February 25, 2025 • 38 mins
Reproductive justice is the human right to control our bodies, our sexuality, our gender, our work, and our reproduction. This right can only be achieved when everyone, especially those most marginalized, have the complete economic, social, and political power and resources to make healthy decisions about their bodies, families and communities. Bridgette Jackson, Director of Public Policy at In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Kat Olivera, Director of Government Relations at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (NLIRJ), and Fajer Saeed Ebrahim, Senior Policy Manager at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), sit down to talk with us about the reproductive justice policy agenda.
NAPAWF, NLIRJ, and In Our Own Voice lead the Intersections of Our Lives Collaborative, which developed the comprehensive policy framework for achieving reproductive justice. The agenda is structured around three key pillars: healthy body, healthy families and communities, and healthy democracy. The policies included are focused on accessible sex education, abortion and contraception equity, gender-affirming care, and resistance to the criminalization of bodies.
You might be interested in the Public Health is Dead podcast: https://www.publichealthisdead.com/ 9o03
Follow Us on Social:
Twitter: @rePROsFightBack
Instagram: @reprosfb
Facebook: rePROs Fight Back
Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.social
Email us: jennie@reprosfightback.com
Rate and Review on Apple Podcast
Thanks for listening & keep fighting back!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Repro Fight Back a podcast on all
things related to sexual andreproductive health rights and
justice. Hi, re pros. How'severybody hanging in? I'm your
host Jenny Wetter , and mypronouns are she her. So y'all,
I cannot believe that this isthe 250th episode of Re Pros .
(00:25):
Fight Back. What? I it isshocking. I cannot believe
we've been doing the podcastfor that long. I, you know, and
I talk about how this wassomething I was pushed into and
I wasn't sure that this wasnecessarily my jam. And I'm so
lucky to have so many peoplewho pushed me to try. Um, most
(00:47):
of all, my former boss, Bob,who I I, if you have been
listening for a while , haveheard me talk about before.
'cause he passed away late lastyear. His birthday was last
week. And so it, it feels alittle extra special that the
250th episode falls right nearhis birthday. 'cause he had so
much faith in me and he reallypushed me to do this podcast.
(01:11):
And I'm so grateful he did.
Because, you know, as I'vetalked about this, is I love
it. I love talking to so manyamazing people about so many
important issues. I love havingthis platform and being able to
shine the light on the manybrilliant people that I get to
work with and lucky enough towork with. And I'm so grateful
for our wonderful team. Italso, you know, I talked about
(01:34):
it being close, coming outclose to Bob's birthday that ,
um, a couple days before thatwas, it feels weird to call it
an anniversary, but the twoyears since my dad died. So, I
don't know , it just, it , it ,it all feels special and tied
in together and I just amreally grateful for all the
support that I've had for thepodcast and mostly from just
(01:57):
some amazing colleagues who hadfaith in me before when I was
still questioning if it was theright thing to do, who really
pushed. And the amazing teamthat we have built. I'm so
grateful for Rachel and Melainaand all of their hard work. And
for Meg, who does the great jobediting us , um, for Kathleen
and her support to continue thepodcast and everybody at
(02:20):
Population Institute who hasbeen so supportive. And yeah,
it just, wow, 250 episodes.
Y'all hard to believe. Also,this week has just been chaos.
I just, I just feel so chaoticright now, y'all, I know that
the chaos is the point withthis administration. Um, so, so
(02:44):
much happening and , and tryingto focus on so many things. Um
, also trying to get a reportout. It's just, it's just been
a lot. And I've been feeling alittle overwhelmed and it's
been hard to find the quiet tolike, to, to not panic. I think
(03:06):
that's what it's, but, but Ihave two really big trips
coming this year. So those havebeen a little beacons in the
storm right now of thinkingabout the fun for these trips I
have coming up. I'm trying tobuy plane tickets for the one I
have in the fall. So I I ,things that I have that are
(03:28):
bright spots and letting melook forward to leaving the
country for a little bit,honestly. And just like getting
away from all the news andeverything. Um, 'cause I fully
intend to do that on bothvacations is not pay attention
to any of the, the chaos. SoI'm very much looking forward
to that. But just have to notget too overwhelmed before I
(03:49):
leave on , uh, my first trip.
So , uh, yeah, lots happening.
And this week we're actuallyalso gonna take a bit of a
break from the chaos. Insteadof focusing on the new terrible
things that have been happeningunder the new administration,
we are going to talk about areport released by in our own
(04:12):
Voice nav and the NationalLatina Institute for
Reproductive Justice to talkabout the the reproductive
health policy agenda they puttogether. So I'm really excited
to just like, take a break andfocus on dreaming of a better
world and , and that feels niceright now. So I am very lucky
to have three outstandingguests , uh, this week. First
(04:35):
we have Kat Vera with theNational Latin Institute for
Reproductive Justice, and thenfro Saheed Abraham with N Poff
and Bridget Jackson within ourown voice. I am so excited for
y'all to listen to thisinterview. So let's go to my
interview with Kat Ger andBridget. Hi Bridget. Kat and
(04:56):
Ger , thank you so much forbeing here today. Thank
Speaker 2 (04:58):
You for having us.
Thank
Speaker 3 (04:59):
You for having us.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
And immediately, Kat right in my face.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Oh , she just wanted to make sure to say hi to
everybody. Okay. Before we getstarted, would you like to
introduce yourselves andinclude your pronouns? Um,
let's start with Bridget. Thank
Speaker 4 (05:17):
You so much for having us , um, on the podcast.
My name is Bridget Jackson.
She, her pronouns I serve asthe Director of policy at In
Our Own Voice, national BlackWomen's Reproductive Justice
Agenda. And with that, I'llpass it over to
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Kat. Hi everyone. Hi Jenny . Thank you for having
us. Uh , I am Kat Oliviera . Iuse she AA pronouns, and I am
the Director of GovernmentRelations at the National
Latina Institute forReproductive Justice. I'll pass
it to f
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Hi everyone. My name is Feer Saed . Ibrahim Feer
rhymes with a ledger if that'shelpful. I use she her
pronouns. I'm the Senior policymanager at Napa Off , that's
the National Asian PacificAmerican Women's Forum.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I am so excited to have y'all on. It's like in the
midst of all of the chaos thatis happening, and we're not
gonna talk about it really.
Like, we're gonna talk aboutsome positive things which like
visioning forward, which is somuch more exciting and just
really the start I needed tothis day. Um, so maybe let's
start with like a big picture.
