The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation is outraged at the Supreme Court’s ruling that just reversed longstanding federal abortion protections, overturning Roe v. Wade and making access to care dependent upon each state’s laws.
Abortion is still legal in the state of New Hampshire, although last year’s abortion ban outlawed abortions after 24 weeks. In dozens of other states, however, the right to an abortion has now been restricted to nearly or effectively outlaw abortions or considerably reduce access to abortion care.
Under this new federal court ruling, daughters will have fewer rights than their mothers had. Women and people who can get pregnant will have less control over their bodies and their futures. Doctors will be less able to provide care based solely on what is best for their patients. And people seeking care for themselves or their loved ones, especially those with limited resources, and disproportionately members of marginalized communities, will risk legal and criminal action if they attempt to navigate an ever-precarious network of options for care.
In New Hampshire, abortion is still legal until 24 weeks, thanks to those who have bravely shared their abortion stories and a long history of bipartisan support for abortion rights. However, now that abortion rights are no longer protected federally, each new term of our state legislature will hold the possibility of supporting or further restricting access to abortion in our state. Just weeks ago, the New Hampshire legislature had the opportunity to codify the right to an abortion before 24 weeks, but chose not to. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation will continue to hold our lawmakers accountable and advocate for statewide policy to protect access to abortion.
While abortion is seen as a controversial topic, the vast majority of Americans and Granite Staters believe that women and people who can become pregnant should have access to safe abortion care. Now is the time for all people who believe in the right to an abortion to stand up and speak up.
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation will continue our work to protect abortion rights and access to reproductive and sexual care in New Hampshire. Our Reproductive and Sexual Health Care Access Fund, launched early this year, invests in organizations and initiatives that advance reproductive justice, and that provide, support and work to ensure continued access to reproductive and sexual health care in New Hampshire.
Learn more about our work and the Fund at: https://nhwomensfoundation.org/
