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By KATE ALBRIGHT and DIEGO JESUS BARTESAGHI MENA
[email protected]
In front of hundreds of women and allies at the New Jersey Women’s March for Reproductive Rights in Montclair, Montclairian Marjorie Neifeld Grayson told the story of her grandmother who, in the years 1920, had to self-abort.
“I don’t remember my grandmother who died when I was one year old. And I don’t remember my exact reaction to learning of this other than admiring the strength of this woman whom I only knew from exterior shots of her life, ”Grayson said. “Of course, I never thought I would have to face the need for an abortion, but I certainly knew that safe and legal abortions could be needed for all kinds of reasons.”
Grayson said that in 1992, at the age of 40 and expecting her second child, she had to make the decision to terminate her pregnancy after her doctor told her the child she was expecting would not survive. not during pregnancy or childbirth. She was able to do it the next day at an abortion clinic in New Jersey.
“The clinic was packed. The staff were brusk and done. Thank goodness there were no protesters, ”Grayson said. “We will never forget the child next door doing his algebra homework while waiting for his turn. No one took his situation lightly.
Grayson said she was the last to leave the clinic because she was more advanced in her pregnancy. After this long day, she returned home to her daughter whose hugs helped her get through the terrible day. She said she had recovered, but had lost two more pregnancies.
“I never doubted that we had done the right thing for us and was always happy that I had not encountered any legal or social obstacles and to have compassionate and caring doctors. When our daughter was a teenager, we told her the whole story. This is actually the reason why I wanted to speak to you. Grayson said. “By the time women turn 45, one in four of us will have had an abortion. Too many of us haven’t told our sons and daughters. And they can mature well without realizing that this is real. … I know my father loved his mother no less because he knew her story.
Rupande Mehta also took the stage to share her story. Mehta said that at the age of 17, she decided to terminate her pregnancy after her boyfriend raped her. She underwent her abortion in unsafe and unsanitary conditions as she was a minor without the presence of a parent.
“I was reprimanded for my actions, ‘You girls are too quick and cowardly. Now you see the consequences of what you did, ”the female doctor scolded me. It doesn’t matter to me how it happened, ”Mehta said. “Two years later it happened again, another rape that resulted in another pregnancy and another abortion. These two times, there was no doubt in my mind as to what to do. … It’s been more than two decades since that day in the crowded and brightly lit room. But even now, I have no doubt that I did what I had to, to survive.
Mehta said she was in an abusive relationship and lived in a precarious home despite her parents’ best intentions. But she was determined to live free and make her own choices.
“I’ll do what I want, not what a man wants. I am going to marry for love and my home will be a home of safety and harmony for my family, ”Mehta said. “Today my daughter is nine years old. Although she is an only child, I am grateful to the universe for giving me another chance to be a mother, to be a wife and to have a home free from abuse. Every fiber of my being knows that I am standing here and that I am alive because of these abortions.
During the march, township and state leaders took to the stage to share their support for more comprehensive reproductive rights for women, not only in New Jersey and Montclair, but across the country.
More abortion restrictions were enacted in 2021 – 90 – than in any year since the Roe v. Wade was made in 1973, according to a policy analysis by Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization “committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
Marcia Marley, president of BlueWaveNJ, a grassroots organization that focuses on demanding positive change from legislators at state and federal levels, presented the event.
“We demand that these medieval laws in Texas and other states that endangered abortion laws across the country be overturned or changed. However, today is not just a protest with our sisters in Texas and other states, ”said Marley. “We are here to insist that the New Jersey legislature protect our rights by passing a comprehensive reproductive health bill called the Reproductive Freedom Act that will ensure that reproductive health decisions remain between patients and their doctors. And that access to reproductive care is available to all.
Medinah Muhammed, one of the emcees for the event, said the march was a “practical effort on the bridge because we have to work together to secure women’s rights.” We deserve this. It’s our body and we deserve the right to decide what we want.
The law on reproductive freedom, presented by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and MP Valerie Vainieri Huttle, would guarantee a woman’s right to abortion, help women financially if they need an abortion, and expand access to screening births and pregnancy-related care.
“La Marcie [Marley] As she noted when she launched us here this morning, we should be proud and grateful to be in a state that has done so much to defend equality, to defend women’s rights. And that’s a good thing, ”Mayor Sean Spiller said during the walk. “And luckily Governor Murphy has done so much to move us forward and move us in that direction. But we also know that we cannot rest. We cannot take anything for granted. Now we see the composition of the Supreme Court and we see the cases they presented. “
Governor Phil Murphy was also present at the march and supported the Reproductive Freedom Act.
“And while we are here and have a great team spirit, the reality is incredibly bleak like right now in our country. And we have to remember that a woman’s reproductive rights in this state are entirely, as we are sitting here today, grounded in case law, which in turn is built entirely on the backs of Roe v. Wade, ”Murphy said during the walk. “If Roe v. Wade is weakened, or God forbid us completely, this whole set of protections in case the laws fall like a house of cards. This is the inescapable and motivating reason in black and white that we must promulgate a law on the freedom of reproduction that I promised you as soon as it arrives at our meeting. There’s going to be my name signed right at the bottom.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of Montclair Town Hall to support the passage of the bill and to lend their support to other women across the country.
Serena Lee, a 16-year-old student from Montclair High School, said she felt the walking environment was stimulating, especially for the younger ones. Lee attended her first Women’s March in 2017 while in college.
“Seeing all of these women who are so powerful is really symbolic and empowering,” Lee said.
Danielle Guerrier de Montclair took her two daughters for a walk.
“I really wanted my daughters to fully understand that they have to stand up for our rights as women,” Guerrier said. “They are little girls now, but I wanted them to know that you have to take a stand on certain issues. And that means getting up early, going out, making signs and making your voice heard. ”
Danielle Neff, also from Montclair, attended the walk with her two sons.
“We have to make some noise so people know it’s important and we all wear it even if it doesn’t impact us directly,” Neff said. “We feel safe in New Jersey, but that might not always be the case. So we must all stand up for each other and ensure that women are taken into account and that our needs and rights are our rights and not that someone else decides for us. “
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