Protect Right to Choose for Women and Girls

Target: Joe Biden, President of the United States

Goal: Do more to strengthen reproductive health protections for women nationwide.

A pregnant woman whose child will almost certainly be born in tremendous pain and die hours thereafter is denied an abortion by her state. A ten-year-old rape victim from Ohio is forced to travel to Indiana to get an abortion after her state enacts a law criminalizing the procedure. Now, the doctor who treated this child is under criminal investigation. And in Wisconsin, a woman who suffered a miscarriage could not have her fetal tissue removed by emergency room personnel, resulting in days of bleeding and intense emotional trauma. This is the new reality in America, where politicians now have ownership of a woman’s uterus and her reproductive rights.

The archaic structure of a gridlocked Congress essentially dooms any current action at the legislative level, and executive powers are limited. Some proposals have been put forth that merit attention, however. For one, the president may want to take a closer look at the proposed opening of women’s health centers that can address all reproductive choices on federal lands. While the logistics of this move are tricky, if it can help even one woman the complications are well worth the effort. In addition, every measure should be taken to protect women who cross state lines to receive reproductive healthcare. And in the easiest-to-execute effort of all, the president could and should declare a public health emergency, unleashing federal funds and resources for this long struggle ahead.

Sign the petition below to encourage a bold and proactive response to the war on reproductive freedom.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Biden,

While you have stressed that your powers to restore reproductive rights are limited, you must understand the stakes for women who feel that they are being returned to a time when they were second-class citizens. No politician should take ownership of a woman’s body or her most private healthcare decisions.  Clinical facilities across the country are in chaos, paralyzed by uncertainty about issues from contraception to ectopic pregnancies.

Please heed the calls for a public health emergency declaration. As the tragic cases of young rape victims and women forced to make heart-wrenching decisions between life and quality of life demonstrate, the reversal of Roe v. Wade has indeed unleashed a public health emergency. Also, strongly reconsider proposals for federal land usage in the preservation of reproductive freedom. Leasing these lands to facilities may remove some of the potential legal complications that drew your concern. In addition, the Justice Department can play an important role in defending the rights of girls and women to cross state lines for compassionate and comprehensive healthcare.

Unrelenting and passionate leadership is essential. Please meet this critical moment in history for health rights and women’s rights.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Brett Sayles