abortion

Meghan Markle Calls On Men to Be Vocal About the End of Roe

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, rolling back the constitutional right to abortion, many celebrities have expressed outrage and despair, sharing personal stories of abortions and calling on men to step up as allies. In a new conversation with Vogue, Meghan Markle called the SCOTUS ruling a “blueprint for reversing rights” and echoed calls for male allyship, sharing that husband Prince Harry’s reaction to the decision was “guttural like mine.” She added, “Men need to be vocal in this moment and beyond because these are decisions that affect relationships, families, and communities at large. They may target women, but the consequences impact all of us.”

In conversation with feminist journalist and activist Gloria Steinem, Markle also spoke to the physical danger the ruling poses to people who can become pregnant, which is exacerbated by socioeconomic divides. “Women with resources will travel to get an abortion, those without might attempt to give themselves one at tremendous risk,” said Markle, who also discussed the disproportionate impact the end of Roe has on Black maternal health. According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, and they are likely to suffer the most in the post-Roe landscape. “Women of color and especially Black women are most impacted by these decisions because most of us don’t have the same access to health care, economic opportunity, mental health resources,” Markle told Vogue. “It’s difficult to overstate what this decision is going to do to these communities.”

In the interview, Markle spoke again about her past experiences with miscarriage and emphasized the importance of normalizing conversations about reproductive choice. “Nobody should be forced to make a decision they do not want to make,” she said. “It’s interesting here that you’re talking to two women: one who gave birth happily, and one who chose not to give birth happily,” she added, referring to Steinem, who spoke in the interview about her positive experience with abortion. “And we’re both prospering because we were able to make our own choices.”

Meghan Markle Calls On Men to Be Vocal About the End of Roe