CRITICS DECLARE BILL "DEEPLY MISGUIDED"
4/01/03: President Bush today signed legislation which creates legal "person" status for a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus, separate from the human mother. It makes it a federal crime to harm a "child in utero." Supporters claim it will allow for greater punishment of persons who attack pregnant women, but similar State laws have often been used against pregnant women, themselves.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America had pushed for defeat of the Act. "The so-called 'Unborn Victims of Violence' Act... is not intended to protect pregnant women from domestic violence or punish individuals who harm them," said PPFA President Gloria Feldt. "It is part of a deceptive anti-choice strategy to make women's bodies mere vessels by creating legal personhood for the fetus."
The National Organization of Women recently stated that the "approach taken in this bill is deeply misguided and does nothing to enhance protections for pregnant woman, who are at increased risk of domestic violence."
The law would apply even if the woman does not know she is pregnant.

Other legal battles related to women's rights continue all over the country:
On Monday, Planned Parenthood went to court in San Francisco. In Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Ashcroft, PPFA challenges a law that would ban abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy, outlawing abortion procedures in the second trimester that doctors say are safe and among the best to protect women's health. At the same time, NARAL Pro-Choice California has been organizing protests against the US's efforts to access people's medical records.