Arkansas: Don't Force Women to Get Their Rapists' Consent for an Abortion

On July 30, a law is scheduled to go into effect in Arkansas that would require a woman to notify the “father” of her fetus before she is able to obtain an abortion. The law also specifies that she must agree upon disposal plans for the fetal tissue with the “father.” If the pregnant person is a minor, her parents get to make the decision. The law does not even make an exception in cases where the pregnancy resulted from rape.

This law is another thinly veiled attempt by conservatives to restrict abortion access and strip women of bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. We must join together and put pressure on Arkansas to stop this law from going into effect.

There are countless reasons why a woman or girl should not have to tell the man who impregnated her that she plans to obtain an abortion. Perhaps the most extreme reason is if her pregnancy was the result of rape. No woman should have to include her rapist in private medical decisions.

The ACLU has filed lawsuits to block this law and a few other laws recently passed that would further restrict abortion access in Arkansas. During the first hearing, taking place this week, a judge will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction so the law won’t go into effect until the case is settled.

We must stand with the women and girls of Arkansas and fight to protect their constitutional right to abortion access.

Please sign this petition letting the state know that you don’t support any law forcing a pregnant person to discuss her abortion plans with her rapist.