NWHM Statement on the Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade
The passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973 marked one of the most significant moments in women’s history. It created a federal framework in which women had the freedom to take agency over their own choices and bodies. For nearly 50 years, those freedoms meant women could make informed and personal decisions about their healthcare, work, and contributions to society. This constitutional right, now revoked, will have profound implications for the health, safety, and well-being of women and their opportunities, particularly those from marginalized communities and others who have been historically disadvantaged. Women’s rights are women’s history, and while a post-Roe future is uncertain, we will continue to educate about the history of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy; engage in thoughtful dialogue around this issue; give historical context to this and other pressing contemporary issues facing women today; and share the stories and amplify the voices of those most impacted.
About the National Women's History Museum
Founded in 1996, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is an innovative museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating women’s diverse contributions to society. A renowned leader in women’s history education, the Museum brings to life the countless untold stories of women throughout history, and serves as a space for all to inspire, experience, collaborate, and amplify women’s impact—past, present, and future. We strive to fundamentally change the way women and girls see their potential and power.
The NWHM fills in major omissions of women in history books and K-12 education, providing scholarly content and educational programming for teachers, students, and parents. We reach more than five million visitors each year through our online content and education programming and, in March 2023, mounted our first physical exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, DC, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC. The Museum is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit us at womenshistory.org.