Reproductive Rights Reaching New Heights: Inspirational Women Working Towards Justice

Women's History Month is a time to honor women, especially those that have devoted their careers to helping make this androcentric society a safe space for all. Unfortunately, every day in the United States women’s rights are being taken. With new legislation popping up in several states that are taking away rights to abortion and access to other reproductive healthcare, the work is not yet done.

Felicia Davis, Hannah Snow, and Elizabeth Estrada are three astounding women who have pursued this call to action in making reproductive health an inclusive, equitable, and accessible space.

Felicia Davis, Hannah Snow & Elizabeth Estrada

Felicia D. Blakley, President & CEO of The Chicago Foundation for Women

“A lot of the tone and tenor of what’s going out in the world right now is I would say misogynistic,” Felicia Davis Blakley says via Zoom interview. “Every day there is a new slue of laws designed to take away a woman’s rights.”

Felicia Davis Blakley is the President and CEO of The Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW). This foundation focuses on providing equitable care and support to the women of Chicago.

Blakley notes that Illinois is a beacon for Reproductive health as they have a governor in place that affirms a woman’s right to choose.

Illinois has taken steps further to provide support in other ways. “There is legislation that got passed that requires implicit bias training in the healthcare sector,” she says, “Because we know that the outcomes [with reproductive health] of women of color are drastically different from the outcomes of non-women of color.”

“As a Black birthing person, my experiences haven’t always been that great,” she says, “You know Beyoncé and Serena, who are wealthy and some of the most recognized women in the world weren’t listened to and had to advocate for themselves with pregnancy.”

There is a presence of trauma around birthing for Black women. “It is arguably supposed to be one of the most joyous times in a woman’s life,” Blakley claims, “But to fight for the medical care and services you need is not good for the woman or the unborn child.” With her own experience fighting for access, she has made it a point for other women to have access and support as well to relieve stressors and hopefully prevent trauma.

“It is an unfair thing that some lives are valued over other lives,” Blakley says.

“There is a problem, well a pandemic really of missing Black women and trans people in Chicago,” she notes. “What has changed is the comfort to center women of color in the work that we do. And be very explicit about it.”

Under Blakley’s leadership, CFW has launched the SHEcovery initiative to “support women, girls, trans, and gender nonbinary people of color during this extraordinarily challenging time to ensure they come out stronger on the other side of this pandemic.”

Within the next two years, they plan to raise $11 million to help provide women with employment and housing and work towards an anti-racist healthcare system.

Felicia Davis Blakley Speaking at CFW event

“We are trying to work locally with organizations to work on these really hard problems,” Blakley shares. One of the great organizations CFW has partnered with is Planned Parenthood. “We work with them on legislation,” she says, “It really is an important partnership.”

Planned Parenthood is a provider of many services such as sexual health education and Gynecology healthcare. They make it a point to provide gender-affirming care and services in support of the LGBT+ community within Illinois and other states like North Carolina.

Hannah Snow, Organizer for Planned Parenthood in North Carolina

Hannah Snow is a Political Fundraiser and Organiser based in North Carolina. In 2020, she worked for a Planned Parenthood Affiliate PAC, organizing votes to elect pro-choice candidates on North Carolina’s (NC) ballot to the office for the general electio n.

Snow worked primarily with college students to middle-aged adults who were passionate about reproductive justice and electing pro-choice candidates to office.

In just five months of working on the team, Snow helped host 55 virtual events to rally volunteers and educate voters. “We were able to grow a tight-knit community,” Snow says in an email interview, “that mobilized quickly against any legislation that wasn't abortion-friendly and be responsive to our endorsed candidates' opponents when they campaigned on ‘pro-life’/anti-choice rhetoric.”

“We are seeing a new wave of anti-abortion laws being proposed in Southern states,” Snow claims, “and though it comes as no surprise to us Southerners with predominantly anti-choice state legislatures, we will not see it stop.”

Snow finds that prioritizing reform to welfare services at the state and federal level can help many people be able to take care of themselves.

“When you look at reproductive justice in NC (and beyond) and recognize that that concept only exists as a reality for the white and wealthy,” she says, “I believe that to reflect our state's policymaking and laws as a whole we need to actively address income inequality and wage gaps.”

