UNA-USA’s Statement on the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

The United Nations Associations of the USA (UNA-USA) Executive Director Rachel Bowen Pittman released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn federal constitutional protections on abortion rights goes against bedrock UNA-USA principles, mainly that a woman’s right to bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right. The Supreme Court’s ruling has effectively eliminated years of progress in advancing gender equality and will exacerbate inequities in healthcare access for Black women and women of color who are disproportionately affected by abortion bans.

“This ruling is in direct conflict with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a landmark international agreement adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. The United States joins only five other nations in the world that has not ratified this important treaty affirming the principles of fundamental human rights and equality for girls and women around the world.

“Through advocacy for U.S. funding and leadership at the UN, we will continue to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our UNA Women Affinity Group will educate and mobilize local communities nationwide to mitigate this decision’s impact and collaborate with the Cities for CEDAW initiative, a grassroots effort to pass local and state ordinances and resolutions on CEDAW.

Generations will remember our actions. We will fight for the rights of all women to lead healthy and empowered lives.“

About the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA):

The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) is a grassroots movement of Americans who support the vital work of the United Nations in U.S. communities, colleges, and Congress. For more than 75 years, UNA-USA and its national network of 20,000 members and 200 chapters have promoted strong U.S. leadership at the UN through advocacy campaigns, youth engagement, outreach programs, and public events. Learn more.