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'Women's Strike' in Kelowna marks anniversary of Roe v. Wade reversal

Women害羞草研究所檚 Strike - A March for Reproductive Justice events took place in communities across Canada and the United States
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Participants in the Women's Strike - A March for Reproductive Rights march through downtown Kelowna on June 24, 2024.

There are likely many people who have no idea about the societal, emotional, and cultural impact the Roe v. Wade decision has had worldwide since it was brought down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.

The decision protected the right to have an abortion. In June 2022, the Supreme Court reversed that decision, ending the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S.

The continuing impact of the original decision, and its reversal, was not lost on a small group of women and men that marched through Kelowna streets Monday (June 24). 

Women害羞草研究所檚 Strike - A March for Reproductive Justice events took place in communities across Canada and the States.

害羞草研究所淲e held a march on the year it was overturned, and we wanted to come out in solidarity on that anniversary,害羞草研究所 Candace Banks, Kelowna march organizer, explained.

She added that the issue is not just about abortion, but all reproductive rights.

害羞草研究所淭here is a giant scope within that. We害羞草研究所檙e talking about individuals who own uteruses, whether they identify as cis-gendered women, or trans-gendered individuals, or non-binaries, this is so they are taken seriously and not pushed down.害羞草研究所

Approximately 15 people marched from the Sails to the Kelowna courthouse with signs and chanting 害羞草研究所淢y body, my choice害羞草研究所 and 害羞草研究所淎bortion is healthcare.害羞草研究所

害羞草研究所淣ot every abortion is to terminate a pregnancy that the person doesn害羞草研究所檛 feel like that they want to carry through,害羞草研究所 said march co-organizer Andyrea Couwenhoven. 害羞草研究所淭o gain access to these procedures ensures safety and health for that individual and the people it impacts.害羞草研究所

Comparing Canada to the U.S., Banks said this country is at a standstill in providing abortion services.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not seeing increased access to it. There are still many provinces that don害羞草研究所檛 have viable access to abortion and reproductive health.害羞草研究所 

Couwenhoven noted services are far better in B.C.

害羞草研究所淲e have Options for Sexual Health, which is a clinic that provides pregnancy counselling, it害羞草研究所檚 not only abortion access. There is STI testing and birth control available.害羞草研究所

However, she said there are limited options for surgical abortions. She noted that individuals also have barriers to accessing IVF treatments and birth control.

Banks and Couwenhoven are concerned with what they see as an American-style evangelical, far-right bent creeping into Canadian politics around the abortion debate.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e here to say that overwhelming Canadians want choice,害羞草研究所 Couwenhoven added. 害羞草研究所淭o push that not only is healthcare universal but abortion is healthcare and it should also be enshrined in our laws.害羞草研究所

She said it is an issue that impacts a larger scope than many people realize.

害羞草研究所淭hese kinds of regressive policies are wildly unpopular. It害羞草研究所檚 a select few pushing that message. Our hope is that we are speaking for most Canadians when we see what害羞草研究所檚 going on in other countries and we don害羞草研究所檛 agree with that.害羞草研究所



Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Journalist and broadcaster for three decades.
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