On Friday, June 24, the US Supreme Court upheld the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion throughout the country. From now on, each state can ban abortion on its territory, which represents a 50-year setback for women's rights. In the short to medium term, more than 20 states are likely to ban abortion. This is a direct consequence of Donald Trump's presidency, during which he appointed conservative judges to the Supreme Court who serve an anti-choice and, more broadly, anti-rights agenda. Faced with the destructive power of reactionary governments and their allies from fundamentalist religious movements, Equipop is joining forces with feminist movements around the world.
Internationally, supporting feminist movements and their demands
The gravity of this situation calls for several actions. First, unconditional solidarity with women in the United States, especially women in precarious situations, who will be the first victims of these restrictions. Equipop calls for everyone to join the growing number of feminist and solidarity movements, such as the demonstration organized on July 2 in Paris by the Collectif Avortement Europe.
Secondly, states, particularly those that claim to have a feminist foreign policy, must use all diplomatic levers to reaffirm the right to abortion in all international forums. Implicit support is no longer enough, whether in multilateral bodies or more informal settings. For example, the G7 under French presidency (2019) did not mention sexual and reproductive rights in order to satisfy the Trump administration. The next two G7 summits, in the United States and then in the United Kingdom, did not make any progress on these issues. Nor was this a stated priority in 2022. Canada, France, and Germany, which claim to have feminist foreign policies, must be proactive in putting forward proposals as soon as possible. The same applies at the European Union level. The election of an anti-abortion politician as President of the European Parliament, the situation of women's rights in Poland, and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, for example, should encourage countries such as France to take a firmer stance on these issues.
States must commit to financially supporting feminist movements around the world, including feminist emergency funds for access to abortion and associations that provide sexual and reproductive health information and services. For the past decade, France has defended abortion in its diplomatic positions. However, its international strategy for sexual rights ended in late 2020. It must be renewed without delay and, above all, accompanied by substantial funding. Doubling funding for SRHR would be a concrete response on the part of the French government.
In France, enshrining the right to abortion in the Constitution
In France, feminist associations face a severe lack of financial resources. Financial support must be increased for organizations such as Planning Familial, which play a vital role in sex education and access to contraception and abortion. Finally, the US Supreme Court's decision highlights the fragility of abortion rights and confirms the need to strengthen them everywhere, wherever possible. In France, the removal of the concept of "distress" or the mandatory reflection period, the extension of the legal time limits for performing an abortion, and the possibility for midwives to perform medical abortions are small steps that improve access to abortion. The next step is to further secure the right to abortion by enshrining it in the Constitution. This demand has been expressed for years by numerous associations and institutions, including the High Council for Equality. In recent days, several petitions have been launched. The NUPES was working on a bill to this effect, supported by the presidential majority, which is thus changing its position compared to the previous five-year term. With the arrival of 89 far-right deputies in the National Assembly, this measure is more necessary than ever. Equipop will continue to mobilize deputies and the government in this direction.
