BPAS, the UK’s leading provider of abortion services, has issued a comment on the US presidential election and what the consequences might be for women across the world.

On Wednesday 6 November, it was announced that Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States after winning the presidential election against Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent. While this result was celebrated by many across the US, it has left some women worried about what the future will look like for them – especially when it comes to reproductive rights like abortion. 

Commenting on the election result, Heidi Stewart, CEO of BPAS, said: “To every woman feeling fear, anger and uncertainty today: we hear you, we stand with you and we will fight for you. Abortion access is not a privilege to be granted or revoked by political leaders; it is a fundamental human right owed to every woman.”

Stewart continued: “Abortion is not a matter for surveillance, restriction or criminalisation. Abortion is healthcare. When abortion access is restricted, women die. When the third-largest country in the world rolls back abortion rights, we all suffer. And when the rights of millions are disregarded, it weakens the progress we’ve fought for in every corner of the globe.”

While the focus is currently on what will happen to women in the US and their rights to access abortion, Stewart issued a warning about what the consequences are for women in the UK. “It’s no coincidence that alongside the anti-abortion movement fighting to overturn Roe v Wade, the UK saw record-high police investigations into abortion-related offences and the most significant parliamentary attempt to roll back abortion access in decades,” she said. “Anti-abortion activists are emboldened in their continued attempt to strip women of their rights, dignity, and future.

“To our fellow abortion providers across the Atlantic: thank you. The path forward is daunting, but the work you do is now more important than ever before. We are with you.

“The fight of our lives, and for women’s lives, starts today. And BPAS will be relentless. Because we owe it to women across both sides of the Atlantic and around the world.”

Access to abortion across the US was a huge topic that both the Democrats and the Republicans chose to focus on during their campaigns. In her concession speech, Harris spoke about what the future of America will look like for women and their reproductive rights. “I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations,” she told a crowd at Howard University. “Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do.”

Images: Getty