This AMERICAN LIFE
The Australian Women's Weekly|August 2022
A woman’s right to decide what happens to her own body has just taken a massive dive in modern America. The Weekly investigates the Roe v. Wade debate.
This AMERICAN LIFE

Even though the ruling was widely anticipated, it came with the shock of a punch to the gut and, for many, the wrench of a family bereavement. Roe v.Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that for almost 50 years had guaranteed American women’s right to terminate a pregnancy, had been overturned. In an instant, millions of American women had control of what happens to their own bodies taken away from them. And while abortion has not been made illegal across America; individual states will now decide whether women can terminate their pregnancies. And about half the US states will legislate or already have to deny them that right.

When the ruling was handed down in June, protesters immediately converged on the Supreme Court in Washington, the temple-like building which has become the legal battlefield for so many of America’s most contentious issues. Angry pro-choice protesters held aloft placards reading ‘Abortion is Healthcare’ and ‘My Body My Choice’. “This is a nightmare,” shouted one of the protesters. “I’m 21 and I’m terrified.” Others chanted: “Keep abortion safe and legal.”

Anti-abortion campaigners, assembling just metres away, held a victory celebration. They equate abortion with the murder of unborn children. For them, overturning Roe was the answer to a prayer. One group of young evangelical Christians came dressed in bright red T-shirts with the slogan: ‘The pro-life generation.’ They held aloft banners: ‘The future is anti-abortion’. ‘Roe is dead’.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLYView all
Hitting a nerve
The Australian Women's Weekly

Hitting a nerve

Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Take me to the river
The Australian Women's Weekly

Take me to the river

With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
The last act
The Australian Women's Weekly

The last act

When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
The Australian Women's Weekly

MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN

When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
The wines and lines mums
The Australian Women's Weekly

The wines and lines mums

Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.

time-read
10 mins  |
July 2024
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
The Australian Women's Weekly

Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?

Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Growing happiness
The Australian Women's Weekly

Growing happiness

Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
The Australian Women's Weekly

"Thank God we make each other laugh"

A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2024
Winter baking with apples and pears
The Australian Women's Weekly

Winter baking with apples and pears

Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Budget dinner winners
The Australian Women's Weekly

Budget dinner winners

Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024