Eroding Abortion Rights !

The political ground between the Republican party and the Democrats in America is changing. The right of women to have a career and share equally in  family relationships relies heavily on their ability to limit the number of children.  The right to abortion to end unplanned pregnancies is an essential to achieving that aim.

That right has been part of American law since  1973 when the US  Supreme court handed down its decision in the " Roe v  Wade " case, firmly establishing the right of women to legally have a pregnancy terminated.  In most parts of the country clinics perform that service swiftly and at a reasonable cost but where Republicans are in power there are moves to restrict abortion by limiting access by the use of legislation.

Now the state of Alabama has taken that further and introduced legislation that would essentially end the right of women within its jurisdiction to have an abortion in almost every circumstance.  Even abortion to end a pregnancy caused by rape or incest would be forbidden and the only exception would be where it was necessary to save the life of the mother, which takes it into controversial medical territory.

This seems to be shaping up as a test case.  Alabama has a Republican administration and its Senate comprises thirty-five seats, of which twenty seven are held by Republicans, all of whom are white men.  The aim seems to be to challenge Roe v Wade to enable revision by the American Supreme court which has now tilted to the right with nominees selected by Donald Trump.

The tactic being used is a limitation that forbids abortion wherever a heartbeat from the foetus can be detected.  In the majority of cases, this occurs even before the woman is aware that she may be pregnant.  It is a severe limitation which would in effect ban abortion in the majority of cases where it now proceeds unchallenged.

Legislation to restrict abortion has been introduced in sixteen American states this year and four Republican state governors have signed those bills to make heartbeat detection the lawful impediment to the process. It looks like becoming a critical issue when America goes to the polls next year to decide who sits in the oval office for the next presidential term.

The tactic in play is not to directly challenge the ruling of the Supreme court, but to install limitations which may not have been available when that decision was made in 1973.  Medical technology has advanced much further in those intervening years.

What is happening in America does raise the issue of abortion rights here in New South Wales.  In Australia abortion is a state issue - and almost unbelievably - abortion is illegal under this states existing legislation.  The protocols that allow it to happen are " dodgy " and the availability of abortion could suddenly cease if we ever elected a right wing administration to take power.

This American move to restrict abortion serves clear warning.  A law change is needed to enshrine abortion rights if women in New South Wales are to attain career equality and equal pay in the workforce.  For too long our legislators have avoided that certainty  !