Center for Reproductive Rights and We Testify Debut Video Series Commemorating 45th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Today, the Center for Reproductive Rights, in partnership with We Testify, a program of the National Network of Abortion Funds, released a series of videos featuring women from across the country speaking out on the importance of safe and legal abortion. The videos commemorate the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade – the landmark Supreme Court decision that guaranteed a woman’s constitutional right to safe and legal abortion. Said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights: “Forty-five years ago, the Supreme Court recognized in Roe v. Wade women’s constitutional right to abortion. While the Trump Administration has taken every opportunity to undermine women’s reproductive rights and healthcare access, the landmark high court decision maintains strong public support and we are proud to parter with We Testify to lift up the brave voices sharing their experiences with abortion. “We cannot go back to the days before Roe, and we can’t let up in our fight until all women, no matter her zip code, has access to the full range of reproductive health services. Just as we did in the historic Supreme Court case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Center for Reproductive Rights will continue to defend and protect the constitutional rights of all women and make their voices heard.”
Four- and-a- half decades following the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, the Center for Reproductive Rights and We Testify brought together women to underscore the importance of access to safe and legal abortion in people’s lives while also helping to break down stigma and promote understanding.
Said Yamani Hernandez, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds:
“The National Network of Abortion Funds, and our abortion storyteller leadership program We Testify, are proud to partner with the Center for Reproductive Rights to elevate the diversity of voices of those who choose abortion every day. Everyone loves someone who has had an abortion, and through these videos, abortion storytellers are able to compassionately share their truths.
“Now is a time to celebrate our resilience and our progress. So often we talk and hear about the threat to Roe and to abortion access as a whole. So often we are scared into only working to defend the access we currently have rather than pushing for new legislation that would expand the access we need in the future. We have been on the defense for long enough. We harness our collective power to rise up for Roe and expand abortion access to the fullest extent of the dreams of those who fought so hard for this win in 1973.”
The landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe – establishing access to abortion as a constitutional right – has informed more than four decades of high court precedent. While Roe has been settled law for 45 years, it remains under constant attack. With President Donald Trump in office, we face potentially the greatest threat to reproductive rights in more than a generation. The Center for Reproductive Rights updated its 2007 report, What If Roe Fell?, to answer the question on everyone’s mind on the 45th anniversary of Roe: what will happen if Roe were toppled in your state, the day after?
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For 25 years, the Center for Reproductive Rights has used the power of law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect, and fulfill.
We Testify, a program of the National Network of Abortion Funds, is dedicated to increasing the spectrum of abortion storytellers in the public sphere and shifting the way the media understands the context and complexity of accessing abortion care. We Testify seeks to build the power and leadership of abortion storytellers, particularly those of color, those from rural and conservative communities, those who are queer identified, those with varying abilities and citizenship statuses, and those who needed support when navigating barriers while accessing abortion care.
