CT NOW on 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

For immediate release                                     Contact: Jacqueline Kozin and Laura Bachman

January 22, 2013                                              Email:president@now-ct.org

CT NOW: CELEBRATING BUT CONCERNED

AS ROE V. WADE TURNS 40, THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE IS CHALLENGED

HARTFORD, CT – Roe v. Wade has reached its 40th year, a historical moment for a historical case.  While this is a cause for celebration, recent challenges to Roe v. Wade’s legality and legitimacy also create a cause for concern for the Connecticut Chapter of the National Organization for Women (CT NOW).

“The right to choose affords more than just access to safe, legal abortions—it also provides opportunity,” remarked Laura Bachman, co-president of CT NOW. “As abortion opponents tighten restrictions around abortion access, economically disadvantaged women in particular face the consequences. Many are forced to delay their abortions due to limited access or misinformation. The later the termination, the more expensive it will be, not only because of the cost for the service, but also that of lost wages, child care and other expenses.”

The Guttmacher Institute reports that six in ten women who have abortions already have at least one child and 69 percent of women seeking abortions are economically disadvantaged. Roe v. Wade allowed these women to make the decision that enabled them to make their own choices about their bodies and subsequently, their lives. CT NOW believes that as our own individuals, we should have the right to making decisions about our own bodies.

“Unfortunately, not everyone believes in the right to bodily autonomy,” noted Jacqueline Kozin, co-president of CT NOW. “The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,”passed the House of Representatives in 2011, and would prevent women who could not prove “forcible rape” from receiving federal funding for abortions. From forcing mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds in Virginia to creating unreasonable expectations for the operation and maintenance of abortion clinics in Kansas, Michigan, and many more states, anti-abortion advocates are pushing a dangerous agenda that could whittle down the foundation of Roe v. Wade even as the law still stands in effect.

State by state, anti-abortion advocates are working to weaken Roe v. Wade. As supporters of choice, CT NOW stands firm in their support and believes that as the country moves forward, CT NOW will remain dedicated to preserving and protecting this important right.

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