Biden signs executive order on abortion access

U.S. President Joe Biden attends an event on fighting "ghost guns" crimes at the White House in Washington, D.C. April 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The executive order aims to safeguard access to reproductive health care services and protect the privacy of patients and their access to accurate information, among other things, according to the White House.

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on abortion access on Friday, as the issue continues to divide the society.

The move came two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional protection of abortion rights for women in the nation.

The executive order aims to safeguard access to reproductive health care services and protect the privacy of patients and their access to accurate information, among other things, according to the White House.

Abortion has been one of the most divisive issues in the United States.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that the U.S. constitution generally protects the liberty to choose to have an abortion. But anti-abortion groups have actively sought to have the decision overturned, engaging in legal and public opinion battles with the other side on the issue over the past decades.

The Women's March has planned to rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday to pressure the White House to do more to protect abortion rights.

The rally is scheduled to start at the Franklin Square Park in the morning, followed by a march to the White House and a sit-in, according to a press release. The group estimated up to 10,000 people will be in attendance.