U. S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion 'huge blow' to women’s human rights, gender equality: UN human rights chief

The decision means that all questions of legality and access to abortion will now go to America’s individual states, some of whom immediately put abortion bans into place.

The United Nations human rights chief has termed the U. S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion as a “huge blow” to women’s human rights and gender equality, as UN agencies warned that restricting access to abortion does not prevent people from seeking it but simply makes it “more deadly.” In the historic ruling on June 24, the U. S. Supreme Court decided by six votes to three to overturn the 50-year-old Roe vs Wade judgment that guaranteed access to abortion across the country.

Also overturned on Friday, was  Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case that upheld  Roe .

The decision means that all questions of legality and access to abortion will now go to America’s individual states, some of whom immediately put abortion bans into place.

“The U. S. Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization delivered today represents a major setback after five decades of protection for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the U. S. through Roe vs Wade. It is a huge blow to women’s human rights and gender equality,” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on June 24.

She said access to safe, legal and effective abortion is firmly rooted in the international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy and ability to make their own choices about their bodies and lives, free of discrimination, violence and coercion.

“This decision strips such autonomy from millions of women in the U. S., in particular those with low incomes and those belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, to the detriment of their fundamental rights. More than 50 countries with previously restrictive laws have liberalised their abortion legislation over the past 25 years. With today’s ruling, the U. S. is regrettably moving away from this progressive trend,” she said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) tweeted that every year over 25 million unsafe abortions take place and up to 37,000 women die. It warned that evidence shows that restricting access to abortion does not reduce the number of abortions that occur. Restrictions are, however, more likely to drive women and girls towards unsafe procedures.