(06:21):
Like what is , what is thereproductive justice policy
agenda?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Thanks, Jenny . I think , um, yes, we have, and
we'll be talking about like thepath forward, but I think
before starting , uh, todiscuss the reproductive
justice policy agenda, we wouldquickly like to talk about our
collective, the intersectionsof our lives collaborative, if
that's okay with you. Ofcourse. Um , so just previewing
, um, it's a collaborativeeffort between three leading
(06:48):
women of color ledorganizations , uh, nap Hoff in
our own voice and LatinaInstitute. And we're dedicated
to centering the livedexperiences needs and policy
solutions of women of color andintentionally underserved
communities , uh, and bringingthis to the forefront. And we
(07:10):
do so in a variety of ways. Sothat includes working with the
Hill, briefing them ,conducting polling on issues
that matter most to women ofcolor, to creating policy
agendas such as the one that wewill be discussing today. And
again, just really wanted toiterate our thanks as
(07:30):
intersections. Um, again, threewomen of color reproductive
justice led organizations. Andwith that, I want to pass it to
my colleague, Bridget, so thatshe could quickly , uh, provide
a preview or an introduction tosome of your listeners who may
be hearing reproductive justicefor the first time. Sure.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Thank you so much, Kat. As a refresher for some an
, an introduction for others ,um, I can just provide a quick
overview of the, of themovement. So reproductive
justice is the human right tocontrol our bodies, our
sexuality, our gender, ourwork, and our reproduction. And
this right can only be achievedwhen everyone, especially those
(08:09):
most marginalized, have thecomplete economic, social and
political power and resourcesto make healthy decisions about
their bodies, families, andcommunities. And 2024 actually
marked the 30th anniversary ofthe reproductive justice
movement, which began withblack women in Chicago after
(08:30):
sharing their frustrations withthe pro-choice movement and its
failure to address disparitiesin attaining autonomy over
one's life and wellbeing. Thiswas especially so, or is
especially so for black people,people of color and low income
folks. So adopting a humanrights framework, the founding
mothers coined the termreproductive justice to create
(08:51):
a grassroots based movement forsocial change. And at the core
of reproductive justice is thebelief in the right to have
children, the right not to havechildren, the right to create
families and safe and healthyenvironments, and the right to
sexual expression and , andpleasure. And essentially the
(09:12):
reproductive justice movementis about , um, having the
ability to make decisions overone's health futures and
communities. And with that, Ithink that's a , a good place
to orient us before we hop intothe agenda. So Fedra , I can
turn it over to you if that'sokay.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
That's great. Thank you so much, Bridget. So the
intersections of our livesreproductive justice policy
agenda, which I encourage allof your listeners to check out,
it's a comprehensive frameworkdeveloped by our three
reproductive justiceorganizations. And I'm just
gonna say rj uh , henceforthsince it's a gospel . Um, so it
was a, it is a comprehensiveframework to address the
(09:51):
multifaceted challenges facedby communities and women of
color and gender expansiveindividuals of color, really
emphasizing the criticalimportance of healthy body,
healthy communities andfamilies and healthy democracy
in achieving this vision ofreproductive justice. For
decades, communities of colorhave fought for reproductive
freedom, racial justice, in atrue democracy that reflects
(10:14):
and serves all of us. So I justwanna emphasize these fights
have always been necessarybecause the ability to control
our bodies and build strongfamilies and participate fully
in society has never actuallybeen guaranteed for our
communities. But right now,we're at a critical turning
point. The threats we face aremore coordinated, they're more
extreme, they're more dangerousthan they have been in years.
(10:35):
And what we're seeing today isnot just a rollback of rights,
it's an intentionalrestructuring of power to
silence our communities and tostrip us of the autonomy that
we need and deserve over ourbodies, our votes and our
futures. And I know we said, wetalk about, you know, positive
things in this episode, but Ijust wanna quickly give
listeners an overview of whatwe're up against to better
(10:57):
contextualize the need for thisRJ policy agenda. So the
federal government is waging inall out war on reproductive
freedom. We've seen recentexecutive orders and actions
that have banned federalfunding for abortion care under
an expanded high amendment ,um, eliminating protections for
people who rely on Medicaid,Medicare, and military
(11:18):
healthcare. We're seeing Title10 funding be Gutted, which has
historically provided access tocontraception and preventative
care for low incomecommunities. And then we're
also seeing this really intenseempowering of states to enforce
extreme abortion bans leavingmillions without access to
care, even in medicalemergencies. And what we know
(11:38):
is that restrictions havealways, but especially now,
disproportionately harm ourcommunities, including
immigrants, people of color,low income individuals, and
folks living in rural areas,further entrenching existing
disparities. So, you know, wesee racial justice on the
chopping block efforts todismantle diversity, equity,
and inclusion programs areaccelerating and includes bans
(12:00):
on DEI initiatives. It alsoincludes attacks on affirmative
action and race consciouspolicies. We're seeing cuts to
funding for civil rightsenforcement. And these
rollbacks, again, aren't justabout policy, they're about
power. When we're deniedresources, we're silenced in
decision making spaces, andthen we're pushed out of
opportunities. We're leftvulnerable to economic and
(12:21):
political disempowerment, whichimpacts every aspect of our
lives, including our health,including our reproductive
autonomy. And then, you know, Idon't wanna be an alarmist, but
our democracy is in crisis , you know, at the same
time as all these attacks,we're seeing our fundamental
right to vote. That's one ofthe most powerful tools we have
to shape our futures. It'sdirectly under attack. And this
(12:44):
administration's activelyworking to limit access to
voting by mail, early voting,same day registration. We're
seeing purging of voter rollsand I implementation of
restrictive voter ID laws. Andthen we're also seeing the
Department of Justice bepoliticized. These are, again,
deliberate strategies to reallyweaken the power of people who
overwhelmingly supportreproductive justice, support
(13:06):
racial equity and supporteconomic fairness. So the
intersections of our livesreproductive justice policy
agenda, which is why we're heretoday, it's always been
necessary. But today it reallyis an emergency response to an
unprecedented crisis. We're notjust fighting for incremental
change here, we're fightingagainst a coordinated effort to
erase our rights, to silenceour voices, and to control our
(13:29):
futures. And in response to allof that, our agenda is
structured around three pivotalpillars that provide a clear
path forward. So the first ishealthy body. We need to
restore and expand reproductivehealthcare access, ensuring
abortion, contraception, andgender affirming care is
available to all, regardless ofyour income, your immigration
(13:50):
status, or your zip code. Andwe have to end racial
disparities in healthcare byholding providers accountable
and demanding culturallycompetent care. A second pillar
is healthy families andcommunities. So we have to
address the root causes ofeconomic and racial inequities
from paid family leave andmaternal health protections to
immigrant healthcare access.
(14:11):
And we have to fight formeaningful economic justice so
that all families can thrive.
And then finally, the thirdpillar is healthy democracy. We
have to protect voting rightsand expand access to the ballot
box, ensuring that every voiceis heard, and we have to demand
judicial accountability andensure that our courts reflect
the values of the people thatthey serve. So it's not a
(14:32):
moment to sit back, it's amoment to rise up and fight.
And our communities havealways, but especially in our
leading this fight , and thepolicy agenda is a roadmap
really to that kind ofresistance and power and
justice we wanna see.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Well, y'all , that was such a great intro into
what we're gonna talk abouttoday and such a good, like,
yeah, I'm really happy that youput so much thought into
thinking about how to build thegroundwork for this
conversation. Um, I alwaysappreciate when we are making
sure that we are bringingeverybody on and assuming that
people don't know all thethings. So it's really great to
(15:07):
start with those , uh, basicthings. Okay, so let's dig into
the pillars and we'll startwith the first one, healthy
body and what are the thingsthat we are talking about under
that pillar?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Sure, I can kick us off with that. Um, so our
healthy body policies arefoundational for reproductive
justice, which is predicated onthe principle that every
individual has the right tomake informed and autonomous
decisions about their body andreproductive health. Our
policies are focused on theneed to the need for
(15:39):
contraceptive equity, sexualeducation, accessible and
affordable abortion care,gender affirming care and
resistance to thecriminalization of women's and
gender expansive individual'sbody. A key pillar in these
policies is ensuring thateveryone can receive the access
(15:59):
to reproductive healthcare ,and this includes abortion
care. Um, because we know thatthis is critical for women of
color to have bodily autonomyand economic independence. One
of the key policies under thispillar is the equal access to
abortion coverage and HealthInsurance Act, also known as
each. This ensure , um, ensurescoverage for abortion for every
(16:24):
pregnant person regardless oftheir income or type of
insurance coverage. So eachwould actually repeal harmful
policies like the HydeAmendment, which bans the use
of federal funds like CHIP orMedicaid for abortion services.
And we know that this isespecially harmful because
approximately 51% of women ofreproductive age who are
(16:45):
enrolled , are enrolled inMedicaid, are women of color.
And 55% of these women live instates that restrict insurance
coverage for abortion except invery limited circumstances. So
the purpose of this pillar andthe policy agenda, it's not
only to promote health equity,but also strive to dismantle
systemic barriers that preventindividuals from achieving
(17:09):
complete bodily autonomy, freefrom discrimination or coercion
on par with those privileged bysocietal structures and
supporting the broader socialjustice goals of empowerment
and inclusivity. And so a lotof the policies that we have
include advocating for, like Isaid, comprehensive sexual
education as well, and safeaccess to abortion care.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
I also just , if I may wanna add that for this
pillar, one of the policypriorities that we're looking
at is, and trying to, you know,think about structurally is how
to change the conditions , um,of care for pregnant folks who
are in detention. So one ofthe, the bills that we are
advocating for is called theStop Shackling and Detaining of
(17:53):
Pregnant Women Act. Um, it'sagain, a bit of a mouthful, but
the name kind of says it all.
