5 Moments Reproductive Rights Suffered a Huge Blow in the United States in 2014
2014 was the year Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Beyonce teamed up as the perfect pair of feminist fighters, but when it comes to reproductive rights in the United States, there are still some battles to be waged. The landscape of abortion and contraceptive rights across the nation continued to alter, dramatically, with states like Texas seeing the majority of their abortion clinics closed and birth control accessed impeded. Tennessee has also begun criminalizing pregnant, drug-addicted women, while Indiana continued to arrest women who try to self-terminate their pregnancies, due to health and financial hardship. And don’t forget about that little ruling favoring the religious beliefs of a craft store over the health and livelihood of its female employees.
This year may have brought us #DrHobbyLobby and his sage advice, but there’s also been victories that indicate a changing tide may be on the horizon. It’s also obvious that the pro-choice movement has expanded, embracing a reproductive justice framework that has been fostered for years by women of color and grassroots activists. With this framework comes a new, clearer lens that moves reproductive rights past the age-old pro-life, pro-choice debate.
As if Texas, Indiana, and Tennessee’s rulings weren’t frightening enough, here’s a look at five other major moments, from abortion access to Ferguson, that changed the landscape of reproductive rights in the United States…
More: 5 Moments Reproductive Rights Suffered a Huge Blow in the United States in 2014