“My body, my choice.” While that has been a mantra said by some women for decades, the Supreme Court is trying to undermine this basic right for females to make decisions about their own bodies. A leak of Supreme Court news has revealed that the nine justices are debating overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, a decision in which the court ruled that the U.S. Constitution protected abortion liberties for pregnant women.
The U.S. government is a male-dominated body. Men make up 73% of Congress at large, 76% of the U.S. Senate, and most importantly, six out of the nine justices of the Supreme Court. The fate of female rights lies in the hands of men, which, to me, is fundamentally wrong. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, said, “Here we are today, a body of 100 — 76 percent of which are male — making decisions about the private lives of the nearly 168 million [women] in this country. That’s ludicrous.” The male majority of the court is trying to take away rights regarding pregnancy, something they will never experience firsthand. As a result they will never fully understand the situations of the individuals their decision is impacting.
If women want to feel represented and advocated for in court, we need to vote and elect more female leaders who understand and relate to our needs. Even if these elected candidates do not share the same views on abortion, they are at least voting knowing that the decision will have a direct impact on them. Without changing the demographics of America’s government, the female population will never be safe or protected.
On May 11, Senate voted on a bill which would have guaranteed abortion rights across the country. However, it failed to reach the necessary votes, falling 11 short of the 60 needed. This legislation that the Democratic party was hoping to pass would have prohibited a long list of restrictions on abortion, and they claim that this bill would have been even more extensive than Roe.
In response to the results of this vote, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “This vote clearly suggests that the Senate is not where the majority of Americans are on this issue.” It is clear that, as of right now, the Senate has a minority when it comes to preserving abortion rights, which is something that is up to the voters to change by electing more officials who will be directly impacted by their political opinions.
Even if you cannot vote yet, be sure to keep this in mind as you reach the legal age: Vote for more female officials in government if you want your views to be represented.
