Reproductive Justice

No Mother's Day: Every 90 Seconds a Woman Dies Becoming a Mother

Soraya Chemaly | Posted 05.03.2012

Soraya Chemaly

Every 90 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from a pregnancy-related complication. This isn't just a "third world" problem. The United States currently ranks 50th in the world for maternal health. It is safer to give birth in Bosnia or Kuwait than in California.

When Does "Pro-Life" Equal "Pro-Imprisonment"?

Lynn M. Paltrow | Posted 04.18.2012

Lynn M. Paltrow

The Liberty Counsel has established that the "pro-life" position is "pro-punishment," not just for doctors who perform abortions, but also for pregnant women who have no intention of ending their pregnancies and go to term.

Ann Or Hilary: Either Way, Motherhood Is a Dismal Financial Decision for American Women

Soraya Chemaly | Posted 04.13.2012

Soraya Chemaly

What I am not hearing anyone say loudly and clearly in this Rosen/Romney snafu is that women's ability -- not desire or choice -- to take part in the economy is based on her freedom to make reproductive decisions.

Personhood Measures in Disguise

Lynn M. Paltrow | Posted 04.03.2012

Lynn M. Paltrow

While people in Mississippi were considering Proposition 26 and deciding whether fertilized eggs and embryos would be treated as entirely separate legal persons, a prosecutor and courts were addressing the same question behind the scenes, where voters have no role or voice.

We Are in Texas Now

Sarah Buttenwieser | Posted 05.20.2012

Sarah Buttenwieser

The question isn't about modifying a cruel law to make it less cruel when the pregnancy was hoped for; it's about abolishing laws this punitive to all women.

Science, Faith And The War On Women

Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski | Posted 05.14.2012

Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski

Science, which gives us choices about the families we create, is also a gift from God.

International Women's Day and Latina's health

Destiny Lopez | Posted 05.08.2012

Destiny Lopez

Politics should not stand in the way of women's access to family planning. Investing in women's health leads to a healthier, more prosperous society -- this is the legacy we should be exporting.

Mandatory Ultrasound Laws Violate Women's Rights and Bodies

Terry O'Neill | Posted 04.28.2012

Terry O'Neill

Turning the clock back includes shaming women for their sexuality and punishing them for terminating a pregnancy (which is still legal, by the way). This brings us to one of the more degrading tactics up the radical-right sleeve: mandatory ultrasound laws.

Eastern Europe's Conservative Crackdown on Reproductive Freedom

Jake Blumgart | Posted 04.10.2012

Jake Blumgart

Across Eastern and Central Europe, emboldened right-wing leaders are resurrecting debates around abortion and other reproductive services, even in largely secular nations like Hungary.

What Komen v. Planned Parenthood Teaches Us About Abortion Stigma

Anu Kumar | Posted 04.07.2012

Anu Kumar

Would so many individuals -- 'Racers for the Cure' and celebrities alike -- rise up in protest? My guess is no, they would not -- and this is the power of the stigma around abortion. When access to health care is limited by money or geography, we cannot afford to limit it further with politics.

Facing Maternity Care Gaps, Midwives Push For Birthing Justice

Michelle Chen | Posted 04.03.2012

Michelle Chen

As with all reproductive justice struggles, from access to birth control to the right to choose, self-determination in childbirth is about putting social trust in the hands of women.

Why The Struggles For Reproductive Rights And LGBT Equality Must Be Fought Together

Rea Carey | Posted 03.23.2012

Rea Carey

It's not unusual to hear comments like, "Why are you working to protect reproductive rights when we have our own issues to deal with?" or, "Marriage equality has nothing to do with abortion rights. Our two movements are different." Think again.

Should Science Matter for Pregnant Women's Health Care and Rights?

Lynn M. Paltrow | Posted 03.19.2012

Lynn M. Paltrow

Why is it that when it comes to decisions regarding women and pregnancy, science is so often ignored? A case going to the New Jersey Supreme Court involving child neglect charges against a woman who allegedly used cocaine while she was pregnant directly raises this question.

Giving Thanks and Taking Action

K. Sujata | Posted 01.09.2012

K. Sujata

This year Chicago-area organizations have made impressive breakthroughs on seemingly intractable issues. As Thanksgiving nears, let's take time to be thankful for the progress we've made in 2011.

House GOP Revives Global War on Women's Health With "Gag Rule"

Michelle Chen | Posted 10.07.2011

Michelle Chen

While Congress was playing fiscal roulette last month, House Republicans quietly advanced their attack on reproductive choice, too.

Billboards Won't Solve the Real Issues Facing Women

K. Sujata | Posted 06.07.2011

K. Sujata

As you've probably seen in the news, a sensationalist anti-choice campaign has arrived in Chicago.

Repeal of Health Care Law Would Jeopardize Women's Economic Recovery

Marcia D. Greenberger | Posted 05.25.2011

Marcia D. Greenberger

When it comes to being able to afford health insurance for themselves or pay their medical bills, it's women who take a serious shellacking.

Compromising Funding Is Compromising Women's Lives (VIDEO)

Reproductive Justice | Posted 05.25.2011

Reproductive Justice

By Jasmine Burnett, Regional Coordinator for SisterSong Women Of Color Reproductive Justice Collective The Planned Parenthood New York March for Wome...

The War on Women's Health

Deborah Burger | Posted 05.25.2011

Deborah Burger

Unwanted pregnancies, whether they lead to abortion or children with health needs, have huge economic consequences. The purpose of such initiatives are social and ideological, not budgetary.

Legislating Abortion Stigma

Anu Kumar | Posted 05.25.2011

Anu Kumar

Last week, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce heard three "experts" on abortion policy testify on the "Protect Life Act," one of several bills aimed at reducing access to legal abortion services.

On Abortion: Overturn Hyde

Ellen R. Shaffer | Posted 05.25.2011

Ellen R. Shaffer

Half of all pregnancies are unplanned. At least a third of U.S. women have abortions. Polls show that the majority of Americans -- over 60% by any mea...

Dangerous Claims That Abortion Is Genocide

Reproductive Justice | Posted 05.25.2011

Reproductive Justice

The anti-abortion right wing is hard at work trying to drive a wedge into communities of color. A conspiracy theory -- which alleges that abortion amounts to genocide perpetrated by white people on minority communities -- is gathering steam.

This Is Not Your Mother's Reproductive Rights Movement

Julie Burkhart | Posted 05.25.2011

Julie Burkhart

The pro-choice movement in the United States is at a critical crossroads. A new reproductive justice movement is emerging from the hardships endured b...

Black Abortion: Genocide or Uplift?

Reproductive Justice | Posted 05.25.2011

Reproductive Justice

2010-11-30-Screenshot20101130at6.46.43PM.jpgAs a volunteer who escorts patients into an abortion clinic to "fend off" protesters, I routinely meet the people who compare abortion to slavery and worse.

Argentina's Slow Tango With Women's Lives

Marianne Mollmann | Posted 05.25.2011

Marianne Mollmann

Any law that labels abortion a crime, even if it allows for exceptions, in practice makes it complicated, if not impossible, to get access to health- and life-preserving abortions. This is the situation in Argentina.