{"id":84,"date":"2014-10-10T22:04:05","date_gmt":"2014-10-11T05:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aauwarizona.com\/?page_id=84"},"modified":"2017-10-30T14:05:39","modified_gmt":"2017-10-30T21:05:39","slug":"womens-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/advocacy\/womens-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

From AAUW National: Roe\u2019s Legacy Is More than Reproductive Rights<\/h1>\n
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\"AAUW<\/p>\n

AAUW President Marjorie Bell Chambers and Sarah Weddington read the AAUW research report, But We Will Persist<\/em>, 1979. Weddington spoke at the 1979 AAUW convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"By:<\/strong> Mollie Lam<\/a><\/div>\n
\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

Below is the fascinating history of Roe vs. Wade, written by Mollie Lam in 2015, followed by an update for 2017.<\/em><\/h3>\n

The U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in this country, Roe v. Wade<\/em> is the\u00a0pivotal<\/a> reproductive rights case of the last century and a precious victory for women\u2019s equality under the law. For me, though, Roe<\/em> is more than legal precedent. It is a testament to the power young women can harness.<\/p>\n

In 1972, the year the Supreme Court heard arguments in Roe v. Wade<\/em>, many states still criminalized abortion. Indeed, legal access to birth control was new \u2014 it had been less than a decade since the Supreme Court overturned Connecticut\u2019s law banning the use of contraception. You might reasonably assume that Jane Roe and her advocates would have chosen a well-known, experienced lawyer with multiple Supreme Court arguments under his \u2014 and yes, probably a \u201chis\u201d \u2014 belt. You\u2019d be wrong.<\/p>\n

Attorney Sarah Weddington<\/a> was 26 years old when she appeared before the Supreme Court to argue on Jane Roe\u2019s behalf. She was a freshly minted lawyer without significant legal experience. At the time, few women attorneys were practicing at all, much less practicing before the nation\u2019s highest court. Weddington\u2019s age made her the\u00a0youngest Supreme Court advocate in history. The fact that she argued \u2014 and won \u2014 the groundbreaking Roe v. Wade<\/em> case is just the climax of an already extraordinary story. [In 1992 AAUW named Weddington a Women of Distinction. This program\u00a0pays tribute to women leaders who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professions or their communities.]<\/p>\n

When I talk with women who championed Roe<\/em> 40 years ago, they\u2019re frustrated that their daughters and granddaughters are still fighting battles they believed they\u2019d won in 1973, frustrated that contraceptive care and abortion access are still issues<\/a> today<\/a>. And I share their frustrations. But anti-choice backlash can\u2019t diminish Weddington\u2019s personal legacy. She proved the power, influence, and capability of young advocates on a national stage. Ensuring reproductive justice will take many more victories, and Weddington showed us we can win.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve only been an attorney for a few years, I\u2019m older now than Weddington was in 1972. What I celebrate on Roe<\/em>\u2019s anniversary, what inspires me about Roe<\/em>\u2019s history, is the fact that young women like me led the movement to win reproductive justice. I remember Weddington\u2019s work and resolve to follow in her footsteps.<\/p>\n

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Update 2017:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n
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In the two years since Mollie wrote her fascinating story of the history of Roe v. Wade, the country has elected anti choice candidates to Congress and the Presidency.\u00a0 The Arizona Legislature is lining up bills to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides comprehensive health care to thousands of women, egged on by the Center for Arizona Policy.\u00a0 AAUW supports a woman\u2019s right to choose what is right for her own health and her own family.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From AAUW National: Roe\u2019s Legacy Is More than Reproductive Rights AAUW President Marjorie Bell Chambers and Sarah Weddington read the AAUW research report, But We Will Persist, 1979. Weddington spoke at the 1979 AAUW convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. By: Mollie Lam \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Below is the fascinating history of Roe vs. Wade, written by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":52,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-84","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/Pawx6I-1m","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1046,"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84\/revisions\/1046"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aauwarizona.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}