Pass the Arizona Abortion Access Act

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Arizona for Abortion Access, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona State Constitution, holds a press conference and protest condemning Arizona House Republicans and the 1864 abortion ban during a recess from a legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives on April 17, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona House Republicans blocked the Democrats from holding a vote to overturn the 1864 abortion ban revived last week by the Arizona Supreme Court. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
(Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

In the face of restrictive laws and abortion bans, Amnesty International USA is working alongside the Arizona for Abortion Access Coalition to protect the right to abortion in the Arizona constitution. Help us ensure abortion is on the ballot in November by signing the petition and participating in signature collection training.

What’s happening in Arizona?

In 2022, following the overturning of Roe v Wade, then-Governor Ducey signed a 15-week abortion ban into effect. More recently, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban. Every abortion ban is extreme and robs people of their ability to make their own decisions about their bodies.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Members of Arizona for Abortion Access, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona State Constitution, hold a press conference and protest condemning Arizona House Republicans and the 1864 abortion ban during a recess from a legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives on April 17, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona House Republicans blocked the Democrats from holding a vote to overturn the 1864 abortion ban revived last week by the Arizona Supreme Court. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
(Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

But we’re fighting back!

The Arizona Abortion Access Act (AAA) is a community-led initiative that seeks to amend the Arizona constitution to establish the right to abortion and ensure that every person in Arizona can make personal decisions about their bodies and their lives. The AAA is a proposed constitutional amendment that prohibits the state from imposing penalties on individuals who aid one another in the exercise of their abortion rights. This initiative would override any restrictive ban.

Amnesty International USA is joining the Coalition to collect signatures between now and July 3, 2024, to put this initiative on the ballot in November.

Calling all Arizonans! Sign the petition to protect abortion rights.

Click on the button to locate the nearest signing location on the interactive map. You must sign IN PERSON.

AIUSA abortion rights protest Supreme court
(Lauren Murphy)

Collect signatures

Participate in online training sessions provided by Arizona List to learn how to effectively collect signatures.


Amplify your impact

Share our sign-up form with your activist network in Arizona to expand our reach and strengthen our campaign.


Two young adult women looking at smartphone together at the cafe. Multi ethnic group of women sitting at the cafe.
(FilippoBacci/Getty)

Mobilize your community on social media

Spread the word and engage others online. Use #AZforAccess in your posts.


AIUSA supporters protesting for abortion rights
(Amnesty International USA)

Live outside Arizona? You can still take action!

— Reach out to everyone you know in Arizona and urging them to sign the petition and join Amnesty’s on-the-ground activism by sharing this form.

— Utilize social media to raise awareness about the ballot initiative in AZ by encouraging activists to post “From my city to yours, I stand with abortion rights #AZforAccess.”

CORE VALUES OF OUR CAMPAIGN

FREEDOM:

Amnesty believes that every Arizonan should have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions—not politicians. Without this Constitutional amendment, anti-abortion politicians and other abortion opponents will never stop pushing for a total ban. That’s why we’re working to amend the state constitution and protect our right to make private and personal decisions, free from government interference.

EMPATHY:

No matter how you feel about abortion, these deeply personal decisions should be left to patients – not politicians. We know from patient stories that abortion bans harm pregnant patients and prevent healthcare providers from providing the medical care their patients need. This measure ensures that a patient’s needs—and not politics—will drive medical decisions in Arizona.

SAFETY:

The Arizona Abortion Access Act would ensure that abortion is regulated like any other health care procedure and that Arizonans have the freedom to access abortion care without government interference. It doesn’t remove any medical safeguards or safety precautions for abortion care or change the requirement that abortion be provided by licensed, qualified medical professionals. Abortion care is safe and patient centered. With this ballot initiative, it will stay that way.

TRUST:

There are deeply personal reasons why someone may decide to have an abortion. Arizonans should have the right to make those decisions free from government interference.  We trust every individual to know what is right for them.

ABORTION IS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF THE FULL REALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Amnesty International doesn’t view abortion access in isolation or merely as a health issue. Instead, we recognize that denying individuals access to abortion can significantly impede the realization of their full range of human rights. Abortion access is essential for achieving gender, social, reproductive, and economic justice.

Why is Amnesty International campaigning for abortion rights?

Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion rights are no longer federally protected in the U.S. Many states have passed increasingly strict abortion laws, forcing people to try to seek care in other states or be forced to give birth.

These rollbacks in abortion rights in the U.S. represent a significant setback in the context of otherwise steady global progress for abortion rights and bodily autonomy.  No other country has the same gap between a public that broadly supports a person’s right to an abortion and an ideological movement that has worked for decades in the halls of power to curtail it.

Forcing someone to carry on an unwanted pregnancy or forcing them to seek out an unsafe abortion is a violation of their human rights, including violating the rights to be free from violence, to privacy, to health, to family, and in some cases the right to be free from torture, and the right to life.

Amnesty International USA protest for abortion rights at Supreme Court
(Amnesty International USA)

Learn how to protect abortion rights wherever you live

Abortion is health care.
Abortion is normal.
Abortion is a human right.

Visit our Fight for Abortion Rights web page to get more involved.

Learn more!