Two Years After Dobbs The Battle for Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Rights Continues

Nikki Giovanni’s quote, “The art of being a woman is hiding your pain behind a smile,” resonates deeply as we reflect on the two-year anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. This decision stripped away the constitutional right to abortion, igniting a fierce battle for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. In Michigan, this struggle has been met with a robust response aimed at preserving and expanding reproductive freedoms. While other states have moved to restrict access to abortion and other reproductive services, Michigan has taken a progressive stance, enacting laws to protect these rights and ensure that individuals retain control over their health care decisions. Two years after the Dobbs decision, Michigan remains a state where access to abortion care has not been interrupted. “Two years ago, Americans had their constitutional right to abortion stripped away by an extreme, out-of-touch Supreme Court,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated. “We must keep fighting to protect the fundamental freedom of every person to make their own health care decisions about their own bodies. While other states have gone backwards, banning abortion, going after birth control, and gutting all kinds of critical...