Women should have the right to choose
Abortion continues to be a controversial topic among politicians and the nation as a whole.
Recently, Arkansas became the eighth state in the nation to ban abortions past the twelfth week of pregnancy.
Today, in North Dakota women are not allowed abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected; this may happen as early as six weeks after conception. These types of abortion policies are the strictest in the nation and seem to be a recent trend in Republican states.
In 1973 Roe v. Wade set the federal precedent that a woman has the right to choose in terms of abortion. In addition to Arkansas and North Dakota, seven other states have recently implemented similar restrictive policies. We ask ourselves, what can we expect next, the nation?
It is 2013, and women are being stripped of their rights to have control of their own bodies.
Women will continue to be in a position of needing an abortion, and that will not stop while politicians debate the issue. While policymakers have been excited to enact abortion restrictions, there has been no talk of how these states will deal with infants who are born to mothers and families who do not want them.
Where are the programs offering financial support to women and families who cannot afford these babies?
Where are the free and effective parenting programs that will prevent abuse and neglect of unwanted babies? Where is the low-cost or free childcare for overburdened families?
Women who are left with the decision to abort as a result of rape or incest are already experiencing traumatic emotional and physical consequences as a result, and seeking abortion under the new laws will possibly deter these women from obtaining services. What measures will women have to take to obtain abortions in states like Arkansas and North Dakota? The recent political actions taken in states like Arkansas and North Dakota have raised alarm among several activists groups. Now more than ever, social workers have the opportunity to exercise their advocacy skills and help fight for all women to have the right to choice.
Vanessa Gonzales, Miriam Vitela, Karina Quintero, Elizabeth Chalme and Angela Ruiz are graduate social work students at CSULB.