After the Fall: Bodily Autonomy in Crisis: Peer and Community Narratives in Washington State After Roe’s Overturn

Abstract

This capstone examines the social, ethical, and policy consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated federal constitutional protections for abortion. The study combines policy analysis with original qualitative data gathered through an anonymous online survey of Washington State residents. The study also investigates how individuals emotionally and politically respond to the post-Dobbs legal landscape. Key findings reveal that respondents overwhelmingly value reproductive autonomy as a fundamental right, yet express widespread fear, anger, and mistrust in government institutions. Many participants shared personal experiences with abortion care, legal uncertainty, and activism, underscoring the lived impacts of state-level restrictions even in a sanctuary state like Washington. The paper identifies four major themes: bodily autonomy as safety, the emotional toll of policy change, disparate impacts on marginalized communities, and a persistent drive toward civic resistance. In doing so, the project contributes to ongoing scholarly and policy discussions about reproductive justice, public health equity, and democratic accountability in a fragmented legal system. This research highlights the urgent need for responsive and inclusive reproductive policy at both the state and national levels, emphasizing that legal frameworks must be informed by the lived realities of those most affected. By elevating community narratives alongside legal analysis, the study reaffirms that reproductive rights are not merely constitutional questions, but core issues of identity, dignity, and human freedom.