Um, it's a house resolution anda senate bill, if you wanna
look it up. Our policy agendahas details on that, but
basically what the bill wantsto do is to get pregnant women
out of ice detention. Um , itmandates their release , uh,
which you know, is a , is ahuge undertaking, but it also
(18:14):
recognizes that some folksmight still end up detained for
various reasons. So for folkswho are pregnant, birthing or
postpartum and remain in ICEcustody, the bill sets some
minimum standards of care . Andthese standards are really
important. So one of the mostcrucial things it does is to
ban the use of restraints likeshackles during childbirth,
which is a horrific practicebill would put an end to that.
(18:36):
And beyond that, it also makessure that folks have access to
the necessary Medicare medicalcare, and that includes things
like abortion care. So it's notactually about just pregnancy
itself, but the full spectrumof reproductive health.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, I remember the first time I learned about
shackling and just being soshocked that that was the thing
that would , that washappening.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, it's a barbaric practice. Uh , but ,
and , and the fact that folksare shackled, including during
labor is awful.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Okay. So the next pillar is healthy families and
communities. What are some ofthe policies and , uh, things
under that pillar? Yeah,
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I can tackle that one. So this pillar of healthy
families is, and communities isvery similar to , uh, one of
the core tenets of thereproductive justice framework
that Bridget previewed for usearly on regarding raising
healthy children and familiesin safe and dignified
environments free from violenceand discrimination. And so our
(19:33):
healthy families andcommunities pillar requires
policies that address access tohealthcare investment in the
care economy, closing the wagegap to achieve pay equity,
eliminating maternal healthdisparities and supporting
individuals with access toreproductive health services,
regardless their immigrationand or economic status. And so,
(19:55):
in essence, by strengtheningthe social and economic
underpinnings that supportwomen of color and their
families, we're able to fosterenvironments where empowered
reproductive choices arepossible. So we want to quickly
start by addressing immigrantaccess to healthcare. And so ,
um, due to xenophobic anddiscriminatory policies and
(20:18):
barriers, we know thatimmigrants have to rely on a
patchwork of options to eventry to obtain healthcare
services. This plays out in ,in different ways in day-to-day
life. So we're looking at, youknow, folks maxing out their
credit cards when they'repaying out of pocket for
services to less to little, tono visits to the doctor
(20:40):
regarding preventativehealthcare . And what we also
often see is due to , um, notbeing insured disproportionate
rates to the emergency roomonce things have gotten really
bad, right? Becausepreventative care wasn't ever
given and or things were neveraddressed, and or there is an
(21:01):
emergency that requires then avisit to the er. And then this
just keeps immigrants in thisendless cycle of worsening
health outcomes and an economicdisarray. So we want to also
address the fact that thisadministration and the
sociopolitical landscape atlarge is contributing to
(21:23):
increased fear. And when wetalk about how compounded
issues such as, right, mis anddisinformation regarding access
to sexual reproductive healthservices, access to abortion
care, is it legal , is it not?
What do the courts say? Whereare we at now? There's lots of
confusion and fear instilledwithin immigrant communities
(21:44):
that then make it so thatthey're not seeking healthcare
and the care that they deserve.
Our policy agenda addressesthis reality and we
wholeheartedly believe thathealthcare should be a
fundamental right with accessto all individuals, again,
regardless of immigrationstatus or length of residence
in the United States. And sohere we highlight policies and
(22:08):
solutions like the healthequity and access under the
law, the Heal for ImmigrantFamilies Act, which aims to
eliminate a lot of thesebarriers. Uh, so specifically
Heal would restore access toMedicaid, Medicare, and CHIP
for lawfully present residents.
So green card holders. It wouldalso make it so that DACA
(22:31):
beneficiaries are codified intheir access and the ability to
purchase from the a c eightmarketplace, which we actually
saw during the Bidenadministration this be a final
rule. And we were so pleased tosee this. And it also allows
undocumented folks to be ableto purchase from the a CA
marketplace too . And so again,this is just one of the policy
(22:52):
solutions that , um, thereproductive justice policy
agenda provides in terms of ,um, immigrant access to
healthcare . I just wannaacknowledge , um, NO and the
Latina Institute's leadershipin co-chairs of the Heal
Coalition. So thanks, pleasureand your colleagues for all of
your work as well. On thisfront. Very quickly on the
(23:14):
economic justice front , uh,that we have in this pillar,
really wanted to highlightpolling that intersections has
done throughout the years. So Ithink, I believe it's been the
past two years now that we'vereleased polling regarding
women of color needs and justsort of policy solutions and
issues that matter most. Werecently conducted polling
(23:36):
earlier , uh, this year ahead ,or sorry, earlier last year.
Time is time is a socialconstruct, where we
pulled , um, 850 black womenregistered voters, 850 Latina
women registered voters, and850 A API women registered
voters. And the issue that wasmost paramount for our
(23:59):
communities was rising costsand concerns about the economy
and economic justice at large.
And this tracks because thisencapsulates so many other
issues, issues that are, thatwe've talked about already on
this call, but that our policyagenda gets to , um, even more,
right regarding like cost ofliving, fair housing, closing
(24:22):
the pay gap , um, affordabilityof healthcare. And so it's no
surprise that , uh, risingcosts and concerns about the
economy continues being thenumber one issue for women of
color. I will say that in thispoll , um, what was actually
very revealing and striking,and maybe not to us as
(24:42):
intersection staff and andcolleagues, but perhaps to your
listeners, was the fact thatwhen combined , um, women's
rights and abortion care werejust as important to rising
costs and prices for women ofcolor. So 79% of black women,
76% of a API women and 75% ofLatina women agree that it
(25:05):
isn't just enough to makeabortion legal. Our communities
really wanted to ensure thataccess was critically and
equally addressed , uh, whentalking about, you know ,
restoring ROE or ensuringrights to abortion. And again,
this compounded with women'srights is just as equal to and
(25:27):
important to addressingeconomic justice issues such as
increased cost . Um, and so,yeah, I I I wanna underscore
the fact that all of this islaid out in nuance in our
reproductive justice policyagenda and really underscoring
the fact that our poll and ourpolicy agenda also addresses
(25:47):
paramount issues such as blackwomen and maternal death,
right? Among women of coloramong specifically black women
. And with that, I will pivotit to my colleague Bridgette,
for us to take us , um, evenfurther on that front.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Thank you, Kat . Um, and I want to underscore your
point about really highlightingthe , not just the agenda, but
also our polling as well. Andspecifically when the polling
came to maternal health andjust economic issues more
broadly, black women reporthigher rates of wanting their
elected officials to understandhow their experiences and needs
(26:21):
are different from those ofwhite women. So 92% found it
very important in ensuring notjust affordable housing, but
also that Congress makeprogress on the next two years
in , in creating good payingjobs. And the polling found
that 91% of black women foundit most important for Congress
(26:42):
to address high rates ofmaternal death amongst women of
color. Um, as many of you know,black women are three to four
times more likely to die inchildbirth than that of their
white cohorts. And this isregardless of region and where
they live, it's regardless oftheir income, their education,
or their economic status. Andone of the key policy issues to
(27:06):
address this would be the momNobus, which is a comprehensive
series of now 13 bills thataddress maternal morbidity,
mortality and other disparitiesor disparities, excuse me.
These 13 bills aim to addressAmerica's maternal health
crisis through research andthrough funding. They look at a
(27:27):
myriad of things from biaswithin the medical profession ,
um, social determinants ofhealth , um, and other ways to
combat the United States , um,high rate of maternal
mortality. So I think withthat, I pretty much covered the
status of, of black women inmaternal health and the mom
(27:48):
debus , which is the bills thatwould be used to address some
of these disparities.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I can take up the third pillar, Jen , if you're
ready for me. Sure.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Let's talk about this last third pillar, which
is healthy democracy, whichhonestly feels more important
than ever right now.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
. Yes, yes.
