INDIVISIBLE Lambertville NJ / New Hope PA

Category: Reproductive Rights

  • The Need for a Movement Toward Reproductive Justice

    Contributed by Diane J. Abatemarco, PhD, MSW

    ILNH held its first Springboard on Reproductive Rights on Tuesday, July 9th  at the Kalmia Club in Lambertville. The Springboard featured a panel of experts moderated by Diane Abatemarco, including: 

    Taylor Austin, Pennsylvania Community Engagement Coordinator for The Women’s Centers, a group of independent abortion providers with five clinics across four states. 

    Casey Olesko, Communications Director for Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey and Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey.

    Marlene Pray, an Education and Training Consultant with over 20 years of professional, community, non-profit management and board leadership in community organizing, sexuality education, social justice and human rights, who lives and resists in Doylestown, PA. 

    The objectives for the Springboard included: 1) learning more about the issues from experts doing the work, 2) identifying tactics for activism that are suited for elevating our work, as outlined by the National Indivisible organization, and, 3) building an abortion rights action campaign for our activist community of over 1,200 people.  

    What we learned:

    Since the Supreme Court handed down its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, states have enacted laws to deconstruct, codify, regulate and limit the conditions and circumstances a woman may obtain an abortion (see https://www.guttmacher. org). 

    New Jersey, under Governor Murphy, has been working diligently to support Planned Parenthood.  Other states like Pennsylvania, however, are more restrictive.   

    Reproductive justice was discussed. Reproductive justice, as defined by Sister Song, a national organization, is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.  SisterSong believes to achieve this right we must address intersecting oppressions (e.g., race, poverty, classism, misogyny, etc.)

    Many activities in support of reproductive justice were identified during the Springboard, among them is the importance of talking with local, state, and national legislators about supporting safe abortion and Planned Parenthood, doing away with the Hatch Act, and creating an ILNH action plan to respond wisely when needed to protect abortion in the U.S.   

    ILNH volunteers Ana Slack and Cynthia Ruffner raised their hands to be Activators for ILNH’s future work in reproductive rights and justice.  Watch for an announcement for an upcoming meeting in August to begin to build our reproductive justice work in ILNH.  For questions reach out to Ana Slack, Cynthia Ruffner, Cindi Sternfeld, Sarah Gold or Diane Abatemarco.

    ILNH volunteer, Diane J. Abatemarco, PhD, MSW, is a professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. You can reach her at abatemarcodj@gmail.com.

  • Just the Facts

    Contributed by Olga Vanucci

    • There are about 900,000 abortions in the U.S. each year, a 40% reduction since 1990.
    • That’s 18.8 abortions for every 100 pregnancies.
    • The number of abortion providers has dropped from a high of 2,918 in 1982 to 1,671 in 2014.
    • The number of deaths annually in the U.S. resulting from abortions has declined from 2,700 women in 1930 to about 200 in 1965 to around 10 currently.
    • 88% of abortions take place in developing countries.
    • 49% of abortions in developing countries are unsafe. 
    • 6.9 million women are treated annually in developing regions for complications from unsafe abortions.

    Sources:  

  • Civics 101 – Reproductive Rights Under Fire

    Contributed by Amara Willey

    In the crucible of reproductive rights, the threat to Roe v. Wade is already being waged. Should the Supreme Court overturn that historic court precedent, whether a woman has the right to choose abortion would become a states’ issue.

    In preparation for that, at least 13 states have passed or are considering laws that would make abortion illegal. Trigger laws, or state legislation that will become active should the Supreme Court overturn previous decisions about reproductive rights, are being put in place in a number of places. Some states, such as Arkansas and Louisiana, have created legislation that will make abortion illegal. This can work both ways though. Other states, such as New Mexico and Vermont, have created laws that will protect a woman’s right to choose. For example, New York lawmakers passed the “Reproductive Health Act” in January, which protects access to abortions after 24 weeks if the fetus is not viable or if there is risk to the mother’s health.

    Recent presidents have been using executive orders as a way to bypass Congress on certain issues. Just like laws, executive orders can be found to be unconstitutional. One of the first orders President Donald Trump signed reinstated the “global gag rule,” which prevented U.S. funding to international nongovernmental organizations that offer or advise on a wide range of family planning and reproductive health options if they include abortion.

    State governors can also use executive orders in this way. In January, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed an order that gives all women, regardless of income, the ability to make their own decisions about their reproductive health. Last year Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered insurers in New York to cover over-the-counter emergency contraception for women — better known as Plan B.

    Although perhaps the most famous, Roe v. Wade is not the only court precedent for women’s reproductive rights. More than 15 other cases have been heard by the highest court in the land regarding right to choose and contraceptive access. For example, in the 1971 Supreme Court case, United States v. Vuitch, a doctor challenged the constitutionality of a District of Columbia law permitting abortion only to preserve a woman’s life or health. The Court rejected the claim that the statute was unconstitutionally vague, concluding that “health” should be understood to include considerations of psychological as well as physical well-being. The Court also held that the burden of proof should be on the prosecutor who brought charges, not on the doctor. 

    Meanwhile, all of the Democratic candidates are aligned in their support for reproductive freedom, while Trump seems to be using the issue as a way to rally his base. In a recent CNN poll of Iowa Democrats, abortion ranked slightly ahead of recognizing climate change as the greatest threat to humanity. In order for reproductive rights to be protected through Federal law, it seems likely that Democrats will need to hold the majority in both the House and the Senate.

    Resources: