Reproductive justice addresses reproductive oppression by simultaneously applying three main frameworks at local, state, national, and international levels. These frameworks include: reproductive health (which deals with service delivery) reproductive rights (which addresses legal issues), and reproductive justice (which focuses on movement building and social justice). These frameworks provide an inclusive approach to systems change that moves the debate away from individual rights to an inclusive vision of better lives for women, healthier families, and sustainable communities. Using this analysis, we can integrate multiple issues and bring together constituencies that are multi-racial, multi-generational and multi-class in order to build a more powerful and relevant grassroots movement (Loretta J. Ross, SisterSong, 2006).
The resources below are intended to educate readers on the reproductive justice movement and highlight the ways in which the reproductive justice framework is applied to systems change. Included is information on the history of the movement, as well as information on the work of a number of organizations focusing on reproductive justice issues.
“Many women see abortion rights as their main issue, but women of color and low income women often have difficulty accessing: contraception, comprehensive sex education, STI prevention and care, alternative birth options, adequate prenatal and pregnancy care, domestic violence assistance, adequate wages to support our families, safe homes, and so much more. Even our right to parent our children is often threatened. Reproductive Justice addresses all of these critical issues.” –SisterSong
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice promotes and protects reproductive justice through organizing, building leadership capacity, developing alliances and education to achieve community and systemic change.
ACRJ believes reproductive justice will be achieved when all people have the economic, social and political power and resources to make healthy decisions about our gender, bodies and sexuality for ourselves, our families and our communities. ACRJ is working toward the day that the culture and policies in this country support families that we have built and chosen to be strong and thrive.
The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has adopted a reproductive justice framework to organize and empower Black women to achieve full reproductive and bodily autonomy. The reproductive justice framework underscores how inequalities and complexities in Black women’s lives profoundly impact their reproductive choices and rights.
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) is the only national reproductive justice organization dedicated to advancing health, dignity, and justice for the 26 million Latinas, their families, and communities in the United States.
NLIRH uses policy change, culture shift, relationship building, and leadership development to advance a reproductive justice agenda informed by the priorities and experiences of activists on the ground. We focus on three critical and interconnected areas: abortion access and affordability; sexual and reproductive health equity; and immigrant women’s health and rights. Simultaneously, NLIRH seeks to build the power of Latinas throughout the country through community organizing, civic engagement, and training and leadership development.