Universities Must Train Students to Be Leaders in Reproductive Rights, Health and Justice

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Many students capable of being pregnant are adding another factor to their college decision: “Can I access abortion where this university is located, and how is the university supporting their students seeking this care?” 

Colleges and universities have historically been catalysts for social change, nurturing student activism and empowering young leaders to challenge injustice. Engaging students in reproductive justice issues provides a platform for them to exercise their agency and contribute to societal progress. Recent research into the effects of a donor-funded reproductive rights, health and justice internship program at Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute provides insight into one potential way for colleges and universities to show their commitment and make an impact on this landscape.

Restricting Access to Information Online Won’t Keep Teens Safe. It Will Only Erode Democratic Rights

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Well-meaning legislative proposals to protect young people undermine a key factor in teens’ development: independence. Proposed legislation at the federal and state levels increasingly mandates parental monitoring of all kids, including even older teenagers, which undermines teenagers’ independence—something that healthcare experts say is critical for young people’s development and mental health and parents want too.

Providing teenagers with tools to protect themselves, along with options to get parental help when needed, can go much further in creating a safe environment online.

My Thanks to Dobbs

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs has done a much better job than I ever did to raise public consciousness about the connections between abortion, pregnancy and pregnancy loss. For more than 30 years, I have tried to communicate the fact that abortion and pregnancy are not separate issues and that all people with the capacity for pregnancy—not just those seeking to end a pregnancy—would be harmed by the loss of Roe.

Dobbs however is doing a wonderful job helping people see the connections—from the state of Texas denying Kate Cox the right to end a pregnancy with a fetus that had no chance of survival, to skilled medical professionals fleeing states where they face arrest and financial ruin for providing medical care to pregnant patients.

Reproductive Healthcare 51 Years After Roe: Unreachable Abortion Clinics, Chaos and Countrywide Confusion

Reproductive healthcare experts say the post-Dobbs period will feature tens of thousands of forced births purely because of clinic closures—many abortion seekers will be too far away from the ones that remain open. Access is further interrupted, they said, by court decisions so confusing that providers do not know if and when they can legally dispense abortion medication or intervene with abortion care to save lives.

What Is the Path Forward to Securing U.S. Abortion Access?

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Abortion is currently banned in 14 states and highly restricted in an additional 10, and the average American lives 86 miles from an abortion provider. This leaves many pregnant people with the complex task of traveling across state lines—spending substantial amounts of money and time—to receive essential medical care. 

Ahead of the Roe anniversary, a panel of Senate Democrats and activists discussed a range of issues related to abortion rights—including state abortion bans and their desire to pass the Women’s Protection Act to restore abortion rights nationwide.

When 15 States Opt Out of a Summer Food Program, Community Organizations Must Fill in the Gaps

We were extremely disappointed by the decision of Mississippi and 14 other states last week to opt-out of a new summer EBT program that would have provided each eligible family with $40 per month per child during the summer to help cover the additional costs of food. For a mother working full-time at minimum wage (approximately $1,160 each month), that $40 could make a huge difference.

Once again, we are reminded that poverty, and all its consequences, are the result of policy choices. But when policy choices put an undue burden on our families, we know that it is our time to step into the gap.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Women and the Iowa Caucus; Southern Legislatures Still Dominated by Men

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Republican women are vastly underrepresented in comparison to their Democratic counterparts; nearly half of U.S. states have implemented abortion bans or restrictions; the struggles Indonesian women face when they aspire to have political careers; Mar Galcerán becomes the first woman with Down syndrome to be elected to Spain’s parliamentsand more.

How the Anti-Abortion Movement Weaponizes Language

With misleading and anti-scientific phrases like “pro-life,” “late-term abortions” and “abortion up until the point of birth,” anti-abortion advocates prey on the public’s lack of familiarity with medical terminology and stoke emotional responses in order to demonize abortion care and those who seek and provide it.

These phrases cause tremendous harm, and the media outlets covering this language without a check are amplifying the damage. Those in need of abortion care are forced to navigate the stigma and lies forced on them by the preponderance of misinformation and bias when making their healthcare decisions.

Not Helpless, Not Silenced: What to Do if You Are Experiencing or Witnessing Online Abuse

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Online abuse can feel like an enormous, insurmountable problem, but we are not helpless, and we refuse to be silent. Together we can fight back to make the internet safer, more equitable and more free.

Here’s what to do if you are facing online abuse; if you are witnessing online abuse; if you manage people who face online abuse; or you want to push the tech industry to do better.