Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nomination for the Supreme Court, has been elected and sworn into the Supreme Court after a narrow vote of 50-48 despite women’s protests. As a young woman, I believe it’s necessary to know what a conservative in the Supreme Court means for women across the country.
One of the main concerns for women’s rights is whether Kavanaugh and the other Supreme Court justices will overturn Roe v. Wade, which is the law that gave women the right to choose what they wanted and needed to do with their bodies in regards to pregnancy.
A 2017 court case about whether an unidentified 17-year-old immigrant girl could receive an abortion is the only case concerning abortion that Kavanaugh has been involved in. Texas law requires a parent or guardian to give permission for an underage female to get an abortion. However, since the girl had left her home to due to violence, she had to go to court and let the judge, Kavanaugh, decide her fate.
According to Time, Kavanaugh delayed the abortion under the pretense that an illegal minor should have more guidance and not receive an ‘“abortion on demand.”’ The unidentified female was forced to undergo relentless attempts to get her to change her mind. After a month, the court finally overturned Kavanaugh’s decision and the girl was able to make the choice that was best for her.
Although Kavanaugh’s strict conservative views about abortion will be a major factor in future Supreme Court decisions, completely overturning Roe v. Wade would not be easy to do.
Kavanaugh has spoken about respecting Roe vs. Wade as a ‘“settled”’ issue. However, rather than overturning Roe v. Wade entirely, it is possible for new restrictions to be passed that would give more legislative power over the issue to the states.
In addition to Kavanaugh’s pro-life views, many women are concerned over the numerous accusations of sexual assault Kavanaugh has faced since his nomination.
According to The Washington Post, three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. The three women are Deborah Ramirez, Julie Swetnick and Christine Blasey Ford.
Ramirez’s allegation occurred when she and Kavanaugh attended Yale University together. According to Ramirez, Kavanaugh exposed himself to her and forced her to touch his penis without consent. She claims she never reported the incident because she thought it was her fault for drinking too much. There are no solid eye witnesses; however, Kavanaugh’s roommate James Roche backed Ramirez’s character and her accusation by stating that Kavanaugh drank excessively.
Swetnick’s allegation occurred in the early 1980s. In a sworn statement, she revealed that Kavanaugh, his friend Mark Judge and other men would get girls very drunk at house parties and then commit gang rapes. Swetnick’s states she is a victim of one of these gang rapes where Kavanaugh was present; however, she did not state whether or not he was involved. No witnesses came forward despite Swetnick’s statement that she told people when it occurred.
Ford’s allegation occurred in high school when she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17. She states Kavanaugh forced her into a bedroom where he attempted to pull off her clothes while groping her, grinding on her and preventing her from screaming. Mark Judge was also said to be present on this occasion and jumped on Ford when she tried to escape. A polygraph test reveals no indication of a lie. Ford’s husband says that he learned about the attack in 2002. He claims that he learned the details of the event and Kavanaugh’s name in a couple’s therapy session in 2012. Many other witnesses state that Ford had disclosed to them that she was assaulted by a federal judge.
Ford testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee prior to Kavanaugh’s nomination resulting in the vote for his confirmation being pushed back a week. However, the vote did little to sway senators who were unsure about Kavanaugh.
According to ABC News, Ford’s attorneys stated that Ford is no longer going to pursue a case against Kavanaugh and feels that she “did right thing by testifying and has no regrets.”
Kavanaugh’s election to the Supreme Court is met by numerous angry and upset Americans, many whom are women. I believe that his election will definitely affect a woman’s right to choose moving forward. I also believe that his election undermines the severity of sexual assault and all the movements such as #MeToo that have been working to encourage victims to come forward and hold perpetrators accountable.
All we as women can do now is let our voices be heard. The more we use our voices, hopefully, the more politicians and people in power will listen. Women are strong, and we will fight back.
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