California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Statement on Leaked SCOTUS Draft Opinion to End Abortion and Privacy Rights

SACRAMENTO – May 3, 2022 – The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls strongly condemns the draft SCOTUS opinion released yesterday that would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, and fundamentally undermine the American people’s rights to privacy and self-determination. Women in California will not stand by as Americans are stripped of their rights and our hard-won progress is eliminated.

If the Supreme Court of the United States does indeed follow the thread of this draft, millions of people in thirteen states who can become pregnant will face a future in which they find themselves unable to access safe or legal care. This will not stop them from obtaining abortions – but it will stop them from being able to do so safely.

The right to self-determination, to choose what happens to one’s own body, can not be a right bestowed only on the wealthy and the powerful as it is antithetical to the very foundations of democracy. Lack of access impacts low income communities and communities of color first and is fundamentally inequitable. It is vital that those seeking care understand that this draft opinion has not yet removed access and that safe and legal abortions are still available to those who seek them for now.

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls stands ready to do whatever is required to protect the rights to privacy, choice, access to healthcare, and self-determination. We are proud to administer the largest privately funded abortion access program for CSU and UC students in the state, and of our work with the Future of Abortion Council. We will continue to fight for the rights of women and pregnant people to make decisions about their own bodies through policy, education, advocacy at every level, and our on-the-ground support of providers and advocacy efforts. The Commission is ready to step up and support women and girls in California and from out of state that need access to care.

California has been preparing for this decision and the Commission is honored to be a part of the effort to ensure that our state is a refuge for all in need. We stand with Senate Pro Tempore Atkins, Speaker Rendon, and Governor Newsom in support of a constitutional amendment to the state constitution to enshrine the rights of reproductive justice for all in our state. California will be a refuge and a shining light for true freedom and equality – we will be a California for ALL in which women and people who can become pregnant will remain protected.

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About the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls works in a culturally inclusive manner to promote equality and justice for all women and girls by advocating on their behalf with the Governor, the Legislature and other public policymakers, and by educating the public in the areas of economic equity including educational equity, access to health care including reproductive choice, violence against women and other key issue areas identified by the Commission as significantly affecting women and girls.

Contact:

Darcy Totten, Director of Communications

Email: darcy.totten@women.ca.gov

Cell: 916-261-6705