With its judgment in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. Striking down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision provides state governments with newfound power to enact and enforce laws that curtail abortion access. The consequences of the ruling will reverberate beyond access to abortion to affect women’s equality, bodily autonomy, healthcare, democracy, criminal justice, and U.S. credibility to influence the protection of international human rights.

Our speakers—Reem Alsalem, UN special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, and Julie C. Suk, professor of law at Fordham University School of Law—discuss what the ruling means for democracy and human rights in the United States and its implications beyond U.S. borders.