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10 Ways to Help After Roe v. Wade

Updated: Jun 27, 2022


As American women and people with uteruses and their allies around the nation and globe reel in anger and grief in the largest setback in American women's reproductive rights in half a century, we recognize we have a long road ahead of us to continue our fight for women's reproductive liberty.


The repeal of Roe v. Wade by the United States on June 24, 2022 not only infringes upon reproductive rights of women, however; it also infringes upon health rights and economic stability. How?


The Repeal's Effect on a Woman's Right to Health

There are already whispers that even miscarrying could come with criminal consequences. Additionally, there are multiple medical reasons that could prove fatal for pregnant people if they don't have access to a life-saving abortion. Think septic uterus, miscarriage that the body is holding onto, ectopic pregnancy, etc.


There are also medical reasons that could prove fatal for the fetus, and forced birth would be inhumane and only prolonging the inevitable. There are fetuses that have severe in utero diagnoses inconducive to life, that is to say that being born will ultimately result in their death, causing potentially more stress, harm, and pain for the baby as well as the family.


Finally, this repeal may also affect a woman's right to health in that Justice Clarence Thomas stated that a specific ruling that federally protects access to contraception should be reconsidered as well, now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.


Birth control and contraceptives protect women against a myriad of conditions and diseases beyond just pregnancy. Women take oral contraceptives like The Pill to alleviate otherwise debilitating symptoms of endometriosis, prevent ovarian cysts, help with polycystic ovary syndrome, lowers the user's risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, and eases anemia, PMS, and PMDD.


Other barrier contraceptives such as condoms of course protect against sexually transmitted infections such as herpes, HIV/AIDS, HPV, hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.


With the repeal of Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court and a conservative justice dog whistling to state legislators about access to contraceptives, women's rights to health are under vicious attack.


The Repeal's Effect on a Woman's Financial Stability

Wealthy women who live in states where abortion is not legal or accessible will not suffer as much as women who are already economically burdened. Women with financial stability have the means to travel to neighboring states that offer abortions, while those who aren't have less access both in money and in time, as they may have a more difficult time taking time off work, finding transportation, etc.


A less instant but no less severe financial consequence of abortion being banned for women is being warned by economists around the United States. Fortune published this article outlining how the end of Roe will cause financial disaster and chaos for many women, threatening women's equal participation in society, citing clear "causal connections between abortion access and women's economic opportunities." It also touches on the long-term financial effects on women who are denied abortions (as well as the long-term effects on those women's force-birthed children), as illustrated in the first of its kind study, the Turnaway Study.


The Fortune piece also points out that women's economic welfare was so threatened by the repealing of Roe, that 150 economists filed an amicus brief urging against the repeal by citing decades of economic research.


This repeal disproportionately affects women who are already marginalized: women of color and women already without financial stability or security. Make no mistake, this is a humanitarian issue. This is not only an issue affecting all women, but it is an issue most greatly affecting women who are poor and women who are not white.


So What Can You Do?

Turns out, there's lots. Here are 10 ideas.


Write to local and state legislators, representatives, and senators.

Advocates of the repeal insist it's a good thing because it returns power to the states. Since it is now a state-specific issue, that means getting more involved in state and local politics than ever. The majority of Americans (two-thirds) support Roe v. Wade. Write to your local and state legislators, reps, and senators. If we flood the offices and inboxes of our lawmakers, we can help them see how important this is for all of us, and pressure them into protecting abortion access in our states.


To find your representatives, check out Common Cause. (Hint: State Senators and State Representatives, also known as Assembly members, are the ones responsible for legislation in your state, which is who you want to contact for this issue . U.S. Senators and U.S. Republicans are responsible for legislation at the federal level.)



We also have a letter-writing event so make sure to sign up for that and send letters to your legislators!

Vote!

In the United States, voting is one of the most important ways to assert your voice. It's easy to become complacent, especially if it seems unfair or a lost cause, but it's important to keep your head and your hope. Every single election, from small local elections and board of education elections to large federal and presidential elections are important. Keep up with your local elections (county elections, city elections), state elections, and federal elections with resources like VOTE411 by the League of Women Voters or Rock the Vote.


