Another violation of women’s rights. In Idaho, in the United States, a new law was passed on March 23, authorizing civil lawsuits against health professionals practicing voluntary terminations of pregnancy (abortion).
Promulgated by Governor of Idaho, Brad Little, this new law allows the families of women who have undergone an abortion, but also the father of the fetus (even if it is the result of a rape), to file a complaint against healthcare professionals who underwent the procedure.
If the governor proclaims himself defender of the rights of “unborn babies”, he nevertheless expresses certain doubts about this new measure. He argues that it could weaken the collective freedoms of the state. In a letter to local parliamentarians, he expresses his fear that the law could turn against other rights dear to conservatives, such as the right to own and carry a firearm.
A law that provokes indignation
This new law has generated many negative reactions, such as that of Lauren Bramwell, defender of rights and freedom. “Legislators have openly bragged about this law as a clever way to limit access to abortion,” she lamented, according to AFP.
Especially since it echoes the controversy in Texas last August. The State had in fact taken the decision to prohibit abortion for women after six weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape or incest. For White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, these measures call into question the decision of the Supreme Court, the emblematic judgment “Roe v. Wade” of 1973, which guarantees the right of women to have an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
In the United States, the subject of abortion is still at the heart of the debate. 1,844 measures related to contraception and abortion were introduced in 46 states between January 1 and March 15, 2022, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which fights for women’s rights.
