Reproductive justice

social justice issue

Reproductive justice is about making sure everyone has the freedom and support to make choices about their bodies and families. It’s built on three basic ideas: the right to have children, the right not to have children, and the right to raise children in safe and healthy environments.[1]

The movement started because some groups, like women of color, low-income families, LGBTQ+ (initialism that means lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans) people, and people with disabilities, felt left out of the conversation about reproductive rights.[2][3] They pointed out that just having legal rights, like the right to abortion, isn’t enough if people can’t afford it, can’t get to a clinic, or don’t have access to good healthcare.[4]

Reproductive justice isn't just about abortion, it is also about making sure people have access to things like birth control, sex education, pregnancy care, and safe homes. It’s also about fighting for fair wages and safe communities so families can thrive. At its core, it’s about treating these issues as basic human rights that everyone deserves.

References

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  1. Ross L, Roberts L, Roberts DE, Derkas E, Peoples W, Bridgewater PD (2017). Radical Reproductive Justice. New York, NY: Feminist Press. ISBN 978-1-55861-437-6.
  2. "SisterSong: Our History". SisterSong. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  3. Ross L (May 2006). "Understanding Reproductive Justice" (PDF). SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective: 7.
  4. Smith 2005, pp. 119–140