US abortion law decision brings attention to rights of women in Africa
Millions of Americans will no longer have access to safe abortion services. The most impacted people are those who are undocumented, impoverished, young, black, and have suffered intimate partner abuse. Abortions become less safe when they are prohibited, not less common. Regardless of the legal situation, abortion occurs in around half of unwanted pregnancies [4-6].
A vote on whether or not abortion is a human right in situations including rape, incest, and fetal impairment is anticipated in the US Senate. The US would become unusual in the globe as a result of this choice. Since 2000, the abortion regulations of 21 African nations have been loosened, including seven that have adapted to the Maputo protocol [7-9].
The majority of bilateral funding for sexual and reproductive health comes from the US. Countries that significantly rely on foreign funding to finance their healthcare systems seek to donor nations for advice. Because they worry that the US global health aid they rely on may be decreased, countries may utilize the US abortion ban to further limit access to abortions [10, 11].
The most impacted are women and teenagers who become pregnant unintentionally, especially those who already deal with structural inequities. The decision might undermine local efforts to advance sexual and reproductive rights and bolster anti-choice forces [12-14].
The ruling may provide reproductive rights organizations in the United States and Africa the chance to work together to advance reproductive rights in Africa. Together, they might stop a US ruling from impeding the advancement of reproductive rights in African nations [15-17].
Totally, The Roe v. Wade decision, which established women’s access to abortion in the US as a fundamental right in 1973, is on the verge of being overturned by the US Supreme Court. Experts in reproductive health are worried that the decision might endanger women’s rights worldwide. People who are undocumented, poor, young, black, and have experienced intimate partner abuse are those who are most affected.
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