Uh , could not have put abetter myself. So I mean, when
we talk about reproductivejustice as Bridget so
beautifully , uh, talked aboutearlier, we're talking about
the right to control our ownbodies, build our families on
our own terms , and live incommunities where we're safe
and supported. But none of thatis possible without a
functioning democracy, right?
(28:23):
If we can't vote, if our voicesare suppressed, and if the
courts are stacked against usas they're right now, then our
ability to fight forreproductive rights is severely
weakened. That's why protectingdemocracy is a reproductive
justice issue. Our communities,and here I'm talking about
Asian Americans, PacificIslanders, black folks, Latino
folks, gender expansive folks,they're already the most
(28:45):
impacted by restrictivepolicies on abortion,
healthcare, and immigration.
And the same politicianspushing these restrictions are
also working to suppress ourvoting power. And I also wanna
say, you know, I've gotten thequestion of why is voting a
reproductive justice issue andis it distracting from
reproductive justice issues? SoI just wanna answer that really
(29:07):
directly for folks who may bewondering the same. It's
because the people in powerdecide what healthcare we can
access, right? When we vote,we're electing the lawmakers
who then shape policies onabortion, access on birth
control, on paid family leave,on immigrant healthcare. The
politicians attackingreproductive rights, again, are
the same ones, passing voter IDlaws, cutting early voting and
(29:30):
gerrymandering districts tomake it harder for communities
of color to have any say in ourdemocracy. Just some facts . If
folks want to , you know ,really drive the point. Home
here states with the strictestabortion bans. So places like
Georgia, like Texas, likeFlorida, they also have some of
the most restrictive votinglaws, including voter ID
requirements, again,gerrymandering and limits on
(29:52):
mail-In voting, the SupremeCourt's decision to overturn
Roe v . Wade in Madada case wasmade possible by decades of
court stacking by anti-abortionpoliticians, many of whom were
elected under voting maps thatdilute the power of communities
of color. And then the samelawmakers, again, attacking
abortion, are also guttingvoting rights laws, making it
(30:14):
harder for us to hold themaccountable. So voting rights
is not a distraction, it is astrategy. If we don't protect
the ballot, we lose the abilityto protect our bodies, our
families, our futures and womenof color have always been the
backbone of progressive change.
We vote in high numbers. Weorganize our communities, we
fight for policies that protectour families. That's why voter
(30:35):
suppression is an RJ issue,because when we lose our right
to vote, we lose the ability toadvocate for the policies that
then allow us to control ourbodies and our futures. So what
are we gonna do about it? We'recalling for support for three
measures. Um, the first is theJohn Lewis Voting Rights
Advancement Act. This wouldrestore and strengthen the
Voting Rights Act of 1965. Soensuring that states with a
(30:59):
history of voter suppressioncan't change voting laws
without federal oversight getsa little tricky with the
current federal oversight, butthat's a different
conversation. There's the Forthe People Act, that's a bill
that expands voterregistration, it strengthens
election security and stopspartisan gerrymandering. So
ensuring that every vote countsno matter your race or your zip
(31:21):
code. And then finally,judicial reform. We need the
courts to reflect the people,not political agendas. That
means expanding the SupremeCourt, ensuring ethics,
accountability, and reforminglower courts to include judges.
We're gonna actually upholddemocracy and human rights to
not dismantle them .
Speaker 1 (31:37):
It was great getting to talk about this full agenda.
It's so important that peopleunderstand that all of these
issues are interrelated andinterlinked, and if we're
fighting on one, we need tocare about all of them. Um, so,
so great to be able to talkabout this full range today. I
always love to make sure thatwe are not just ending with
(31:58):
things that are bad or here areall these things. I always
wanna make sure that ouraudience has something that
they can do in ways that theycan get , get engaged. So what
can the audience do to getinvolved around these issues?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Yeah, thanks for that, Jenny . I'm happy to kick
us off on this front. So firstoff, invite all of your
listeners to download and readthe Reproductive Justice 2025
policy agenda. Annotate it,read it, do what you want with
it. Um, it's, it's yours foryour use. And I think what's so
(32:31):
great about this is the factthat , uh, it can be
transferable right? To people'sday-to-day lives at the local
or at the state level. If youhave any questions, don't
hesitate to reach out to us.
And with that, invite you allto follow the intersections of
our Lives collaborative, aswell as our three respective
organizations in our own voice,nap Off and Latina Institute.
(32:57):
And with that, I'll kick it offto my colleagues because they
have even more exciting callsto action ways in which folks
can engage.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
I just wanna start off by saying that it's a heavy
time. It really is. But nowmore than ever, we must remain
civically engaged. And if ourgroup says nothing else, it's
that it shows nothing else.
It's that we are strongertogether than we are apart. And
so with that, you know, whenyou take a look at this agenda,
(33:25):
see who's on, who's endorsedthese bills, who are sponsoring
these bills, hold peopleaccountable. Hold your policy
makers accountable. Encouragethem to sign on and support if
they haven't already. Um, andfind ways to uplift these
policies within your owncommunities and use your voice
as well. We are powerful andour voices matter, and we must
(33:48):
continue to march onward. It'scritical in this moment.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I'll just add that stay informed. Uh , I know
that's a basic one, but it's,it's , these are hard times.
There's so much happening and Ithink , um, I can absolutely
understand the impulse to sortof retreat, but that's what
they want us to do, right? Andthe less we know, the more harm
they can do. Uh , so as much aspossible stay informed knowing,
(34:12):
again, bouncing that out withthe fact that it's a long haul
fight. Um , and so do what youneed to do to take care of your
mental health, your emotionalhealth , uh, your physical
health. I would also just say,I know resources , um, are at
an all time low for a lot ofus, but donating to the causes
you care about, to the folkswho are on the front lines of
these fights, and specificallyI wanna note abortion funds.
(34:36):
Um, so just making sure that weresource the centers that
actually provide the directresources to folks who need
timely care right now. And thenas Bridget so powerfully noted,
this fight isn't new, right?
Women of color have always ledthe charge for reproductive
justice and democracy. And Iknow right now we're facing
(34:57):
some of the most extremeattacks we've ever seen. But
the good news is that we havepower. So every time we vote,
every time we organize, everytime we advocate, we're pushing
back against those who want tocontrol us and our bodies and
silence our voices. But we arehere saying no, and we're doing
it through policy advocacy andthe reproductive justice policy
agenda, which we again,encourage you to check out. But
(35:19):
there are countlessopportunities to plug in at the
local level as well . I
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Think I'll just add my usual flag for donating to
organizations. If you are able,instead of giving like a
hundred dollars or $50 orwhatever your like one off is,
if you could do that monthly,like that makes a huge
difference to a lot oforganizations to know that they
can continually count on thatmoney, especially for abortion
(35:44):
funds as they're trying to planwhich services they can provide
or how much money they'replaying with each month, it
really does make a difference.
Versus if you give like once,just having that consistency,
even if it is like a SA smalleramount, I, I know that I am a
monthly donor to a number oforganizations just for that
reason. Okay, well fed ,Bridget Kat , thank you so much
(36:08):
for being here today. It waswonderful to talk to you about
some proactive things insteadof just focusing on all of the,
the stuff. So I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
We appreciate you Jenny , and thank you so much
everyone for listening. Thank
Speaker 1 (36:22):
You for holding this
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Space. Jenny , we really appreciate you. Thank
you Jenny , for having us. It'salways a , a joy to be in your
company and , and this time weget to be in your company and
in your listeners and yourfolks who engage right in
different ways. So thank youfor having us.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Okay, y'all, I hope you enjoyed my conversation
with Kat Fed and Bridget. Itwas nice not talking about all
of the chaos we were dealingwith on the day-to-day to talk
about the RJ policy agenda. Iappreciated the chance to take
a , the step away fromeverything and I hope you did
as well. And I will seeeverybody next week. If you
(36:59):
have any questions, comments,or topics you would like us to
cover, always feel free toshoot me an email. You can
reach me at jenny jn , NIe@reproback.com , or you can
find us on social media. We'reat re pros . Fight back on
Facebook and Twitter or re prosFB on Instagram. If you love
our podcast and wanna make suremore people find it, take the
(37:22):
time to rate and review us onyour favorite podcast platform.
