Reproductive_Justice_Netw

We – a group of young women‑ and transgender-led community based organizations from across the country – have been coming together to formulate and offer the following vision for reproductive justice in our society.  

We see a world where all people– regardless of race, sex, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, class, ability, education, appearance or immigration status - have the economic, political and social power to make healthy decisions about our bodies, our reproduction, and our sexuality. We will have the knowledge to make informed decisions about health care, sexuality, gender transition, conception, contraception and childbirth, and we will have the resources and power to carry out our decisions and maintain control of our bodies (body sovereignty) .  We will have the right to talk about and express our sexuality, including having same-sex relationships.  We will have access to quality, culturally relevant health care. We will  have access to social support, reproductive options and legal benefits as our human right.   This will allow us to make the best possible decisions.  Our voices will be heard; our dreams and choices will be valued and not judged.  We advocate for pleasure.

The following principles and values are at the core of our vision for reproductive justice:

·        Reproductive justice is part of the larger struggle for human rights.

A holistic reproductive health agenda includes mental health, environmental health and overall wellness as our human right.  A comprehensive reproductive health agenda is necessary to address our reproductive health in the context of our lives.  We support public, accessible health services that meet the needs of their communities, are culturally relevant, and reflect the needs of people throughout the cycle of one’s life.

There are many issues that limit the reproductive health and well-being of young women and transgender youth.  Stigmas about topics like sex, gender identity, sexual identity and abortion silence us, isolate us from each other, and limit our healthcare choices.   Knowledge about reproductive health is withheld from us; instead we are given abstinence-only education and stereotypes about our communities.  There are few services – like clinics, childcare or family planning – available to us.  The traditional knowledge held within our communities of origin has been largely taken away from us, and the medical information and care that are available are often culturally alienating and judgmental. Many of us have had violating experiences with doctors, including violent birthing experiences.   Youth are not supported in learning about their sexuality; young people are not supported in parenting.  Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS rates are growing; our communities face high infant mortality rates; and we are surrounded by toxic chemicals in our environment and in our personal care products.  

·        Ensuring access to reproductive healthcare, including  access to holistic models of care

We have to acknowledge that the impoverishment and disempowerment of our communities impacts our ability to make healthy choices about our reproductive health.  People who identify as a different gender than assigned at birth deserve access to health care that is safe, accessible and affordable. Access to reproductive health would mean that we are able to have quality, competent health care without social stigma from providers or our community.  We would have the knowledge to care for ourselves to sustain our health and well-being. We have the human right to  access quality, culturally relevant health care regardless of our immigration status, perceived gender, gender identity, race or the ability to pay. Traditional and earth-based models are legitimate healthcare models and should be made available as treatment options.

Youth have the right to private, healthy and safe services.

• We believe that barriers to reproductive health and justice are part of larger systems of oppression. 

The issues that we face, whether they are lack of access to non-judgmental, culturally appropriate health care, growing rates of HIV/AIDS, or abstinence-only education, are rooted in racism, the history of colonization, sexism, heterosexism, in the class system and ageism.  Social institutions, like the educational system, media, the government, the medical establishment and many faith-based institutions, uphold and promote the power of a few at the expense of others. Once we are able to uproot these systems of inequality, then reproductive health for all moves from being a marginal possibility to a broad reality. In the process of doing so, we must understand how our reproductive health is impacted by these systems.

• We want to help promote a long-term strategic vision for our work.

We believe in building community, solidarity and consensus between our organizations.  Within the reproductive rights movement historically, there has been a lack of cohesion and separation along lines of race, class, age, sexual orientation, gender orientation, family status and ability.   We believe there is a lot of potential to build alliances with other people in this work, which requires respecting and valuing the different models and ideologies of different organizations. We need to support and validate different forms of family.  We want to collaborate with other movements.  We should work against the competition and vision over resources.  We should use our resources responsibly and leverage what resources we have for the greater good. We can lead the foundations.

• Our political system must be reformed.

We see a political system where all people are represented, enfranchised and involved in the development of the public services and goods that affect their communities. We support electoral, campaign, and political reform that will allow policy makers to hold views that support our reproductive justice agenda and remain viable candidates.

In the process of advocating for political reform, we cannot completely disengage from the current system. We must promote reproductive justice as candidates, bureaucrats, teachers, and other public servants.

