The Horrible Reality of Abortion Rights in Georgia

November 15, 2023

Last month, the status of abortion access in the South got even more dire. On October 24, the Georgia Supreme Court in its 6-1 decision, allowed the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks to stay in effect. In the words of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective’s Executive Director, Monica Simpson, the decision “means that our people will continue to face the horrible reality that they are in today where Georgians are suffering because they cannot access abortion care.”

Such a horrible reality is unacceptable. Thankfully, there are still fights to be had in the Georgia courts. Jessica Mason Pieklo urges us to remember that, in the face of this devastating decision, not all hope is lost. The case will now return to the trial court to determine whether the ban violates Georgians’ rights to privacy and equal protection under Georgia’s constitution.

We at the Woodhull Freedom Foundation firmly believe that the people of Georgia have a human right to sexual freedom, including a right to abortion, and we recognize the importance of having that right legally protected. We extend our complete support to the plaintiffs – a coalition of “physicians, reproductive health centers, and reproductive justice advocates” – in their fight to restore Georgians’ ability to obtain legal abortions before six weeks of gestation.