Empowering Women of Color Through Social Activism
The right to have a child, the right not to, and the right to parent in safety.
Imagine a healthcare system where your race, your income, or your zip code determines whether you can safely have a child, prevent a pregnancy, or raise your children in a healthy environment. For many women of color in the United States, this is not a hypothetical scenario but a daily reality.
The reproductive justice movement emerged as a powerful response to this inequality, forging a path toward true bodily autonomy for all.
In 1994, a group of Black women, frustrated by the narrow scope of the mainstream "pro-choice" movement, gathered in Chicago. They had participated in global conferences and witnessed how traditional reproductive rights frameworks failed to address the needs of women of color and low-income women 1 . They coined the term "reproductive justice," combining reproductive rights with social justice, and launched a transformative human rights-based framework 2 .
This movement didn't just ask if a woman could legally access an abortion; it asked if she had the economic means, social support, and political power to make that choice—and all other reproductive decisions—meaningful 1 2 .
Term "reproductive justice" coined by Black women organizers
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective formed
Movement gains mainstream recognition and policy influence
Dobbs decision highlights urgency of reproductive justice framework
The right to have a child you can support and nurture, including access to fertility treatments, prenatal care, and support for parenting.
The right not to have a child through access to comprehensive contraception, abortion services, and sexuality education.
The right to parent your children in safe and healthy environments, free from violence, environmental toxins, and state intervention.
The key innovation of reproductive justice is its application of intersectionality—a concept coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw that describes how overlapping systems of oppression (like racism, sexism, and classism) create unique experiences of marginalization 6 .
"The term rights often refers to the privileges or benefits a person is entitled to and can exercise without special resources" 2 . Reproductive justice demands those necessary resources.
The mainstream reproductive rights movement, with its focus on "choice" and individual rights, often assumed that all women faced the same barriers. Reproductive justice organizers argued that this framework was inadequate. They highlighted that the "right to choose" abortion meant little for a woman who could not afford one, could not get time off work, or could not reach a clinic due to restrictive state laws 2 .
| Framework | Primary Focus | Key Actors | Scope of Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Justice | Human rights & structural oppression | Women of color, low-income women, LGBTQ+ people | Full spectrum: abortion, birth, parenting, environment, economics, immigration |
| Reproductive Rights | Legal protections & individual liberty | Primarily legal advocates, health providers | Predominantly abortion and contraception access |
| Pro-Choice | Legal abortion access & "the right to choose" | Broad coalition, often white-led | Centered on defending and expanding abortion legality |
Reproductive justice seeks to overcome reproductive oppression, defined as "the control and exploitation of women and girls through our bodies, sexuality, and reproduction" 2 . This includes historical atrocities like forced sterilizations of women of color and ongoing crises like the disproportionately high maternal mortality rate among Black women 2 .
While the theoretical framework is crucial, the true test of any movement is in its practice. A key "experiment" in applying reproductive justice principles is the building of sustainable, multi-racial coalitions that respect the leadership and specific needs of different communities of color.
Ethnographic research, such as the work by Patricia Zavella in The Movement for Reproductive Justice, provides a clear view of this process. The methodology involves 9 :
Many reproductive justice organizations are, at their core, race-specific. Groups like the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and Black Women for Wellness formed to address the unique historical and contemporary reproductive struggles within their own communities 9 .
These distinct organizations then build regional and national coalitions with each other. They share resources, support each other's campaigns, and present a united front on common policy goals while maintaining their individual organizational identities 9 .
The movement treats women of color as experts on their own lives. Storytelling and personal narrative are not just advocacy tools but are central to the methodology, ensuring that policies are informed by the actual needs of the community 2 .
This coalition model has proven to be both resilient and effective. It allows for a powerful, collective voice on shared issues like opposing restrictive abortion laws, while still enabling each group to address specific community concerns, such as the campaign for the Kira Johnson Act to address Black maternal mortality 5 .
The success of this approach demonstrates that a united movement does not require assimilation. Instead, it thrives on negotiating across differences and building power through solidarity. Zavella argues this provides a compelling model for other social justice movements seeking to create inclusive and effective alliances 9 .
Focus: Broad coalition of women of color | Advocacy: Building a national RJ movement; policy advocacy; culture shift 2
Focus: Black maternal health | Advocacy: Policy, research, and community-centered care models; Black Maternal Health Week 2
The reproductive justice movement employs a diverse set of strategies to achieve its goals. These tools are designed to educate, mobilize, and create lasting change from the ground up.
Organizations provide practical resources like the Reproductive Justice Community Guide & Workbook from In Our Own Voice, which includes conversation scripts, reflection worksheets, and historical timelines to spark dialogue and build community power 4 .
A core strategy is direct engagement with lawmakers. Groups like the National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda train advocates to conduct educational meetings with members of Congress, pushing for a comprehensive policy agenda developed by over 50 Black-led organizations 5 .
The movement works to reframe reproductive rights as human rights. This includes challenging abortion restrictions as human rights violations and advocating for the rights of incarcerated pregnant people 2 .
By centering the stories of women of color, the movement works to change the public conversation about reproduction, moving it from a private "choice" to a matter of public justice and human rights 2 .
As one toolkit states, "YOU have the power to create change" 8 . This empowerment approach is central to the reproductive justice methodology, building leadership from within affected communities rather than imposing solutions from outside.
The reproductive justice movement faces both severe challenges and opportunities for growth in the current political climate.
The landscape has grown increasingly hostile. The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, has led to total abortion bans in 13 states, exacerbating a public health crisis 7 .
Furthermore, initiatives like Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint, propose drastic measures that would obliterate access to sexual and reproductive healthcare 3 . These threats include:
Black women are 2.6 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women 2 7
The movement continues to evolve and expand its scope. Scholars and activists are now pushing the framework to travel beyond U.S. borders, asking how it resonates and is transformed in global contexts . This includes applying a reproductive justice lens to:
The movement for reproductive justice, pioneered and led by women of color, offers more than just a critique of existing systems—it provides a visionary blueprint for a more equitable world.
It teaches us that true reproductive freedom is inextricably linked to freedom from racism, poverty, and violence. By shifting the focus from individual choice to collective human rights, it builds power for the most marginalized and, in doing so, creates a path to liberation for all.
As the movement's founders demonstrated in 1994, and as activists continue to demonstrate today, meaningful change comes from centering those who are most affected by reproductive oppression. Their fight for the right to have children, not have children, and to parent children in safety is, at its heart, a fight for the future of human dignity.
This article explores how the reproductive justice movement, born from the lived experiences of women of color, has created a powerful and resilient force for social change, empowering communities through grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and a radical redefinition of what reproductive freedom truly means.