Governor Kristi Noem and 240 women scholars, professionals and pro-life feminist organizations have filed an amicus brief in a pending Supreme Court of the United States abortion case.
“For my entire life, women have been told that pregnancy is a barrier to a successful career. This lie has led to millions of abortions, despite women like me and countless others proving that successful careers and motherhood are not mutually exclusive,” Governor Kristi Noem said. “I was born a little over a year before the U.S. Supreme Court decided that abortion is necessary for women to succeed. I was eight months pregnant when I first took over our family ranch following my father’s tragic death. Today, as a former state legislator, congresswoman, and South Dakota’s first female governor, I stand in defiance of the lies perpetrated by the Roe decision.”
In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court will decide on the constitutionality of prohibiting abortion before the “viability” of the unborn child outside the womb. The Court has the opportunity to go further and recognize that the Constitution does not protect the so-called right to terminate unborn life, which would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey altogether.
The friend-of-the-court brief rejects the notion, set out in the Roe and Casey decisions, that the ability of women to achieve economic and social equality depends on abortion. For that reason and others, the High Court should overturn Roe and Casey.
The amicus brief cites empirical evidence pointing to the sustained economic and social achievements of American women regardless of abortion access. The brief notes that American women continued to make progress towards economic equality in the 90’s and 2000’s, even as abortion rates plummeted across the country.
The Women Scholars and Professionals amicus brief is supported by hundreds of pro-life women, along with pro-life feminist organizations including Feminists Choosing Life of New York, Feminists for Nonviolent Choices, New Wave Feminists, Pro-Life San Francisco, Secular Pro-Life, Siena Symposium, and Women Affirming Life. The brief is co-authored by Professors Helen Alvaré of Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Virginia and Teresa Collett of University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota, the Director of that school’s Pro-Life Center.
A copy of the amicus brief may be downloaded here.
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