Or if you wanna make sure tosupport the podcast, you can
also donate on ourwebsite@reprofightback.com.
Thanks all .
Welcome to Repro Fight Back a podcast on all
things related to sexual andreproductive health rights and
justice. Hi, re pros. How'severybody hanging in? I'm your
host Jenny Wetter , and mypronouns are she her. So y'all,
I cannot believe that this isthe 250th episode of Re Pros .
(00:25):
Fight Back. What? I it isshocking. I cannot believe
we've been doing the podcastfor that long. I, you know, and
I talk about how this wassomething I was pushed into and
I wasn't sure that this wasnecessarily my jam. And I'm so
lucky to have so many peoplewho pushed me to try. Um, most
(00:47):
of all, my former boss, Bob,who I I, if you have been
listening for a while , haveheard me talk about before.
'cause he passed away late lastyear. His birthday was last
week. And so it, it feels alittle extra special that the
250th episode falls right nearhis birthday. 'cause he had so
much faith in me and he reallypushed me to do this podcast.
(01:11):
And I'm so grateful he did.
Because, you know, as I'vetalked about this, is I love
it. I love talking to so manyamazing people about so many
important issues. I love havingthis platform and being able to
shine the light on the manybrilliant people that I get to
work with and lucky enough towork with. And I'm so grateful
for our wonderful team. Italso, you know, I talked about
(01:34):
it being close, coming outclose to Bob's birthday that ,
um, a couple days before thatwas, it feels weird to call it
an anniversary, but the twoyears since my dad died. So, I
don't know , it just, it , it ,it all feels special and tied
in together and I just amreally grateful for all the
support that I've had for thepodcast and mostly from just
(01:57):
some amazing colleagues who hadfaith in me before when I was
still questioning if it was theright thing to do, who really
pushed. And the amazing teamthat we have built. I'm so
grateful for Rachel and Melainaand all of their hard work. And
for Meg, who does the great jobediting us , um, for Kathleen
and her support to continue thepodcast and everybody at
(02:20):
Population Institute who hasbeen so supportive. And yeah,
it just, wow, 250 episodes.
Y'all hard to believe. Also,this week has just been chaos.
I just, I just feel so chaoticright now, y'all, I know that
the chaos is the point withthis administration. Um, so, so
(02:44):
much happening and , and tryingto focus on so many things. Um
, also trying to get a reportout. It's just, it's just been
a lot. And I've been feeling alittle overwhelmed and it's
been hard to find the quiet tolike, to, to not panic. I think
(03:06):
that's what it's, but, but Ihave two really big trips
coming this year. So those havebeen a little beacons in the
storm right now of thinkingabout the fun for these trips I
have coming up. I'm trying tobuy plane tickets for the one I
have in the fall. So I I ,things that I have that are
(03:28):
bright spots and letting melook forward to leaving the
country for a little bit,honestly. And just like getting
away from all the news andeverything. Um, 'cause I fully
intend to do that on bothvacations is not pay attention
to any of the, the chaos. SoI'm very much looking forward
to that. But just have to notget too overwhelmed before I
(03:49):
leave on , uh, my first trip.
So , uh, yeah, lots happening.
And this week we're actuallyalso gonna take a bit of a
break from the chaos. Insteadof focusing on the new terrible
things that have been happeningunder the new administration,
we are going to talk about areport released by in our own
(04:12):
Voice nav and the NationalLatina Institute for
Reproductive Justice to talkabout the the reproductive
health policy agenda they puttogether. So I'm really excited
to just like, take a break andfocus on dreaming of a better
world and , and that feels niceright now. So I am very lucky
to have three outstandingguests , uh, this week. First
(04:35):
we have Kat Vera with theNational Latin Institute for
Reproductive Justice, and thenfro Saheed Abraham with N Poff
and Bridget Jackson within ourown voice. I am so excited for
y'all to listen to thisinterview. So let's go to my
interview with Kat Ger andBridget. Hi Bridget. Kat and
(04:56):
Ger , thank you so much forbeing here today. Thank
Speaker 2 (04:58):
You for having us.
Thank
Speaker 3 (04:59):
You for having us.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
And immediately, Kat right in my face.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Oh , she just wanted to make sure to say hi to
everybody. Okay. Before we getstarted, would you like to
introduce yourselves andinclude your pronouns? Um,
let's start with Bridget. Thank
Speaker 4 (05:17):
You so much for having us , um, on the podcast.
My name is Bridget Jackson.
She, her pronouns I serve asthe Director of policy at In
Our Own Voice, national BlackWomen's Reproductive Justice
Agenda. And with that, I'llpass it over to
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Kat. Hi everyone. Hi Jenny . Thank you for having
us. Uh , I am Kat Oliviera . Iuse she AA pronouns, and I am
the Director of GovernmentRelations at the National
Latina Institute forReproductive Justice. I'll pass
it to f
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Hi everyone. My name is Feer Saed . Ibrahim Feer
rhymes with a ledger if that'shelpful. I use she her
pronouns. I'm the Senior policymanager at Napa Off , that's
the National Asian PacificAmerican Women's Forum.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I am so excited to have y'all on. It's like in the
midst of all of the chaos thatis happening, and we're not
gonna talk about it really.
Like, we're gonna talk aboutsome positive things which like
visioning forward, which is somuch more exciting and just
really the start I needed tothis day. Um, so maybe let's
start with like a big picture.
(06:21):
Like what is , what is thereproductive justice policy
agenda?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Thanks, Jenny . I think , um, yes, we have, and
we'll be talking about like thepath forward, but I think
before starting , uh, todiscuss the reproductive
justice policy agenda, we wouldquickly like to talk about our
collective, the intersectionsof our lives collaborative, if
that's okay with you. Ofcourse. Um , so just previewing
, um, it's a collaborativeeffort between three leading
(06:48):
women of color ledorganizations , uh, nap Hoff in
our own voice and LatinaInstitute. And we're dedicated
to centering the livedexperiences needs and policy
solutions of women of color andintentionally underserved
communities , uh, and bringingthis to the forefront. And we
(07:10):
do so in a variety of ways. Sothat includes working with the
Hill, briefing them ,conducting polling on issues
that matter most to women ofcolor, to creating policy
agendas such as the one that wewill be discussing today. And
again, just really wanted toiterate our thanks as
(07:30):
intersections. Um, again, threewomen of color reproductive
justice led organizations. Andwith that, I want to pass it to
my colleague, Bridget, so thatshe could quickly , uh, provide
a preview or an introduction tosome of your listeners who may
be hearing reproductive justicefor the first time. Sure.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Thank you so much, Kat. As a refresher for some an
, an introduction for others ,um, I can just provide a quick
overview of the, of themovement. So reproductive
justice is the human right tocontrol our bodies, our
sexuality, our gender, ourwork, and our reproduction. And
this right can only be achievedwhen everyone, especially those
(08:09):
most marginalized, have thecomplete economic, social and
political power and resourcesto make healthy decisions about
their bodies, families, andcommunities. And 2024 actually
marked the 30th anniversary ofthe reproductive justice
movement, which began withblack women in Chicago after
(08:30):
sharing their frustrations withthe pro-choice movement and its
failure to address disparitiesin attaining autonomy over
one's life and wellbeing. Thiswas especially so, or is
especially so for black people,people of color and low income
folks. So adopting a humanrights framework, the founding
mothers coined the termreproductive justice to create
(08:51):
a grassroots based movement forsocial change. And at the core
of reproductive justice is thebelief in the right to have
children, the right not to havechildren, the right to create
families and safe and healthyenvironments, and the right to
sexual expression and , andpleasure. And essentially the
(09:12):
reproductive justice movementis about , um, having the
ability to make decisions overone's health futures and
communities. And with that, Ithink that's a , a good place
to orient us before we hop intothe agenda. So Fedra , I can
turn it over to you if that'sokay.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
That's great. Thank you so much, Bridget. So the
intersections of our livesreproductive justice policy
agenda, which I encourage allof your listeners to check out,
it's a comprehensive frameworkdeveloped by our three
reproductive justiceorganizations. And I'm just
gonna say rj uh , henceforthsince it's a gospel . Um, so it
was a, it is a comprehensiveframework to address the
(09:51):
multifaceted challenges facedby communities and women of
color and gender expansiveindividuals of color, really
emphasizing the criticalimportance of healthy body,
healthy communities andfamilies and healthy democracy
in achieving this vision ofreproductive justice. For
decades, communities of colorhave fought for reproductive
freedom, racial justice, in atrue democracy that reflects
(10:14):
and serves all of us. So I justwanna emphasize these fights
have always been necessarybecause the ability to control
our bodies and build strongfamilies and participate fully
in society has never actuallybeen guaranteed for our
communities. But right now,we're at a critical turning
point. The threats we face aremore coordinated, they're more
extreme, they're more dangerousthan they have been in years.
