The US Supreme Court recently struck down the right of an American woman to abortion in a 6: 3 ruling, almost 50 years after the historic Roe v. Wade judgment that guaranteed the right. States can now pass laws to completely ban abortions.
Women’s right to abortion assumes many dimensions—medical, social, and economic impacting women and their workforce participation.
A form of gender discrimination: Denying them the right negates any move to prioritize their health and deprives the opportunity to exercise their right on a par with men. It prevents them from taking charge of their lives, planning their families, and deciding what is suited for their mental health.
Restricts job opportunities: Many jobs are still not accessible for women if they have children to take care of. According to studies, in some states in the US that already have restrictive abortion laws, women have moved to lower-paying occupations.
Impact on income: Restricted job options make the workforce lopsided due to the existing pay gap. A paper, which analyzed the job rates for women before the 1973 judgment in the US, found that states that made abortion legal saw women earning more hourly wages. Young women who wanted to put off unplanned pregnancy saw an 11% rise in wages.
Tied to educational attainment and financial empowerment: Another research in the US showed that 40% of women who sought abortions attributed the decision to financial reasons. Research says that the choice of abortion can be linked to their financial stability. It is also connected to their decision to continue in the workforce or pursue education and have the degree and skills they need.
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group, which has been at the forefront of enabling the growth of women’s workforce participation in the country and a leading DEI solutions firm, said, “Specifically in the US, studies carried out in the early 70s showed that reducing unwanted pregnancies through legalized abortions increased women’s workforce participation. For single black women, it was a shot in the arm. In the present scenario, when we are in a situation exacerbated by the ongoing great resignation where women are leaving the workforce in huge numbers, taking away the right to abortion will lead to a further dent in the labor market. The biggest reason for women leaving the workforce is childcare and child-rearing duties that are disproportionately borne by them. Denying them the choice to decide when to start a family will make them exit the workforce, especially women belonging to already underrepresented ethnic groups.”
The US ruling makes it one among a list of countries that have restricted the procedure.
Some with restrictive laws are Egypt, The Philippines, Laos, El Salvador, and Malta.
Here is a look at some of the abortion laws across the world
India: The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 allows for abortion up to 20 weeks of gestation. An amendment in 2021 allowed the termination of up to 24 weeks for categories like rape, or survivors of incest provided it gets approved by two doctors.
The United Kingdom: Abortion in the UK is legally available through the Abortion Act 1967 in Great Britain for up to 24 weeks of pregnancy after approval from two doctors. The Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No.2) Regulations 2020 permits abortion in Northern Ireland, making it one of the most recent countries to approve the procedure after decriminalizing abortion in 2019. Women can undergo an abortion till 24 weeks.
France: Abortion was legalized in 1975 under Veil Law. It permits abortion up to 14 weeks of conception. After the US ruling, the French government is mulling over a bill aimed at enshrining the right to abortion in the French Constitution.
China: Abortion is legal and permitted in different provinces, where regulations may vary. In 2021, the country announced limits on abortions to ensure gender equality, restricting the procedure for non-medical reasons.
Japan: Abortion in Japan is permitted till the 22nd week of gestation, in case the pregnancy or birth leads to the endangerment of the pregnant woman or economic hardship.
Egypt: Abortion is prohibited by Articles 260–264 of the Penal Code of 1937. The Penal Code allows the procedure in cases where pregnancy is a threat to a woman’s life.