Share resources on social media.

While it might seem like the tiniest thing, sharing resources may help friends, acquaintances, and followers you never would have known needed help in a time of need. You also are helping to connect those with resources of time and money to organizations that can help women in need. It's possible you'll never even know how much your sharing helped others.


Donate to Abortion Funds.

Abortion funds are organizations that provide access to abortions in the form of helping patients who can't afford an abortion to pay for their care and may even provide additional resources such as transportation, lodging, and childcare. Together, abortion funds form a network of over 90 local and autonomous grassroots organizations that directly support people to get the abortions they want and need. Learn more about abortion funds here and donate to abortion funds here.


Support Reproductive Justice Organizations.

Reproductive Justice is rooted in removing the extra barriers that Black, Latino, and Indigenous people face when it comes to reproductive health. Because of things like systemic and structural racism and white supremacy, these groups often face extra hurdles and live in communities with fewer resources and have fewer access to those resources. There are some organizations that Planned Parenthood recommends when it comes to reproductive justice (the following is an excerpt from the above-linked Planned Parenthood article):


Engage in Peaceful Demonstrations.

Raising a good ruckus is a good thing, and Americans' right to peaceful assembly is something that has been exercised frequently over the last several years by Americans, including American WHE members. Please be sure to be safe and smart when you take to the streets to engage in protest. Finding a local collective of trusted individuals to provide food, water, and medic services should the need arise is important.


Protest with Your Wallet.

Put your money where your heart is and support businesses that are pro-choice and pro-women, while simultaneously boycotting businesses that are anti-choice and anti-women. At the time of this writing, these business are all pro-choice and going to the mat for their employees, pledging to offer support and financial assistance to employees in states without abortion access so employees can travel to abortion-friendly states should they need to: Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Yelp, Disney, Uber, Netflix, Bumble, Match Group, Box.com, Levi Strauss, Comcast-NBC Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Condé Nast, JPMorgan Chase, Nike, Starbucks, Dick's Sporting Goods, Kroger, Alaska Airlines, Goldman Sachs, and Zillow.


Write to Your HR and Benefits Departments at Work.

If you live in a state that bans abortion or has trigger laws, write to your employer and ask them to offer protections and reimbursement as part of the employee benefits package at work. This type of package could include provisions for travel, lodging, childcare, protected time off, and medical access to abortion in neighboring abortion-friendly states. This will allow company employees in abortion-banned states have employer support to make the difficult medical decisions they must make without state politicians meddling in their health decisions.


Organize Early in Your Community to Protect Those Who May Be Prosecuted

If you live in an abortion-banned state, there may be women who are prosecuted to seeking abortions or even for having a miscarriage. Those women will need help and advocacy from their communities, including access to attorneys, legal funds, media outreach, etc. Be proactive and start these community groups now and get organized with volunteers so everything runs as a well-oiled machine to care for women who may need legal representation in the future.


Run for Local or State Office.

This is a tall order that not everyone will feel called to do, but it must be done. For decades, the religious right has organized behind the scenes with the express goal of outbreeding and outvoting those who disagree with their religious views (abortion, non-heterosexual relationships). They've had the goal to take over local, state, and federal office and they are implementing that goal currently. Run for local offices like school board, city council, county board of supervisors, etc. At the state level, you can run for state senator and state representative (responsible for writing bills and passing laws for the state), governor and lieutenant governor, etc. Many local elections run uncontested. There is a huge unmet need for more local and state candidates who care about the state of their community. A resource for those interested in running for public office in the US is RunForOffice.org. For those who are progressive women, SheShouldRun.org is an amazing resource. And for progressive potential candidates in general, RunForSomething.net is a good resource.


 

Charlie Nichols is the founder of WHE and a staff contributor. Charlie studied Journalism & Mass Communication, Marketing, and Psychology at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. She has practiced witchcraft for over two decades and is a certified spiritual empowerment coach, a certified ethical psychic, and a certified crystal healer. Charlie lives on the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA with her partner, daughter, and animal companions.


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