#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #ITALY #ANARCHISM #News #Journal #Update - (en) Italy, Galatea FAI: How did it happen that in the 21st century women find themselves once again having to fight for the right to have an abortion? I. (1/3) USA (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 In the post "Abortion in Russia" we translated the 4th Chapter of Anna

Sidorevich's essay. ---- After more than a month, we decided, thanks to the help
and translation of Evgeny, to publish this essay in its entirety, dividing it
into three distinct parts. ---- How did it happen that in the 21st century women
find themselves once again having to fight for the right to have an abortion? Why
is this happening all over the world - and also in the West? We tell you about it
in as much detail as possible. ---- On June 24, the US Supreme Court overturned
the case of "Roe v. Wade",[with which abortion was]constitutionally recognized.
Now the procedure can become illegal in most states. Millions of women[1]will be
forced to move to neighboring states or to abort illegally. This scenario was
made possible by the fault of the Supreme Court judges - (six out of nine) - are
conservative -[who]traditionally advocate the abortion of the right to abortion.
But the right to abortion has for many years been a tool of political struggle
not only in the United States, but also in other countries. About how this
happened, Meduza asked Anna Sidorevich, a researcher in the field of feminism and
gender at the Center for the History of the Paris Institute of Political Studies
Sciences Po, to tell.

Contrary to popular belief that abortion is dangerous to women's life and health,
this is not the case. Approximately 73 million abortions are performed each year
worldwide .[2]With their help, six out of ten unplanned pregnancies are
terminated. The procedure is so common that the WHO classifies it as a "simple
(and therefore most often safe) medical intervention" that can be effectively
performed by specialists.

WHO considers abortion to be safe when supervised by qualified personnel who are
familiar with the methods recommended by the organization . According to US
statistics from 2013 to 2018, the mortality rate for safe abortions performed
according to WHO recommendations was only 0.4 cases per 100,000 abortions, i.e.
out of 200,000 women who aborted, only one died (in the last 50 years mortality
was reduced).[2]

At the same time, according to the WHO, more than seven million women end up in
hospital due to complications after "unsafe" abortions. Such abortions usually
include procedures performed at a later date, in unsanitary conditions or by
people without specialized medical training. Such practices are much more
common[3]in countries where women's rights to abortion are severely restricted.
State restrictions make abortion dangerous for women: high costs, stigmatization,
delay in the procedure. It is above all a legal prohibition. Feminists have been
trying to explain this problem to society and politicians for years and are
calling for changes, but abortion laws that prohibit or allow abortion in several
countries have historically almost never been related to women's health.

Chapter 1: A sensitive topic in the United States

[As of]the spring of 2022, the issue of abortion in the United States has become
much more discussed than ever. It turned out that in a country where the right to
abortion seemed long overdue, millions of women could have lost it in a few months.

The crisis began in September 2021 when the state of Texas passed a "heartbeat"
law banning abortions after the sixth week (with no exceptions for cases of
violence and incest). Previously, the period after which abortion was not allowed
was 20 weeks.

The authors of the law, conservative , believe that it is in the sixth week that
the fetus has recognizable cardiac activity, which means that abortion after this
period[4]should be prohibited.

In response to the adoption of the Texas law, women's marches took place in 660
cities in several states. They were organized by an alliance of 200 human rights
organizations in the country. The largest protest took place in the US capital,
Washington: thousands of women marched through the city to the US Supreme Court
building with posters and slogans: "Take care of your uterus" and "L 'abortion is
a personal choice ".

  March to Washington against new Texas law severely restricting abortion rights.
October 2, 2021

"The issue of the right to abortion has never been just about abortion itself,"
the New York Times wrote in September 2021 . Reporters reported how conservative
American citizens' attitudes towards abortion have changed over the years. If in
1971 the resolution of the Southern Baptist Convention[5]recommended abortion in
case of rape, incest, serious developmental disorders of the fetus or threat to
the health of the mother; already the resolution adopted in 2021 defines
abortion[as]"the murder of an unborn child" and a "crime against humanity" which
should be prosecuted by law, without exception.

According to historian Jefferson Cowie , today, among adherents to the abortion
ban in the United States, there is a minority of those who care about religious
reasons. Abortion has become part of the political stalemate, Cowie told the New
York Times. The stance on the prohibition of abortion, together with the racial
question and the opinion on vaccination against covid, has become a clear sign of
belonging to one side or the other. However, this was not always the case.

