THE PAST AND FUTURE OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN NEW YORK STATE

An event in honor of the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

THE PAST AND FUTURE OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN NEW YORK STATE

When: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Center for Constitutional Rights, 666 Broadway, 6 th Fl. (between Bleecker & Bond Streets)

Recent restrictions on abortion rights and access to contraception at the federal and state levels, including the Supreme Court's recent decision concerning the federal abortion ban, have further rolled back women's right to self-determination. In the face of these persistent attacks on our rights, what strategies and analysis are useful in our work to try to defend and advance the struggle for women's ability to control their reproduction? This event brings together activists, attorneys and allies to discuss past and recent victories and set-backs in the fight for reproductive rights, how these can be applied to our work today and ideas for action.

Speakers include:

Annie Tummino

Co-chair of the Women's Liberation Birth Control Project and lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the FDA's failure to approve the Morning-After Pill as an over-the-counter drug without any age restrictions.

Rhonda Copelon

Professor of Law and Director of the International Women's Human Rights Clinic of the City University of New York School of Law and lead attorney in Harris v. McRae, CCR's challenge to federal restrictions on the use of Medicaid funds for medically necessary abortions.

Nancy Stearns (invited)

Lead attorney in CCR's 1972 landmark case, Abramowicz v. Lefkowitz, which was the first challenge in the nation on behalf of a class of women to declare the NYS ban on abortion unconstitutional. The case sparked similar challenges in other states and created precedent for the Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion in Roe.

NYS Assemblywoman Pat Eddington (invited)

Sponsor of the "Women's Reproductive Domain Act," in the NY State Assembly. This bill seeks to make a woman's decision whether to have an abortion a civil right that cannot be interfered with and any attempts to interfere with that right a form of discrimination.

Introductory remarks:

Andrea Costello

Organizer with Redstockings Allies and Veterans of the Women's Liberation Movement and CCR Staff Attorney.


Organized by:

The Women's Liberation Birth Control Project & The Center for Constitutional Rights