Obama reaffirms pro-choice position for women’s rights, BU reacts

Obama reaffirmed his pro-choice position earlier this week when he released a statement on the anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade case.

“We must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters,” Obama said in the statement.

Obama also said the issue is of a sensitive nature, but he will “remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right.”

In the statement, Obama also said there should be equal rights and opportunities for all Americans.

“We must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams,” he said.

Obama’s statement comes just two days after Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, released a statement announcing that health plans will be required to cover preventive services without co-pay charges.

“Scientists have abundant evidence that birth control has significant health benefits for women and their families, it is documented to significantly reduce health costs and is the most commonly taken drug in America by young and middle-aged women,” she said.

Most health plans are required to comply with these changes by Aug. 1, although non-profit religious employers can choose whether or not to offer contraceptives in their employees’ health plans, according to the statement.

Professors and students at BU said they are pleased with this move.

“It is a tremendous relief to see that our president understands the importance of these rights and will defend them,” said Professor Deborah Belle, the director of the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program at BU, in an email interview.

Diane Balser, professor and co-director of Undergraduate Studies at BU’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program, said Obama made a firm commitment to women’s rights, the right to choice and reproductive freedom.

This, she said, marks a major difference between Obama and the Republican presidential candidates.

“It is little doubt that the President is a far better candidate and leader than those who he is running against on these issues,” Balser wrote in an email interview.

Balser said there should be more comprehensive programs and policies, as in other advanced countries of the world.

“We are far behind when it comes to child care, pay equity, parental leave and gender equity politically and economically,” she said.

Carrie Preston, an assistant professor in BU’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program, said this support was particularly crucial at a moment when the four top Republican candidates for president were campaigning to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“I also think it was important for Obama to affirm his support for reproductive freedom now,” Preston said in an email interview, “just two months after he endorsed a decision to limit sales of the morning-after pill, in spite of the fact that the FDA determined it was safe.”