state Cabinets matter, and how we get there; Connecticut elects its first Black woman chief public defender; a much-needed feminist history lesson; Cambodia sees an increase in women candidates running for elected office; and more.
With midterm elections coming up, the opinions of young voters are increasingly important—and they will make sure to consider women’s rights when filling out their ballot.