How U.S. Policies Shape Abortion Rights Around The World
By Naomi Elster
It’s no secret that the United States has a massive global influence on politics — but too often, we forget how this influence extends to women’s rights. Around the world, countries make decisions on abortion and reproductive health that can be traced, at least in part, to precedents set in the U.S.
“The U.S. can be quite isolationist; it doesn’t often look outside of its borders. But a lot of other countries do look to the U.S. and will cite U.S. Supreme Court proceedings in their own court proceedings,” explains Grace Wilentz, a human rights activist and policy expert based in Dublin, Ireland, who has over 10 years of experience working in the sexual and reproductive rights arena and consulting for multiple international NGOs and UN agencies on these issues.
With the election approaching, it’s a particularly valuable time to look at the ways that U.S. policies shape those around the world — and how this affects even more than the crucial issue of abortion access.
Roe v. Wade
Not surprisingly, one of the most influential U.S. decisions on other countries has been Roe v. Wade. Decided in 1973, the ruling was of its time, heavily influenced by abortion liberalization happening globally, particularly in Western Europe. And…
