To live in one of the most progressive nations means to live without bodily autonomy. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade—a ruling that granted women the constitutional right to reproductive choice—in 2022, over 168 million women in America were left vulnerable to inadequate reproductive healthcare.

The most pressing question of all, of course, is why? Why, if the United States strives to be the “land of the free,” where all people are created equal and deserve equality and deserving of unalienable rights, is the well-being of women constantly cast aside? 

Female rights and liberties have only seemed to increase since the founding of the U.S. From the Women’s Suffrage Movement, where women fought for the right to vote and hold office in the 19th century, to its fruition, where Hillary Clinton became the first woman to receive a presidential nomination from a major political party and Kamala Harris the first woman–and woman of color– to be vice president, it is clear that there has been sizable growth in women’s roles in higher government positions. 

In addition, the righteous judgments of the Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade cases, which granted married women the right to contraception and all women access to reproductive choice, demonstrates the success that feminists have achieved through their battle against previous societal norms.

Despite the evolution of gender equality within the country, it is important to stay aware of current proceedings and avoid false optimism. With a significantly more the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court–which is now significantly more right-winged Supreme Court, following Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices during his presidential term, –reproductive bodily autonomy is now up to state interpretation. Fourteen states have already implemented heavy autonomy bans, while a few others limited this to only the first six weeks of pregnancy. Though Californians were not affected by this change, the repercussions of limitations set on female autonomy could be felt across the nation. 

Moreover, this law disproportionately affects women from marginalized communities. One of which being low-income individuals who are unable to afford the cost of travel to a state where reproductive healthcare is more accessible. According to the Guttmacher Institute, low-income individuals make up 75% of planned termination patients. Restrictions on female bodily autonomy have also exacerbated consequences for women of color, who are more likely to face barriers to quality healthcare, insurance, and transportation. What used to be a right for all has now become a luxury for many.

The regression of women’s reproductive rights has been a persisting riptide, powered by the combination of corrupt political ideologies and social-economic inequality. Change must occur in order to end these injustices women’s injustice. History serves as a permanent reference: it is only through the actions of the people that progress is driven. The concept of “sustained activism,” noted by American political scientist Erica Chenoweth, in support of women’s right to have a choice, is just one of many ways that society can push against injustice. Living as a female in the U.S. may mean indefinite mistreatment for the time being, but in order to break through the walls of oppression, individuals like you and I–must have courage and stand for change.