Roe v Wade: The Potential Global Impact

How would the overturning of Roe v Wade, the constitutional ruling that protects abortion in the US, impact women worldwide?

• Late on Monday, Politico dropped a bombshell: a draft of a Supreme Court majority opinion, leaked to the publisher, revealed that the court was set to overturn the legalization of abortion in the US.
• To many abortion is a human right. The constitutional ruling of Roe protects it. If overturned, abortion will become state regulated. Half of the states are expected to immediately ban the practice.
• In the US, approximately one in four women have had an abortion. Advocates contend that the overturning of the ruling will not end abortion practices, rather it would end “safe” abortion practices.
• The move would upend the half-century-long constitutional protection for abortions. Campaigners argue that repressive regimes across the globe may use the move to justify their own future crackdowns.
• As with many things, when it comes to anti-abortion activists, the US leads by example and the rhetoric has been adopted globally.
• Like with any form of oppression, it is likely that minority women will be most heavily impacted by the move.