What is Reproductive Justice?
From Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Northwest:
“Reproductive justice was coined by a group of Black women in 1994 in recognition that the Women’s Rights Movement, led by and representing white women, lacked a lens that could more equitably fight for the needs of Black, Indigenous, and women of color, and other marginalized people. Reproductive Justice looks at reproductive health and rights through a human rights and social justice framework.
Reproductive justice equally fights for:
The right to have a child.
The right not to have a child.
The right to parent the children we have in safe and healthy conditions regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, ability, or economic condition.
The right to bodily autonomy.
A reproductive justice framework analyzes power systems, and addresses intersecting oppressions. Through a reproductive justice framework, we can begin to understand and dismantle the barriers that prevent people from being able to access health care, raise their families in safe communities, and make decisions about their health, their bodies, and their lives. Reproductive Justice cannot exist without self-determination.”
Examples of Reproductive Injustices:
Black women have higher rates of premature birth than other women in America.
The United States has the highest maternal mortality ratio among wealthy nations.
Black and Indigenous women in the U.S. are roughly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women
Nearly 500 laws restricting abortion access have been passed by U.S. states since 2011.
(Center for Reproductive Rights, n.d.)
Historical Origin:
Social Work Involvement:
NASW has sued states over abortion access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psyNWVd3c7Q&t=10s
NASW has called upon Social Workers to organize in the fight against the overturning of Roe v. Wade: http://www.socialworkblog.org/advocacy/2022/05/the-roe-act-and-the-path-forward-for-our-nation/
NASW policy page on reproductive justice: https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Policy-Issues/Reproductive-Rights-Are-Human-Rights
References:
Center for Reproductive Rights. (n.d.). United States. https://reproductiverights.org/our-regions/united-states/
Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. (n.d.). Choice vs. access: Defining reproductive justice.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-pacific-southwest/blog/choice-vs-access-defining-reproductive-justice