Jennifer Merchant, Ph.D*. in Political Sciences from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, and Professor of Anglo-American legal and political institutions at the Université de Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), spoke for the Global Women’s Caucus in Paris on June 13 on the subject of the Criminalization of Women’s Bodies, following the recent abortion bans or restrictios in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio.
No one in the audience was disappointed with Dr. Merchant’s complete and informative story of historical landmarks that got us to where we are today. Most striking was her analysis of trends in abortions (in 2014, the U.S. abortion rate reached a historic low) and the segment of the population most affected by the restrictions. Because of lack of access to health insurance and health care, abortion is increasingly concentrated among poor women, and abortion rates continue to vary by race and ethnicity.
The question about reversing Roe v Wade was naturally a key point. If Roe fell, abortion rights would be lost in some states and remain secure in others.
- 22 states could ban abortion outright.
- In 8 states (including the District of Columbia), the right to abortion is at risk of loss.
- In 21 states, the right to abortion appears to be more or less secure.
To watch the recording of Jennifer Merchant’s talk and hear her opinions about where we go from here, you can click here.