In the aftermath of the United States Supreme Court’s decision regarding women’s rights, The Bronx Women’s Bar Association (BWBA) hosted a program on reproductive rights on Sept. 21.
Cynthia Soohoo, CUNY School of Law’s professor and co-director of the Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic discussed the court’s decisions in Dobbs v. Jackson Health Women’s Organization, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. BWBA’s President, Savina P. Playter, moderated the program inquiring about the link between voting rights and the Dobbs court’s ruling and the vulnerabilities in New York for gender-affirming care.
The program was well attended with attendees showing tremendous interest in the subject matter presented. Due to its “virtual” format, attorneys and judges throughout New York City participated. Dana Sussman, deputy executive director of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, spoke of the People v. Jorgenson decision and communicated the lessons learned from criminalization of conduct. The ruling in the Dobbs case took away a women’s right to make decisions about her own body. Sussman conveyed advocates’ concerns that low-income individuals and people of color will be severely impacted and will need guidance in a post-Dobbs era.
With this program, the BWBA aimed to build knowledge and empower lawyers to become advocates. Gabriella Larios, a New York Civil Liberties Union Equal Justice Works Fellow, probed New York as an “access” state protecting the rights of women and she surveyed the legislative efforts around this issue in the U.S.
