Abortion rights protest march overturns 50-year-old judgment and confrontation across the United States

In New York, USA, a large-scale demonstration was held to appeal for women's rights to regain their rights regarding abortion, which was overturned last year by the Supreme Court of the United States 50 years ago.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the right to abortion is guaranteed by the Constitution, January 22nd, which is considered the day when women's rights are most conscious in the United States. It's the 50th anniversary of the event.

However, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling in June last year, and the conflict of opinion has intensified across the United States.

On the 22nd, people who appealed for women's rights to abortion held large-scale demonstrations across the United States, and in New York, about 500 people marched more than 3.5 kilometers in the center of Manhattan.

A 41-year-old woman who participated said, "Women's rights are nothing less than human rights. It is important to speak up if we do not accept the current situation in which our rights are being attacked."

This weekend, the division of the United States over this issue is deepening, such as a rally calling for tightening regulations such as `` Abortion should be banned nationwide '' in Washington, D.C., the capital.

Vice President 'To protect the liberties of all women'

In a speech in Southern Florida on Thursday, Vice President Harris said of the Supreme Court's overturn of the ruling last year, "Not to be disgusted or discouraged, but to protect the liberties of all women. Get up," he called.

And, noting that there is a movement within the opposition Republican Party to accelerate the ban on abortion, he said, "Every woman's rights in every state are at stake. No one can be irrelevant." He emphasized that the Biden administration will continue its efforts to protect abortion rights.

"Find out what's going on" call on SNS

Young female entrepreneurs also participated in demonstrations held in New York to defend women's rights.

One of them is Nadia Okamoto (24).

She is the CEO of August, a startup company that sells sanitary products made from eco-friendly materials online.

Okamoto uses TikTok, an SNS popular among young people.

She posts videos explaining the features of sanitary products to her more than 4 million followers.

It was a big shock to Ms. Okamoto that the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion was overturned last year.

Since then, she has put more effort into using social media to raise awareness of what is happening to the younger generation.

Okamoto wrote on social media, "Find out what's going on in your state. About half of the states have banned abortion immediately, and there is a risk that having an abortion can be a crime." "I have a responsibility not only to learn but to spread knowledge to the people around me," he said.

Abortion ban in 12 states

For many years, abortion was illegal in the United States, except where the health of the mother was endangered, but in 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that abortion is a constitutional right. I decided.

Since then, abortion has been widely recognized as a woman's right.

However, in June last year, the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a majority of conservative judges, overturned its 50-year-old ruling, giving each state the power to regulate abortion.

In response to this, there is a series of moves to strictly restrict abortion, mainly in states with Republican governors.

Currently, 12 states have banned it.

In the United States, public opinion about abortion has been divided between liberals, who believe that abortion is a woman's right, and conservatives, who are strongly opposed to abortion.

A Pew Research Center poll conducted shortly after the Supreme Court's ruling last June found that 62% of people said abortion should be legal, while it should be illegal. There were 36% of people who said that.

Efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies

With more states tightening restrictions on abortion after the Supreme Court's decision was overturned, some companies are working to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

New York-based startup RedaHealth has developed a system that allows you to quickly arrange for emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy by taking it after sexual intercourse with a single smartphone.

CEO Madison Campbell, 27, started the company after she was sexually assaulted when she was in college.

In the United States, emergency contraceptives can be purchased at pharmacies without a prescription, but according to Mr. Campbell, people who have been sexually assaulted cannot go to the hospital to buy medicine or go to the hospital, and it is too late. It means that there are many people who become pregnant.

If a university or local support group has already partnered with this company, victims can immediately arrange emergency contraceptive pills free of charge by simply answering a simple question on the system's website, and have them delivered to their homes within two hours. It's how it works.

Since the Supreme Court's ruling was overturned last year, Mr. Campbell has actively set up opportunities to talk to groups of college students and others, hoping that as many people as possible will know about this site.

Campbell said, ``After the sixth week of pregnancy, more and more women had to go to another state to get an abortion, so it's important to have access to free emergency contraception within 72 hours. I believe that digital will be the key to success," he said.