Reproductive rights are economic rights
It might not be talked about much, but reproductive rights are an economic issue.
There’s a growing body of research suggesting a link between access to abortion and women’s economic stability.
“We have evidence that for women who delayed becoming mothers, because they had access to abortion, those women were much more likely to attend college, to graduate college, to obtain occupations that are kind of professional in nature. And they had higher wages by as much as about 10%. And they were about half as likely to live in poverty as adults,” said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College who studies the effects of reproductive policies.
Myers also pointed to evidence that women who encounter obstacles to obtaining an abortion and are ultimately unable to have one are much more likely to face bankruptcy proceedings, see their credit status decline and suffer financial distress.
In the aftermath of Texas’ abortion ban, we’ll discuss reproductive rights as an issue of economic justice and why access to abortion is rarely seen through an economic lens.
In the news fix, we discuss Afghanistan’s new government and what it might mean for the country’s economy. Later, a listener shares his favorite Ikea hack, and the fart joke that keeps on giving.
When you’re done listening, tell your Echo device to “make me smart” for our daily explainers. This week, we’re explaining China’s massive tutoring business, how Hollywood stars get paid and hard seltzer. You can hear them all here. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter! You can find the latest issue here.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “What Happens To Women Who Can’t Get Abortions” from Huffington Post
- “Where Abortion Access Would Decline if Roe v. Wade Were Overturned” from The New York Times
- “Taliban Unveil New Afghan Government” from The Wall Street Journal
- “Afghanistan’s Money Exchangers Are the Economy’s Last Best Hope?” from Foreign Policy
- “Bitcoin Drops to Lowest in Month as El Salvador Rollout Falters” from Bloomberg
- “Texas abortion ‘whistleblower’ website shut down a second time” from KXAN
- “Calls grow for FDA to speed authorization of kid Covid-19 vaccines” from Politico
Stories You Might Like
None of us is as smart as all of us.
No matter how bananapants your day is, “Make Me Smart” is here to help you through it all— 5 days a week.
It’s never just a one-way conversation. Your questions, reactions, and donations are a vital part of the show. And we’re grateful for every single one.