(10:35):
And what we're seeing today isnot just a rollback of rights,
it's an intentionalrestructuring of power to
silence our communities and tostrip us of the autonomy that
we need and deserve over ourbodies, our votes and our
futures. And I know we said, wetalk about, you know, positive
things in this episode, but Ijust wanna quickly give
listeners an overview of whatwe're up against to better
(10:57):
contextualize the need for thisRJ policy agenda. So the
federal government is waging inall out war on reproductive
freedom. We've seen recentexecutive orders and actions
that have banned federalfunding for abortion care under
an expanded high amendment ,um, eliminating protections for
people who rely on Medicaid,Medicare, and military
(11:18):
healthcare. We're seeing Title10 funding be Gutted, which has
historically provided access tocontraception and preventative
care for low incomecommunities. And then we're
also seeing this really intenseempowering of states to enforce
extreme abortion bans leavingmillions without access to
care, even in medicalemergencies. And what we know
(11:38):
is that restrictions havealways, but especially now,
disproportionately harm ourcommunities, including
immigrants, people of color,low income individuals, and
folks living in rural areas,further entrenching existing
disparities. So, you know, wesee racial justice on the
chopping block efforts todismantle diversity, equity,
and inclusion programs areaccelerating and includes bans
(12:00):
on DEI initiatives. It alsoincludes attacks on affirmative
action and race consciouspolicies. We're seeing cuts to
funding for civil rightsenforcement. And these
rollbacks, again, aren't justabout policy, they're about
power. When we're deniedresources, we're silenced in
decision making spaces, andthen we're pushed out of
opportunities. We're leftvulnerable to economic and
(12:21):
political disempowerment, whichimpacts every aspect of our
lives, including our health,including our reproductive
autonomy. And then, you know, Idon't wanna be an alarmist, but
our democracy is in crisis
time as all these attacks,we're seeing our fundamental
right to vote. That's one ofthe most powerful tools we have
to shape our futures. It'sdirectly under attack. And this
(12:44):
administration's activelyworking to limit access to
voting by mail, early voting,same day registration. We're
seeing purging of voter rollsand I implementation of
restrictive voter ID laws. Andthen we're also seeing the
Department of Justice bepoliticized. These are, again,
deliberate strategies to reallyweaken the power of people who
overwhelmingly supportreproductive justice, support
(13:06):
racial equity and supporteconomic fairness. So the
intersections of our livesreproductive justice policy
agenda, which is why we're heretoday, it's always been
necessary. But today it reallyis an emergency response to an
unprecedented crisis. We're notjust fighting for incremental
change here, we're fightingagainst a coordinated effort to
erase our rights, to silenceour voices, and to control our
(13:29):
futures. And in response to allof that, our agenda is
structured around three pivotalpillars that provide a clear
path forward. So the first ishealthy body. We need to
restore and expand reproductivehealthcare access, ensuring
abortion, contraception, andgender affirming care is
available to all, regardless ofyour income, your immigration
(13:50):
status, or your zip code. Andwe have to end racial
disparities in healthcare byholding providers accountable
and demanding culturallycompetent care. A second pillar
is healthy families andcommunities. So we have to
address the root causes ofeconomic and racial inequities
from paid family leave andmaternal health protections to
immigrant healthcare access.
(14:11):
And we have to fight formeaningful economic justice so
that all families can thrive.
And then finally, the thirdpillar is healthy democracy. We
have to protect voting rightsand expand access to the ballot
box, ensuring that every voiceis heard, and we have to demand
judicial accountability andensure that our courts reflect
the values of the people thatthey serve. So it's not a
(14:32):
moment to sit back, it's amoment to rise up and fight.
And our communities havealways, but especially in our
leading this fight , and thepolicy agenda is a roadmap
really to that kind ofresistance and power and
justice we wanna see.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Well, y'all , that was such a great intro into
what we're gonna talk abouttoday and such a good, like,
yeah, I'm really happy that youput so much thought into
thinking about how to build thegroundwork for this
conversation. Um, I alwaysappreciate when we are making
sure that we are bringingeverybody on and assuming that
people don't know all thethings. So it's really great to
(15:07):
start with those , uh, basicthings. Okay, so let's dig into
the pillars and we'll startwith the first one, healthy
body and what are the thingsthat we are talking about under
that pillar?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Sure, I can kick us off with that. Um, so our
healthy body policies arefoundational for reproductive
justice, which is predicated onthe principle that every
individual has the right tomake informed and autonomous
decisions about their body andreproductive health. Our
policies are focused on theneed to the need for
(15:39):
contraceptive equity, sexualeducation, accessible and
affordable abortion care,gender affirming care and
resistance to thecriminalization of women's and
gender expansive individual'sbody. A key pillar in these
policies is ensuring thateveryone can receive the access
(15:59):
to reproductive healthcare ,and this includes abortion
care. Um, because we know thatthis is critical for women of
color to have bodily autonomyand economic independence. One
of the key policies under thispillar is the equal access to
abortion coverage and HealthInsurance Act, also known as
each. This ensure , um, ensurescoverage for abortion for every
(16:24):
pregnant person regardless oftheir income or type of
insurance coverage. So eachwould actually repeal harmful
policies like the HydeAmendment, which bans the use
of federal funds like CHIP orMedicaid for abortion services.
And we know that this isespecially harmful because
approximately 51% of women ofreproductive age who are
(16:45):
enrolled , are enrolled inMedicaid, are women of color.
And 55% of these women live instates that restrict insurance
coverage for abortion except invery limited circumstances. So
the purpose of this pillar andthe policy agenda, it's not
only to promote health equity,but also strive to dismantle
systemic barriers that preventindividuals from achieving
(17:09):
complete bodily autonomy, freefrom discrimination or coercion
on par with those privileged bysocietal structures and
supporting the broader socialjustice goals of empowerment
and inclusivity. And so a lotof the policies that we have
include advocating for, like Isaid, comprehensive sexual
education as well, and safeaccess to abortion care.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
I also just , if I may wanna add that for this
pillar, one of the policypriorities that we're looking
at is, and trying to, you know,think about structurally is how
to change the conditions , um,of care for pregnant folks who
are in detention. So one ofthe, the bills that we are
advocating for is called theStop Shackling and Detaining of
(17:53):
Pregnant Women Act. Um, it'sagain, a bit of a mouthful, but
the name kind of says it all.
