Reproductive Justice as a Guiding Framework

The Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project is guided by the principles of the Reproductive Justice movement and its foundational ideas about maternal health, childbirth, and parenting. We embrace the core tenets of Reproductive Justice, as expressed by SisterSong, which are “inspired by universal human rights concepts” and include:

“The human right to own our bodies and control our future
The human right to have children
The human right to not have children, and
The human right to parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”

Reproductive Justice is a “holistic approach to reproductive freedom that goes beyond the pro-choice movement’s focus on abortion.”  The work we do is attendant to issues of pregnancy criminalization and the harmful effects of the family policing, immigration, and criminal legal systems, while also recognizing the reproductive oppression and harms caused by abortion bans.

The Reproductive Justice movement was founded in 1994, when Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice—Toni M. Bond Leonard, Reverend Alma Crawford, Evelyn S. Field, Terri James, Bisola Marignay, Cassandra McConnell, Cynthia Newbille, Lorretta Ross, Elizabeth Terry, ‘Able’ Mable Thomas, Winnette P. Willis, and Kim Youngblood—published an open letter to Congress with 800+ signatories in The Washington Post and RollCall that called out the lack of attention to the unique health concerns and challenges for Black women.

Further reading on Reproductive Justice:

“Reproductive Justice,” SisterSong

“What Is The RJ Movement,” Groundswell 

“Reproductive Justice,” We Testify

“Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights: A Framework,” VAWnet

“Visioning New Futures for Reproductive Justice,” SisterSong