Beginning in 1996, March 10 was designated as the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers in honor of Dr. David Gunn, who was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist on the same date in 1993.
Today, we honor the lives of the courageous, compassionate people who provide abortion care across the country. Their dedication ensures patients can access their fundamental right to make decisions about their own health and bodies.
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its devasting ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the federal right to abortion, anti-abortion politicians across the country seized their chance to enact and enforce policies decimating access to abortion care and forcing people to remain pregnant against their will.
Since then, it has become clear that anti-abortion extremists will not stop until abortion care is banned nationwide. But the ACLU has been fighting for our fundamental rights since before Roe v. Wade – we are ready for this moment. We’re steadfast in our belief that abortion providers are on the frontlines every single day as they administer lifesaving, time-sensitive care, and they must be protected from baseless, targeted attacks.
In New Jersey, the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy, including abortion, remains protected under our state constitution. In fact, our state has taken important steps to expand the scope of health care professionals who can provide abortion care, enact shield laws to protect abortion providers, and to remove unnecessary and harmful regulations that impacted access to abortion.
But it’s the unfortunate reality that legality does not ensure equitable access to this time-sensitive care. One of the most restrictive barriers is difficulty in finding a facility or clinic to provide it. Abortion facilities are closing at a concerning rate in New Jersey. Seven facilities closed between 2017 and 2021, leaving only 43 facilities to provide care for the nearly 2 million people who may seek it.
On this National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers, it’s more important than ever that New Jersey invests in building more opportunities to access abortion care. That means increasing support for and expanding the number of facilities so that patients can safely, easily, and affordably access the healthcare they need, whether they be from this state, or from one of the many across the country that have banned abortion care.
The New Jersey Legislature is currently considering S3452/A4601, a bill that will remove financial barriers that restrict access to reproductive health care, ensure that all qualified health care professionals are authorized to provide or assist in abortion care, and prohibit insurers from taking adverse actions against health care professionals. Send a message to your elected officials and urge them to dismantle barriers to abortion by passing S3452/A4601. To donate in support of funding people traveling to, from, and within New Jersey for their abortion care, visit the New Jersey Abortion Access Fund.
At a time when millions of people across the country are being stripped of their fundamental human right to make decisions about their lives and bodies, New Jersey must be a leader in ensuring that the right to abortion care is accessible and equitable for all who need it – and that those who provide this lifesaving care are protected.
