FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2018
Contact: Dorothy He
(872) 600-9517/ dhe@napawf.org

WASHINGTON D.C. — Yesterday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Indiana’s law prohibiting abortions in cases of sex, race, and disability selection is unconstitutional and imposes an undue burden on women’s access to abortion. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“The federal appeals court’s decision to strike down Indiana’s sex-selective abortion ban comes as a huge victory for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women. For years, anti-choice legislators across the United States have used these bans, which are based on racist and false stereotypes of AAPI women, to continue their tireless assault on women’s constitutional rights.

“This ruling sends a strong message to anti-choice legislators: we are not fooled by your attempts to enact racist and sexist abortion bans under the guise of ending gender and racial discrimination. Furthermore, it confirms what we already know – that these bans are unconstitutional and restrict a woman’s right to access abortion.
“NAPAWF will continue to fight sex-selective abortions across the country and resist the laws that perpetuate misinformation about our communities. Reproductive justice for AAPI women cannot be achieved until we are free to make decisions about our bodies and families without shame, stigma, and fear of prosecution or scrutiny.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF): NAPAWF is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls.