State Capitol protest focuses on women's rights, access to abortion services
Oct. 9—Participants leading a march around the area carried a large banner that read "Legalize Abortion Nationwide Now." Behind them, others waved signs supporting better access to reproductive health care.
Some 200 people rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday morning to advocate for women's rights globally, with a focus on access to abortion and reproductive health care services in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision earlier this year to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Participants leading a march around the area carried a large banner that read "Legalize Abortion Nationwide Now." Behind them, others waved signs supporting better access to reproductive health care. The event coincided with a Women's Wave Day March in Washington, D.C., which drew thousands of abortion rights proponents, and other rallies across the nation ahead of the November midterm elections.
"Women are in a state of emergency. We demand abortion on demand and without apology nationwide, " said Liz Rees, an organizer for Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Hawaii.
While the right to an abortion is codified in Hawaii law, some rally participants asserted that the right is on shaky ground due in part to limited access to reproductive health care services. There are no abortion clinics on Kauai, Molokai and Lanai, and Hawaii island has just one such clinic.
Addressing marchers, Sage Lenier, a volunteer for Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, noted that the travel and accommodation costs for those flying to Oahu for an abortion could be cost-prohibitive. "Abortion is currently legal in Hawaii, but it's not accessible to everyone, " she said. "If you don't think there's work to be done here, you are mistaken."
Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who is also a gubernatorial candidate, briefly addressed the crowd to show his support for reproductive rights.
"We do have challenges in the world. We see men abuse women, we see people's rights taken from them, we see women's reproductive rights threatened, " Green said. "America should be perhaps the last place we have to worry about that, but we saw Roe v. Wade (overturned ), and we certainly have to worry about that in our country."
Green won the Democratic nomination in the August primary election and will face Republican nominee James "Duke " Aiona in the Nov. 8 general election. In a recent televised debate, the candidates generally fell in line with their respective party's views on abortion rights. Green championed more access to abortion services, while Aiona leaned against it.
In an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Green said if elected governor, he would look to improve access to abortion services across Hawaii, such as by seeking more funding and support for established health centers across the state. "A lot of resources have been pulled back from (women's reproductive health clinics ), and so the state has to supplement them, " Green said.
Lenier suggested that "establishment Democrats " could help in a variety of ways, including banning religion-based "crisis pregnancy centers " in Hawaii that have been criticized by some health officials for deceptive practices tailored to persuade women not to get abortions.
The local event also served as a show of support for the ongoing protests in Iran that have followed the death of a 22-year-old woman who died last month in the custody of the "morality police." Mahsa Amini was arrested for allegedly violating a law requiring women in Iran to wear head scarves. Her death has garnered international attention and turned her into a symbol of the government's restrictive and violent treatment of women.
Some of the signs displayed at Saturday's march served as reminders of Amini's death and expressed support to women in Iran.
