Reproductive Rights are Integral to Women's Rights: UN Women

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 25 June 2022

United Nations Women stated that reproductive rights are integral to women's rights, a fact that is supported by international agreements and reflected in law in various parts of the world, following the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion. Reproductive rights are both women's rights and human rights, according to UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

“To be able to exercise their human rights and make essential decisions, women need to be able to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to information, education and services,” a statement by UN Women said.

Specifically for women who are impacted by poverty or marginalisation, including minority women, UN Women stated that when safe and legal access to abortion is restricted, women are forced to turn to less safe techniques, too frequently with devastating or tragic effects.

"The ability of women to control what happens to their own bodies is also associated with the roles women are able to play in society, whether as a member of the family, the workforce, or government,” UN Women added in its statement.

UN Women stated that it is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring that women's and girls' rights are fully upheld and enjoyed everywhere and that it looks forward to continuing its evidence-based collaboration with partners around the world in support of quick advancements toward the universal enjoyment of all human rights.

President of the United States Joe Biden described the Supreme Court's decision to reverse the Roe v. Wade judgement and reinstate states' rights to regulate abortions as a sad day for the court and for the nation.

Biden claimed that the Supreme Court's ruling sets the United States back 150 years and violates one of its basic rights during remarks at the White House on Friday.

“Today the Supreme Court of the United States expressly took away a constitutional right from the American people … It’s a sad day for the court and for the country,” Biden said during remarks at the White House.

“The court literally is taking America back 150 years,” he added, Sputnik News Agency reported.

Biden emphasised the significance of voters casting ballots in favour of pro-abortion candidates during this fall's elections as he urged Congress to move to enshrine safeguards for abortions into federal law.

The nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to an abortion has been overturned by the Supreme Court, which also decided that states may control the procedure. Roe v. Wade has been overturned. A majority of conservative justices made the announcement on Friday.