More Than Half of States Fail to Protect Women's Reproductive Rights

On January 14, NARAL Pro-Choice America and NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation released the 24th edition of "Who Decides? The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States." They found that despite more pro-choice attitudes, most states were failing to protect women's rights.

"At a time where polls show the majority of Americans support legal access to abortion, this report shows that federal legislators in our nation's capital are continuing to prioritize a rollback of women's rights while states have begun to stem the tide of anti-choice laws that riled voters in 2014," said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

The report, published each year, provides individual letter grades on the status of women's reproductive rights for all 50 states and provides a comprehensive view of reproductive-health related legislation in those states. This year's report comes as anti-choice politicians take control of both chambers in Congress, multiple state legislatures, and governors' mansions across the country.

This year, the nation averaged a "D" grade while also tying last year's record high of 25 states earning an "F." However, pro-choice measures enacted in states increased from 16 in 2013 to 22 in 2014. Conversely, the number of anti-choice laws fell from 52 enacted in 2013 to 27 in 2014.

"Politicians in Congress and state legislatures who further hostile attacks on women, including limiting access to abortion, contraception, and to reproductive-health care facilities, will find themselves losing support as voters get behind leaders who want to make progress as a nation," said said Hogue. "'Who Decides?' exposes the politicians across the country who don't trust women to make decisions about our bodies and our lives."

The composition of the 114th Congress is incongruous with the majority of American people. Whereas seven in ten Americans support a woman's right to choose, only four in ten members of Congress, three in ten Governors, and one in ten state legislatures are pro-choice.

"We are encouraged by number of measures the report shows that expanded reproductive freedom in 2014, and we think this is what the American people want and what the future holds," continued Hogue. "Our work this year is to support those lawmakers to pursue an agenda in line with what real women and families need. We will be closely watching the incoming lawmakers who assured voters that they would stand up to the assault on our basic freedoms, and hold them accountable where they fall short."

To read the full report, please visit: www.WhoDecides.org