Date Published: 1 July 2022
We acknowledge the profound tensions felt by many in relation to the practice of abortion, however despite individual positions on the issue, as a profession founded on the principles of social justice and human rights, we are unable to reconcile the US Supreme Court’s decision with our professional value base.
This decision has in practice resulted in the removal of a basic human right; it prevents people who can get pregnant from exercising autonomy over their body and making informed choices regarding their medical care and future. It belittles these people by asserting that state lawmakers know what’s best for them, with no regard to personal and social factors which are carefully considered by those accessing abortion, such as their physical health, mental health, financial security, available support, personal safety and existing responsibilities.
Women and other genders who already face hardship through marginalisation will be disproportionately harmed by the US Supreme Court’s decision which will further perpetuate cycles of disadvantage and widen inequities across society.
The prospect of our US colleagues facing criminal charges simply by doing their jobs and promoting self-determination and supportive decision-making around reproductive health is unfathomable. The prospect of abortion services being driven underground resulting in entirely preventable death and injury is heart-breaking.
It is on this basis that we simply cannot support the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion. We stand with all people who can get pregnant, and our social work colleagues in the US to condemn this injustice.
We will continue to advocate for reproductive rights and justice to ensure that such a decision does not undermine the critical progress we have achieved in Aotearoa New Zealand by decriminalising abortion in 2020. We urge social workers to stay vigilant against attempts to reduce access to abortion care through legal, funding, and/or regulatory methods.
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