The first movement against the right to abortion in the United States appeared in
the mid-19th century; previously the procedure was widespread and did not cause
conviction . Formally, abortion was banned, but only later, after the woman began
to feel the movement of the fetus, in the fourth - sixth month. Women often
turned to healers and midwives and[not]to medical professionals. Then, in the
fight[for]the patients, doctors called for stricter legislation . According to
another version, the United States simply repeated the laws of Great Britain .
Nonetheless, at the beginning of the 20th century, abortion was completely banned
and became a criminal offense in all states.

The ban was in effect until the 1960s, when demands for the legalization of
abortion began to resonate actively in the United States, even within the
emerging second-wave feminist movement[6].

March of feminists demanding the universal right to abortion and equal working
conditions. Boston, March 8, 1970

In the late 1960s, Texas resident Norma McCorvey was unable to obtain the right
to abortion because the state only allowed abortion for incest and rape. The
woman tried to deceive the court and said the child was conceived as a result of
rape, but it could not be proved. Then McCorvey, under the pseudonym Jane Roe,
filed a lawsuit for violating her constitutional rights in the Texas Federal
District Court; District Attorney Henry Wade became the defendant in the case.
The court ruled in favor of the woman, but did not ban the current legislation.

Hence the case "Roe v. Wade "came to the Supreme Court of the United States,
which in 1973 made a historic decision , confirming that the right to privacy
guaranteed by the constitution includes a woman's right to have an abortion of
her own accord, which means that no state law can limit it. The Supreme Court
verdict effectively legalized abortion across the country.

At that time the issue of abortion was not yet so politicized. In 1984, support
for "pro-choice" (ie, a conscious choice between pregnancy and abortion) among
supporters of the Republican and Democratic parties differed by only 6% - in 2020
this difference was already 48%. The issue of abortion began to be actively used
by conservative US politicians only in the early 1980s to mobilize voters and
attract the most dubious to their side. Republicans tried to get out of the
circle of voters who did not support the civil rights movement[7], which fought
against racial discrimination. The subject of abortion was convenient as it also
interested those people who were not interested in the racial question.

Conservatives in various states have repeatedly tried to ban abortion or make
access to the procedure more difficult for women; but the sentence "Roe v. Wade
"has been coming to the rescue for years. For example, in 2016, the Supreme Court
found a Texas anti-abortion bill to restrict the operation of abortion clinics
unconstitutional.

Norma McCorvy (1947-2017), the plaintiff in the famous case «Roe v. Wade, "and
her attorney Gloria Allred on the steps of the US Supreme Court, where another
major abortion rights case was heard. Washington, April 26, 1989

But the so-called heartbeat law, passed in September 2021, was designed to get
around the "Roe v. Wade " . Usually, in American practice, to challenge a law it
is necessary to bring a lawsuit against the authority responsible for its
implementation.

However, if previous anti-abortion laws were to be enforced by government
officials, to circumvent the constitution in Texas, it was decided that
enforcement[of these]would not be the responsibility of the authorities but of
the citizens concerned: according to state law, from 2021 anyone can start a
trial against those who "assist" (aide and accomplice) in the execution of an
"illegal" abortion. Defendant who loses the case will have to pay each applicant
at least $ 10,000 .

An attempt by the federal government to challenge the law in early 2022 failed .
Other states have begun to follow the precedent. So, on May 3, the governor of
neighboring Oklahoma, Republican Kevin Stitt, signed a bill drawn up on the model
of the Texas law.

Such a legislative change was possible thanks to Donald Trump, who appointed
three conservative judges to the Supreme Court - and Republicans were the
majority of the court , while Democrats, who opposed the criminalization of
abortion, lost it. While Democratic President Joe Biden opposes Texas law, the
federal government's ability to legislate at the state level is limited and the
attempt to legislate on the right to abort, as proposed by the Democratic Party,
has failed . Following a vote in the Senate in late February, the project was
rejected.[8]

Furthermore, in May 2022, the historic decision "Roe v. Wade "was attacked. On
May 3, 2022, the media published a draft decision of the US Supreme Court ,
proposing to overturn the 1973 verdict. On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned
the decision and now states will be able to freely regulate abortion at the level
of local legislation. According to the Gutmacher Institute for Reproductive
Health, 26 states could ban abortion, 13 of them in the near future - and seven
the abortion ban went into effect soon after the Supreme Court decision.[9]If
this happens, the number of legal abortions will decrease by at least 14%and many
women who have lost access to clinics will be forced to abort their pregnancy
clandestinely.

In response to the publication of the draft decision in May, thousands of
Americans demonstrated against the changes , supported by members of the ruling
Democratic Party.

Abortion has already become one of the most important points in attracting
citizens to the congressional elections, which will be held in November 2022.
Democrats are trying to lure voters to the polls by turning the vote for seats in
Congress into a referendum on "Ro and v. Wade " .