The process of policy formation---whether local, state, or federal---must include input from affected parties and consideration of both the possible positive and negative impacts of policy implementation.

·        We believe in self-determination.

We must determine what we need for ourselves and our communities.  Self-determination is the root of any movement for justice. 

A part of that self-determination is the ability to determine to have children or not;  to raise our children according to our own cultural values and practices in a community setting; to gender transition; and to engage in sex work.   

·        Those who are historically underserved/underrepresented should be at the center of shared leadership

 People most impacted by reproductive public policy must lead the struggle. We will center the voices of those who have been on the margins of power. Leadership must be shared and decisions should be made with the welfare of the must vulnerable at the forefront.  If people of color, young people, women and transgender folks are central to the leadership of the reproductive justice movement then the agenda will lead to greater access and equality for all.

·        Young women  and transgender youth are  leaders

 Young women and transgender youth are not just target populations.  We are agents of social change with critical perspectives and innovative strategies to create solutions to the issues in our lives and communities. We recognize that we must have youth friendly spaces to promote leadership.  Young people need to be sustained as leaders through mentoring, skills building, transfer of knowledge, positions of power, and fostering transitions within our organizations and the movement.

·        Promotion of intergenerational leadership, activism, and knowledge

A dynamic and sustainable movement requires through the exchange of wisdom, ideas and resources, across generations. 

·        Control of our bodies and sexual freedom

We have the right to control what is done to our bodies, and what we choose to do to our bodies. We have the right to express our sexuality and form relationships of our own choosing. We recognize that sexual expression takes many forms, including same-gender loving and non-monogamous relationships. Young people are also sexual beings, with the right to express that sexuality.

During the birth process, we have the right to decide how, where, and with what attendants we will give birth, including the right to refuse medical intervention and give birth at home.

·        Ability to be safe and free from criminalization

 Reproductive justice includes being free from harm – either interpersonal or state violence.  Sexual abuse, rape, emotional abuse, and domestic violence violate the integrity of our personhood, bodies, and overall health.  We can and will protect ourselves in mind, body, and spirit and can teach the younger generations to live without fear and shame.  We deserve empowerment and self-love.  We should have abundant relationship models that are based on equality and full of love and pleasure.

People in sex trade or doing sex work have the right to be safe on their own terms. Sex workers should not be criminalized nor harassed. We recognize the labor rights of people who perform sex work.  We support the building of communities of and for people engaged in the sex trade. We will not use language that defines people by what they do, nor judges them for the way they meet their survival needs. Youth in the sex trade or using drugs can contribute to this movement. People do not need to be out of the sex trade and/or not using drugs to express their thoughts, feelings, and to learn and lead.

• Social support for parents and caregivers

Access to affordable and competent childcare is an essential part of support for parents and communities. Care for parents should extend throughout the prenatal and postnatal period and include parents who have lost their children. Parents who choose to breastfeed should be supported to do so by their communities, health care providers, and employers. Parents who engage in sex work are often unfairly labeled unfit parents and disproportionately targeted for state intervention.

·        Gender allies

Men are valuable allies in our work; men are a part of our communities and their health and well-being are fundamentally connected to our health and well-being. 

·        Elimination of language and literacy barriers

We deserve the right to have reproductive health options, information, and services explained in a way that is accessible to all people.  Medical procedures and our rights as health care consumers should be explained using accessible terms and language.  We demand more resources for translation within health, social care, and education systems. 

• We want to build sustainable communities in order to build a self-sustaining movement.

We want believe in self-care and sustainable activism, using a mind/body/spirit approach.  We need to heal ourselves from internal and external oppression using holistic care and traditional practices.  We want to work against the burn-out of our leaders and organizers.  .   It is important that we learn to balance work and personal care.

·        Our methods

We will use non-violent means to achieve our goals. We also support the right of individuals and groups to use civil disobedience to achieve change. We recognize and value the variety of resources we bring to the movement. Because the end does not justify the means, we will not trample on the rights of some allies in order to promote those of other allies. Our methods will be culturally and linguistically inclusive. We encourage engagement within and outside of the dominant political system.

• We believe in regular evaluation and reflection to ensure that we are staying true to our mission and vision. 

• Note: we need help in developing the point around Impact of war on reproductive health and refugee status