Um, it's a house resolution anda senate bill, if you wanna
look it up. Our policy agendahas details on that, but
basically what the bill wantsto do is to get pregnant women
out of ice detention. Um , itmandates their release , uh,
which you know, is a , is ahuge undertaking, but it also
(18:14):
recognizes that some folksmight still end up detained for
various reasons. So for folkswho are pregnant, birthing or
postpartum and remain in ICEcustody, the bill sets some
minimum standards of care . Andthese standards are really
important. So one of the mostcrucial things it does is to
ban the use of restraints likeshackles during childbirth,
which is a horrific practicebill would put an end to that.
(18:36):
And beyond that, it also makessure that folks have access to
the necessary Medicare medicalcare, and that includes things
like abortion care. So it's notactually about just pregnancy
itself, but the full spectrumof reproductive health.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, I remember the first time I learned about
shackling and just being soshocked that that was the thing
that would , that washappening.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, it's a barbaric practice. Uh , but ,
and , and the fact that folksare shackled, including during
labor is awful.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Okay. So the next pillar is healthy families and
communities. What are some ofthe policies and , uh, things
under that pillar? Yeah,
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I can tackle that one. So this pillar of healthy
families is, and communities isvery similar to , uh, one of
the core tenets of thereproductive justice framework
that Bridget previewed for usearly on regarding raising
healthy children and familiesin safe and dignified
environments free from violenceand discrimination. And so our
(19:33):
healthy families andcommunities pillar requires
policies that address access tohealthcare investment in the
care economy, closing the wagegap to achieve pay equity,
eliminating maternal healthdisparities and supporting
individuals with access toreproductive health services,
regardless their immigrationand or economic status. And so,
(19:55):
in essence, by strengtheningthe social and economic
underpinnings that supportwomen of color and their
families, we're able to fosterenvironments where empowered
reproductive choices arepossible. So we want to quickly
start by addressing immigrantaccess to healthcare. And so ,
um, due to xenophobic anddiscriminatory policies and
(20:18):
barriers, we know thatimmigrants have to rely on a
patchwork of options to eventry to obtain healthcare
services. This plays out in ,in different ways in day-to-day
life. So we're looking at, youknow, folks maxing out their
credit cards when they'repaying out of pocket for
services to less to little, tono visits to the doctor
(20:40):
regarding preventativehealthcare . And what we also
often see is due to , um, notbeing insured disproportionate
rates to the emergency roomonce things have gotten really
bad, right? Becausepreventative care wasn't ever
given and or things were neveraddressed, and or there is an
(21:01):
emergency that requires then avisit to the er. And then this
just keeps immigrants in thisendless cycle of worsening
health outcomes and an economicdisarray. So we want to also
address the fact that thisadministration and the
sociopolitical landscape atlarge is contributing to
(21:23):
increased fear. And when wetalk about how compounded
issues such as, right, mis anddisinformation regarding access
to sexual reproductive healthservices, access to abortion
care, is it legal , is it not?
What do the courts say? Whereare we at now? There's lots of
confusion and fear instilledwithin immigrant communities
(21:44):
that then make it so thatthey're not seeking healthcare
and the care that they deserve.
Our policy agenda addressesthis reality and we
wholeheartedly believe thathealthcare should be a
fundamental right with accessto all individuals, again,
regardless of immigrationstatus or length of residence
in the United States. And sohere we highlight policies and
(22:08):
solutions like the healthequity and access under the
law, the Heal for ImmigrantFamilies Act, which aims to
eliminate a lot of thesebarriers. Uh, so specifically
Heal would restore access toMedicaid, Medicare, and CHIP
for lawfully present residents.
So green card holders. It wouldalso make it so that DACA
(22:31):
beneficiaries are codified intheir access and the ability to
purchase from the a c eightmarketplace, which we actually
saw during the Bidenadministration this be a final
rule. And we were so pleased tosee this. And it also allows
undocumented folks to be ableto purchase from the a CA
marketplace too . And so again,this is just one of the policy
(22:52):
solutions that , um, thereproductive justice policy
agenda provides in terms of ,um, immigrant access to
healthcare . I just wannaacknowledge , um, NO and the
Latina Institute's leadershipin co-chairs of the Heal
Coalition. So thanks, pleasureand your colleagues for all of
your work as well. On thisfront. Very quickly on the
(23:14):
economic justice front , uh,that we have in this pillar,
really wanted to highlightpolling that intersections has
done throughout the years. So Ithink, I believe it's been the
past two years now that we'vereleased polling regarding
women of color needs and justsort of policy solutions and
issues that matter most. Werecently conducted polling
(23:36):
earlier , uh, this year ahead ,or sorry, earlier last year.
Time is time is a socialconstruct
pulled , um, 850 black womenregistered voters, 850 Latina
women registered voters, and850 A API women registered
voters. And the issue that wasmost paramount for our
(23:59):
communities was rising costsand concerns about the economy
and economic justice at large.
And this tracks because thisencapsulates so many other
issues, issues that are, thatwe've talked about already on
this call, but that our policyagenda gets to , um, even more,
right regarding like cost ofliving, fair housing, closing
(24:22):
the pay gap , um, affordabilityof healthcare. And so it's no
surprise that , uh, risingcosts and concerns about the
economy continues being thenumber one issue for women of
color. I will say that in thispoll , um, what was actually
very revealing and striking,and maybe not to us as
(24:42):
intersection staff and andcolleagues, but perhaps to your
listeners, was the fact thatwhen combined , um, women's
rights and abortion care werejust as important to rising
costs and prices for women ofcolor. So 79% of black women,
76% of a API women and 75% ofLatina women agree that it
(25:05):
isn't just enough to makeabortion legal. Our communities
really wanted to ensure thataccess was critically and
equally addressed , uh, whentalking about, you know ,
restoring ROE or ensuringrights to abortion. And again,
this compounded with women'srights is just as equal to and
(25:27):
important to addressingeconomic justice issues such as
increased cost . Um, and so,yeah, I I I wanna underscore
the fact that all of this islaid out in nuance in our
reproductive justice policyagenda and really underscoring
the fact that our poll and ourpolicy agenda also addresses
(25:47):
paramount issues such as blackwomen and maternal death,
right? Among women of coloramong specifically black women
. And with that, I will pivotit to my colleague Bridgette,
for us to take us , um, evenfurther on that front.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Thank you, Kat . Um, and I want to underscore your
point about really highlightingthe , not just the agenda, but
also our polling as well. Andspecifically when the polling
came to maternal health andjust economic issues more
broadly, black women reporthigher rates of wanting their
elected officials to understandhow their experiences and needs
(26:21):
are different from those ofwhite women. So 92% found it
very important in ensuring notjust affordable housing, but
also that Congress makeprogress on the next two years
in , in creating good payingjobs. And the polling found
that 91% of black women foundit most important for Congress
(26:42):
to address high rates ofmaternal death amongst women of
color. Um, as many of you know,black women are three to four
times more likely to die inchildbirth than that of their
white cohorts. And this isregardless of region and where
they live, it's regardless oftheir income, their education,
or their economic status. Andone of the key policy issues to
(27:06):
address this would be the momNobus, which is a comprehensive
series of now 13 bills thataddress maternal morbidity,
mortality and other disparitiesor disparities, excuse me.
These 13 bills aim to addressAmerica's maternal health
crisis through research andthrough funding. They look at a
(27:27):
myriad of things from biaswithin the medical profession ,
um, social determinants ofhealth , um, and other ways to
combat the United States , um,high rate of maternal
mortality. So I think withthat, I pretty much covered the
status of, of black women inmaternal health and the mom
(27:48):
debus , which is the bills thatwould be used to address some
of these disparities.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I can take up the third pillar, Jen , if you're
ready for me. Sure.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Let's talk about this last third pillar, which
is healthy democracy, whichhonestly feels more important
than ever right now.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Uh , could not have put abetter myself. So I mean, when
we talk about reproductivejustice as Bridget so
beautifully , uh, talked aboutearlier, we're talking about
the right to control our ownbodies, build our families on
our own terms , and live incommunities where we're safe
and supported. But none of thatis possible without a
functioning democracy, right?