Yes, the Democrats won't be able to bring the decision back into effect, but if
they have a majority, they can make a federal abortion law.

This strategy has received support. According to polls, one in two Americans
(even before the June 24 decision) believed the 1973 decision should not be
repealed completely , and among those who thought so were both Democrats and
undecided (and even some Republicans). ). If at least a part of the undecided
population votes for the Democrats, the party will be able to win a majority.

It is true that if the Democrats manage to win and then influence anti-abortion
legislation (i.e. pass a law that will enshrine the right at the federal level),
enforcement will come only six months later. While hundreds of thousands of women
will be left without the opportunity to have an abortion right now.

This baffles the democratic ranks and activists who help women . Mallory Schwatz,
executive director of Pro-Choice Missouri[10], says the federal government is not
doing enough. "Waiting for the elections to take action is cowardly," the
activist said in an interview with Politico.

The restrictions mainly harm the most socially vulnerable groups: the poor,
minors, minorities; those who do not have the money to travel to another state
where abortion is cheaper or those who do not have access to information on
contraception and abortion.

The Biden administration is trying to ensure that women have access to the care
they need. For example, the Federal Food and Drug Administration has legalized
the mailing of abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) , thus giving women
access to home abortions; but this is practically the end of the relief measures.

The main force that helps women is other women.
Activist organizations help obtain necessary documents or reach clinics in
neighboring states or countries.

Continue in Part Two

Notes

[1]In this passage, the word "woman" is often used to refer to the abortioner.
Although this term is still used in the literature and academic articles, we
would like to point out that it is not inclusive and excludes those who do not
associate with this gender, but who may be directly affected by abortion law.
[2]This figure is often calculated based on the number of deaths per 100,000
procedures. According to US statistics from 2013 to 2018, deaths due to safe
abortions performed according to WHO guidelines were only 0.4 per 100,000
abortions, meaning that only one in 200,000 women who had an abortion died (with
one decrease in deaths in the last 50 years).
Unsafe abortions kill women at a much higher rate. According to WHO estimates, in
developed countries the figure reaches 30 women per 100,000 interventions, while
in developing countries it is even higher: 220 per 100,000.
Sources
- "TABLE 15. Number of deaths and case-fatality rates * for abortion-related
deaths reported to CDC, by type of abortion - United States, 1973-2018 †"
Link: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr /volumes/70/ss/ss7009a1.htm#T15_down
- "Abortion"
Link: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
[3]According to a study published in 2017 in the authoritative medical journal
The Lancet, in countries where the right to abortion is not limited, the number
of safe abortions can reach 90%. The stricter the legislation, the higher the
risks for women. In countries where abortion is practically prohibited, the
number of "unsafe" and "less safe" abortions can reach 70%.
Source
"Global, regional, and subregional classification of abortions by safety,
2010-14: estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model"
Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31794 -4
/ fulltext
[4]The problem is that at this stage many women don't even realize they are
pregnant. The pregnant woman has about a week, at best, to make a decision and
find the money, the right clinic and a convenient time to see a doctor. More than
half of all miscarriages occur after the sixth week of pregnancy.
[5]The largest Baptist group in the United States, organized in Augusta, Georgia,
in 1845 by Southern Baptists who disagreed with the anti-slavery views and
activities of Northern Baptists. By the end of the 20th century, the Convention
had abandoned its support for racial segregation and had become one of the most
ethnically diverse Protestant groups in North America.
[6]Conventional name for a number of feminist ideologies and for the women's
rights activist movement in the West in the 1960s and 1970s. The first wave of
feminism is considered the women's movement for political, especially electoral
rights, between the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th
century. Second-wave feminists drew on a broader conception of rights, not
limited to the political component. In particular, second-wave feminists actively
campaigned for the right to abortion and for the right to control one's own body.
[7]Mass movement against racial segregation and discrimination of blacks in the
Southern states, which reached national prominence in the mid-1950s. Although
slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865 following the Civil War, a
system of racial segregation (the "Jim Crow Laws") was in place in the South. The
civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s relied on non-violent protest. The
result was the passing of civil rights laws in 1964 and 1965, which abolished
segregation.
[8]Republicans also have a majority in the Senate. There are now 50 Republicans,
48 Democrats, and two independent senators. The law on the protection of women's
health was rejected because it did not obtain the minimum of 50 votes necessary
to continue the hearing. Forty-six senators voted against, 48 in favor and the
others abstained.
[9]These are the states where abortion laws immediately went into effect:
Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
[10]Human rights organization that helps women have abortions and defends this
right in Missouri, a state that intends to ban abortion altogether after the
repeal of Roe v Wade.

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