I recently attended rallies across the state affirming New Yorkers’ support for the Women’s Equality Act.
The bill ensures women are not held back by gender-based discrimination at work or at home, strengthens laws against domestic violence and sexual harassment, and allows women to continue to use the same reproductive health care available in New York since Roe v. Wade.
The measure was introduced as a 10-point omnibus bill and passed by the Assembly two years in a row. The legislation is straightforward and the safeguards offered are clear. However, obstructionists have seized on the 10th point — which affirms Roe v. Wade — claiming the bill would drastically alter the delivery of maternity and prenatal services in New York.
It does not, and voters have asked lawmakers to approve the legislation. Mirroring state law with existing federal protections does not change practice — the state will continue to follow Roe v. Wade just as we have done since 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruling took precedence over our state law written in 1970.
The Women’s Equality Act reflects the reality of women’s lives, which includes the need for reproductive health care. Advances for women in our society have been unquestionable since Roe v. Wade. Everyone expects their girls to achieve in all areas of life — from sports to the working world.
Opposition to the Women’s Equality Act sends us back to the days before the national vote. Women gained the vote piecemeal, state by state, often starting with local school boards and working our way up. How far have we progressed if we are still waiting for elected officials to recognize our worth and ability?
Women in New York have always moved forward — from the suffragettes in Seneca Falls in 1848 to today’s advocates. But now repeated attacks on access to reproductive health care have created a troubling trend that threatens to erode our right to control our own well being.
It’s time to keep New York’s legacy intact and fulfill the promise of equality. Pass the full Women’s Equality Act and keep state law as strong as New York’s women.
M. Tracey Brooks is president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York, the advocacy and political arm of the Planned Parenthoods of New York State.
