The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion across the United States, will have immediate ramifications nationwide: Abortion will now be either illegal or heavily restricted in nearly half of the states.
But global political leaders and international reproductive rights groups said in their immediate reactions that ripple effects from the decision will be felt around the world ― and particularly in regions like Latin America and Africa, where contentious fights continue over access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.
Recent victories in Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico and Kenya have generated a broad sense of progress for the global reproductive rights movement, adding nations from some of the most conservative corners of the world to the list of roughly 60 countries that have expanded abortion rights over the last three decades.
The United States is now one of just a handful of countries that has drastically restricted the right to abortion over that time span, and is by far the largest and most influential nation to do so. Such a seismic defeat in a country whose legalization of abortion often served as a blueprint for success abroad will likely provide a jolt to conservative political leaders and movements that have sought to further restrict abortion access or reverse recent gains.
“The opposition will be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Giselle Carino, the CEO of Fós Feminista, an international reproductive rights advocacy group. Carino, who is Argentine, helped fight for the passage of legislation legalizing abortion in her native country in 2019.
“The regression of rights here in the U.S. will affect our work on everything from comprehensive sexual education to access to abortion care to contraception,” Carino said. “It will have very difficult consequences for all of us in the Global South. It will make our work much harder.”
Heads of state from around the world began weighing in on the decision almost immediately after it was released, with the earliest reactions expressing dismay.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it “a big step backwards” for the United States, adding that he has “always believed in a woman’s right to choose.”
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, said in a tweet that the decision marked “one of the darkest days for women’s rights in my lifetime,” adding that it will “embolden anti-abortion & anti-women forces in other countries too.”
“Solidarity doesn’t feel like enough right now – but it is necessary,” Sturgeon said.
This article will be updated with more reactions to the ruling, so please check back later.