These gaps perpetuate chronic cyclical poverty. “Many people are not able to care for themselves,” she says, “let alone another life.”

For North Carolina, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of reproductive justice. “Roe v. Wade needs to be codified into law,” Snow says. “There are no excuses for a Democratic majority in all three federal branches to have not secured this yet.” “Codifying Roe” means that a state like North Carolina would pass a law that affirms a pregnant person’s right to choose abortion without interference.

Alongside a clear focus on Welfare and targeting state legislation, Snow finds it of the utmost importance to destigmatize abortion as a medical procedure.

“Abortion is healthcare,” she says, “It's a decision made between a person and what they want for their body.”

Elizabeth Estrada, New York Field & Advocacy Manager of The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice

In New York, we see Pro-choice legislation that has helped make abortion more accessible to its residents, however, like in North Carolina and Chicago, there are still inequalities and stigmas to tackle.

Elizabeth Estrada Started with The National Latina Institute in 2013 and has been an integral part of the change for Reproductive justice in New York (NY) and beyond.

Estrada was part of a coalition that helped pass the Reproductive Health Act in 2019 which codified Roe in the state of NY.

Estrada also helped pass the nation’s first municipality funding of abortion by the city council voting to have $250k go to the abortion access fund within the city budget.

“Other cities have tried to do it, but the first in the nation was right here in New York City,” she says via phone interview, “so that was one of the great wins that we have been able to have.”

“Even in a state… in a city… that is considered a liberal bastion for reproductive rights,” she notes, “there are a lot of gaps left to fill around the education of barriers to reproductive health access to abortion.”

“Being a Latina, an immigrant, and having been undocumented for the first 10 years that I was in the united states,” she says. “A right on paper does not necessarily translate to access to that right.”

Estrada suggests that within NY communities, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, fake clinics are a barrier to access to abortion. She discussed how people who might be seeking local access to reproductive care for the first time can be susceptible to these scam organizations. These clinics derail women from getting the care they need. To remedy this issue, Estrada and her team have canvased NY for fake clinics and hosted events to educate the community.

Estrada speaking at Ray of Hope Walk in 2019

The Latina Institute not only helps with barriers to abortion but also the destigmatization of abortion. They conducted polls that suggest that over 70% of Latinos and Catholics support abortion without the interference of a politician. “However, those conversations are still stigmatized and taboo within our families,” Estrada claims, “I’m of the generation within my community that is tasked with breaking these generational curses.”

With her own experience of having two abortions in her life, she realized that she can’t help her community if she has to be silent about her experiences and her reproductive health.

“It’s the silence that brings us into a place of shame,” she proclaims, “And it’s that silence that quiets us and our power and that is how conservative, anti-abortion people win.”

Estrada began feeling empowered by her experiences when she shared her story with other women. “When I shared my story, other people shared their story and they felt seen and heard,” she says. “When you speak from your own experience people’s internalized shame lifts.”

This experience carries out in her work today and serves as a reminder that storytelling should be at the forefront of her work with reproductive justice. “Storytelling is what changes hearts and minds,” Estrada states.

Estrada speaking at the Women’s March in 2017

There is a clear reluctance to include abortion within the story of reproductive health, as seen with many US state legislation, but also within the culture of our society. “While we are not all activists,” she says, “what we can do is have a conversation at the dinner table and talk about why we support our loved ones choosing abortion.”

“If you don’t want to have an abortion, it’s okay— it’s not for everyone,” she says. “But if a loved one is in need, won’t you say I love you and I’m here to support you?”

Estrada is focused on shaping the Reproductive Justice movement that goes beyond laws and access to reproductive health care and into shaping an equitable narrative for reproductive health.

“Reproductive justice aims to center the people impacted by the disparities within the legal and health arenas,” Astrada states. “Reproductive Justice was a place where I could come and be my full self and be embraced by who I am, and it impacts my work within my job and community.”

Through storytelling, fundraising, and organizing these three women have helped make this country a safer space for people who need reproductive care. As these women continue their work within this space of justice, hopefully, we will see a new society that supports choice.

How have these women inspired you? Leave a comment below.

*All images were provided by interviewees, Designs made by author.