On Jan. 22, the Silicon Valley branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women) will honor the 52st anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which gave women the right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. This precedent was overturned by the current Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022. The AAUW program will focus on the next steps in the fight for reproductive freedom. The program will be held on Zoom from 1-2 p.m.
“For a number of years AAUW marked this anniversary as a celebration of reproductive freedom,” said Allyson Johnson, a director of the local AAUW branch. “With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it has become an event in memory of that freedom, and also an effort to raise awareness for what has been lost and our options for the future.”
The keynote speaker will be Emily Bazelon, staff writer for the New York Times, senior research fellow at Yale Law School and co-host of the Slate podcast “Political Gabfest.” Bazelon’s writing focuses on law, women and family issues – for example, how the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe impacts people seeking abortions.
The branch expects a lively discussion following the presentation. Attendees will also be encouraged to prepare an 8 1/2 by 11 pro-choice sign for display in a group screen shot at the close of the meeting to share on social media.
The meeting is open to the public. Members of the community are invited to join the meeting by registering at the branch website at siliconvalley-ca.aauw.net, where the home page presents a link to register for the talk as well as a link to suggested reading in preparation.Members and friends of AAUW are asked to pass on this information to others interested in reproductive freedom.
The AAUW Silicon Valley branch was recently formed from the merger of the Los Altos-Mountain View and Palo Alto branches. For more information on the Silicon Valley branch of AAUW and its activities, visit siliconvalley-ca.aauw.net, or for membership information, contact Susan Ware, membership chair, at [email protected].
