The fight that millions of women in the United States of America are engaged in over a range of reproductive rights issues including legal access to safe abortions, has found its way into Barbados.Roman Catholic Bishop of Barbados Neil Sebastian Scantlebury weighed in on the issue last month, throwing his support behind the US Supreme Court decision to reverse the 1973 constitutional decision on Roe v Wade.Incredulously, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas even suggested that the highest court should also take another look at women’s rights to contraceptives, among other issues.The controversial Supreme Court decision has effectively thrown the matter of abortions back to individual states, most of which are led by Republicans who seek to ban abortions.These overzealous politicians who are mostly old, white, and privileged men, seek to criminalise women who want to terminate their pregnancy no matter the reason or circumstance.A similar criminal punishment, including imprisonment and hefty fines would also hang over the heads of doctors who undertake or assist with such medical procedures.Our local Catholic Bishop also took a very dogmatic position and came in for a lashing from some rights advocates including radio talk show host Peter Wickham.
