While the United States has restricted reproductive rights, Latin American Countries, such as Mexico, have not only legalized abortion but expanded access to include a right to healthcare, education, and more. This presentation will focus on the main point of the thesis: the recent change in abortion law in the United States in comparison to the recent liberalization initiatives relieving abortion restrictions in Mexico. Mexico was selected due to the similarities in the government structures and geographical, political, and cultural relations with and proximity to the United States of America. Comparatively, despite the perception that Latin America is behind in progressing towards the level of human rights sophistication of first-world countries like the US, Mexico has made unprecedented progress. I believe the examples of legislative action, grassroots organization, and feminist policies set by these countries in the last ten years can offer examples for American legislators, activists, and politicians on how to move forward.
In my first chapter, I outline America’s history of reproductive rights, legislation, and activism to demonstrate the development of reproductive policy and later contrast it with Mexico. To do so, I will use Dorothy Robert’s book Killing the Black Body and Faye D. Ginsburg’s Contested Lives to set the stage for how abortion policy court rulings and stigmas have affected United States Citizens across demographics. In my second chapter, I analyze legislation and articles spanning the past century, highlighting the involvement of various groups in shaping policy, leading to the Dobbs decision. My third chapter delves into abortion politics in Mexico, detailing their evolution and the Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion in 2023. Lastly, I explore how American activists and politicians can create inclusive legislation promoting constitutional access to reproductive healthcare and education. Overall, this thesis and the presentation aim to contrast the US with Mexico to find new strategies for the US to employ to prioritize reproductive rights and promote access to abortion.