(28:23):
If we can't vote, if our voicesare suppressed, and if the
courts are stacked against usas they're right now, then our
ability to fight forreproductive rights is severely
weakened. That's why protectingdemocracy is a reproductive
justice issue. Our communities,and here I'm talking about
Asian Americans, PacificIslanders, black folks, Latino
folks, gender expansive folks,they're already the most
(28:45):
impacted by restrictivepolicies on abortion,
healthcare, and immigration.
And the same politicianspushing these restrictions are
also working to suppress ourvoting power. And I also wanna
say, you know, I've gotten thequestion of why is voting a
reproductive justice issue andis it distracting from
reproductive justice issues? SoI just wanna answer that really
(29:07):
directly for folks who may bewondering the same. It's
because the people in powerdecide what healthcare we can
access, right? When we vote,we're electing the lawmakers
who then shape policies onabortion, access on birth
control, on paid family leave,on immigrant healthcare. The
politicians attackingreproductive rights, again, are
the same ones, passing voter IDlaws, cutting early voting and
(29:30):
gerrymandering districts tomake it harder for communities
of color to have any say in ourdemocracy. Just some facts . If
folks want to , you know ,really drive the point. Home
here states with the strictestabortion bans. So places like
Georgia, like Texas, likeFlorida, they also have some of
the most restrictive votinglaws, including voter ID
requirements, again,gerrymandering and limits on
(29:52):
mail-In voting, the SupremeCourt's decision to overturn
Roe v . Wade in Madada case wasmade possible by decades of
court stacking by anti-abortionpoliticians, many of whom were
elected under voting maps thatdilute the power of communities
of color. And then the samelawmakers, again, attacking
abortion, are also guttingvoting rights laws, making it
(30:14):
harder for us to hold themaccountable. So voting rights
is not a distraction, it is astrategy. If we don't protect
the ballot, we lose the abilityto protect our bodies, our
families, our futures and womenof color have always been the
backbone of progressive change.
We vote in high numbers. Weorganize our communities, we
fight for policies that protectour families. That's why voter
(30:35):
suppression is an RJ issue,because when we lose our right
to vote, we lose the ability toadvocate for the policies that
then allow us to control ourbodies and our futures. So what
are we gonna do about it? We'recalling for support for three
measures. Um, the first is theJohn Lewis Voting Rights
Advancement Act. This wouldrestore and strengthen the
Voting Rights Act of 1965. Soensuring that states with a
(30:59):
history of voter suppressioncan't change voting laws
without federal oversight getsa little tricky with the
current federal oversight, butthat's a different
conversation. There's the Forthe People Act, that's a bill
that expands voterregistration, it strengthens
election security and stopspartisan gerrymandering. So
ensuring that every vote countsno matter your race or your zip
(31:21):
code. And then finally,judicial reform. We need the
courts to reflect the people,not political agendas. That
means expanding the SupremeCourt, ensuring ethics,
accountability, and reforminglower courts to include judges.
We're gonna actually upholddemocracy and human rights to
not dismantle them .
Speaker 1 (31:37):
It was great getting to talk about this full agenda.
It's so important that peopleunderstand that all of these
issues are interrelated andinterlinked, and if we're
fighting on one, we need tocare about all of them. Um, so,
so great to be able to talkabout this full range today. I
always love to make sure thatwe are not just ending with
(31:58):
things that are bad or here areall these things. I always
wanna make sure that ouraudience has something that
they can do in ways that theycan get , get engaged. So what
can the audience do to getinvolved around these issues?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Yeah, thanks for that, Jenny . I'm happy to kick
us off on this front. So firstoff, invite all of your
listeners to download and readthe Reproductive Justice 2025
policy agenda. Annotate it,read it, do what you want with
it. Um, it's, it's yours foryour use. And I think what's so
(32:31):
great about this is the factthat , uh, it can be
transferable right? To people'sday-to-day lives at the local
or at the state level. If youhave any questions, don't
hesitate to reach out to us.
And with that, invite you allto follow the intersections of
our Lives collaborative, aswell as our three respective
organizations in our own voice,nap Off and Latina Institute.
(32:57):
And with that, I'll kick it offto my colleagues because they
have even more exciting callsto action ways in which folks
can engage.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
I just wanna start off by saying that it's a heavy
time. It really is. But nowmore than ever, we must remain
civically engaged. And if ourgroup says nothing else, it's
that it shows nothing else.
It's that we are strongertogether than we are apart. And
so with that, you know, whenyou take a look at this agenda,
(33:25):
see who's on, who's endorsedthese bills, who are sponsoring
these bills, hold peopleaccountable. Hold your policy
makers accountable. Encouragethem to sign on and support if
they haven't already. Um, andfind ways to uplift these
policies within your owncommunities and use your voice
as well. We are powerful andour voices matter, and we must
(33:48):
continue to march onward. It'scritical in this moment.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I'll just add that stay informed. Uh , I know
that's a basic one, but it's,it's , these are hard times.
There's so much happening and Ithink , um, I can absolutely
understand the impulse to sortof retreat, but that's what
they want us to do, right? Andthe less we know, the more harm
they can do. Uh , so as much aspossible stay informed knowing,
(34:12):
again, bouncing that out withthe fact that it's a long haul
fight. Um , and so do what youneed to do to take care of your
mental health, your emotionalhealth , uh, your physical
health. I would also just say,I know resources , um, are at
an all time low for a lot ofus, but donating to the causes
you care about, to the folkswho are on the front lines of
these fights, and specificallyI wanna note abortion funds.
(34:36):
Um, so just making sure that weresource the centers that
actually provide the directresources to folks who need
timely care right now. And thenas Bridget so powerfully noted,
this fight isn't new, right?
Women of color have always ledthe charge for reproductive
justice and democracy. And Iknow right now we're facing
(34:57):
some of the most extremeattacks we've ever seen. But
the good news is that we havepower. So every time we vote,
every time we organize, everytime we advocate, we're pushing
back against those who want tocontrol us and our bodies and
silence our voices. But we arehere saying no, and we're doing
it through policy advocacy andthe reproductive justice policy
agenda, which we again,encourage you to check out. But
(35:19):
there are countlessopportunities to plug in at the
local level as well . I
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Think I'll just add my usual flag for donating to
organizations. If you are able,instead of giving like a
hundred dollars or $50 orwhatever your like one off is,
if you could do that monthly,like that makes a huge
difference to a lot oforganizations to know that they
can continually count on thatmoney, especially for abortion
(35:44):
funds as they're trying to planwhich services they can provide
or how much money they'replaying with each month, it
really does make a difference.
Versus if you give like once,just having that consistency,
even if it is like a SA smalleramount, I, I know that I am a
monthly donor to a number oforganizations just for that
reason. Okay, well fed ,Bridget Kat , thank you so much
(36:08):
for being here today. It waswonderful to talk to you about
some proactive things insteadof just focusing on all of the,
the stuff. So I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
We appreciate you Jenny , and thank you so much
everyone for listening. Thank
Speaker 1 (36:22):
You for holding this
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Space. Jenny , we really appreciate you. Thank
you Jenny , for having us. It'salways a , a joy to be in your
company and , and this time weget to be in your company and
in your listeners and yourfolks who engage right in
different ways. So thank youfor having us.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Okay, y'all, I hope you enjoyed my conversation
with Kat Fed and Bridget. Itwas nice not talking about all
of the chaos we were dealingwith on the day-to-day to talk
about the RJ policy agenda. Iappreciated the chance to take
a , the step away fromeverything and I hope you did
as well. And I will seeeverybody next week. If you
(36:59):
have any questions, comments,or topics you would like us to
cover, always feel free toshoot me an email. You can
reach me at jenny jn , NIe@reproback.com , or you can
find us on social media. We'reat re pros . Fight back on
Facebook and Twitter or re prosFB on Instagram. If you love
our podcast and wanna make suremore people find it, take the
(37:22):
time to rate and review us onyour favorite podcast platform.
Or if you wanna make sure tosupport the podcast, you can
also donate on ourwebsite@reprofightback.com.
Thanks all .
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com