On October 2, 2021 women all over the United States marched in protest against the recent Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) and its implications on reproductive rights. Pictured above is the Bans Off Our Bodies protest held here in the Twin Cities, starting in the Sculpture Garden and ending at Loring Park. SB8, which effectively bans abortion in Texas, circumvented the Supreme Court by delocalizing the enforcement of the law and transferring it to ordinary citizens for bounties, making the law difficult to challenge in the court system. The issue of reproductive justice may at first seem unrelated to the every-day experience of scientists and engineers in our department. However this could not be farther from the truth, as we continue to aspire to build a more inclusive department which values each person regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Supporting and protecting the right to choose, especially when in the academic space there exist several challenges in pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing for women with little offered support, is a crucial step towards a more equitable place to work. |
