On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a federal protection for the right to have an abortion. In light of this devastating decision, the AIC Sustainability Committee wishes to issue a statement in support of gender equality and safe, legal abortion access for all who seek it. The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals outline many forms of sustainability including social and financial, as well as environmental. Goal 5: 'GENDER EQUALITY', and more specifically target 5.6 states, "Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences."
The 2022 AIC Compensation survey showed that conservation and allied fields in the US are 84.2% female*. Therefore, safe, equitable reproductive healthcare is especially relevant to the wellbeing of the majority who work in conservation (survey results can be found here). An individual's right to make decisions impacting their health, especially bodily autonomy and the size of their family, is directly tied to their financial and social well being.
Restrictions to reproductive healthcare and access to safe, legal abortions will have a knock-on effect on many of our colleague's physical, emotional, and financial safety. The Court's decision shifts power to the states, many of which have, or will soon have, laws that greatly restrict or ban abortions. In the conservation field, where jobs are few and geographically dispersed, the lack of a federal right to comprehensive reproductive care will make finding gainful employment all the more fraught.
In the post Roe present, those most impacted by the Court's decision (and subsequent criminalization or severe restrictions to abortion access in anywhere from 13 to 28 states) are predominantly people of color and those who are already marginalized economically, socially, or politically. The conservation field, with its high educational bar for entry, protracted training period, and relatively low wages, already struggles to cultivate professionals from diverse backgrounds. The reversal of this law puts the sustainability and equity of this field directly at risk.
Also directly at risk are the lives of pregnant, and potentially pregnant, people across the country.
Therefore, we urge AIC and all our colleagues to condemn this decision and to fight for equal access to safe and legal comprehensive reproductive healthcare. While some may read this statement as overtly political, we believe this decision is devastating to the health and wellbeing of the majority of those in this field. Even if you are not directly impacted, your friends and colleagues, who may have just lost the ability to make decisions about their own health and bodies, certainly are.
If you would like information on where to find marches and protests near you, we recommend: https://map.wewontgoback.com/?source=wm&fbclid=IwAR1OpDmrfZv7auLD2Eh0b9FvYJ0cnTiKhFJORLbO9LYK6vJnKAYcOCrqjdY