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What is reproductive justice?

Reproductive justice will exist when all people can

exercise the rights and access the resources they need
to thrive and to decide if, when, and how to create and
sustain their families with dignity, free from
discrimination, coercion, or violence.

RE PRODUCT IV E J UST IC E LAWYERI NG AND

For If/When/How, reproductive justice (RJ)
represents a framework of understanding, an
analytical tool, a movement-building strategy,
and a desired outcome. RJ recognizes the ways
race, class, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender
expression, immigration status, ability, and more
impact our ability to shape our reproductive
destinies. By applying an intersectional analysis,
RJ advocates recognize how each individual is
RE PRODUCT IV E J UST IC E
If/When/How recognizes the richness of
experiences present in our community of legal
professionals: every individual brings intersecting
identities of privilege and oppression, such as the
educational privilege of possessing a law degree
and the systemic oppression faced by those with
a marginalized racial, gender, and/or sexual
identity. The tension between these experiences

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uniquely affected by barriers to information,
resources, health care, and social supports at
different stages throughout their reproductive
lives. By training, engaging, and mobilizing our
network, we seek to secure the enabling
conditions necessary for all people to thrive in
their reproductive lives and beyond.
of privilege and oppression echo the tension
between the traditional legal profession and the
radical framework of reproductive justice. In light
of this, we are constantly asking questions,
learning more, and leading the evolving
conversation about what it means to be lawyering
for reproductive justice.

The term “reproductive justice” was coined in the

mid ’90s when Women of Color concluded that
neither the pro-choice nor social justice
movements were meeting the needs of their
communities. They believed the traditional
“choice” framework failed to take into account
the economic, social, demographic, and
geographic circumstances that prohibited their
communities from having any real, meaningful
choice about their reproductive health and
destinies. Likewise, they felt the broader civil
rights and social justice movement often ignored
sexual and reproductive health and rights
concerns. They located reproductive health within
a social justice framework to create the new term
and framework of reproductive justice, and began
building a movement that centers and embraces
the leadership of those most marginalized.
If/When/How’s Supporting and Centering People
of Color Initiative seeks to honor the RJ
framework and ensure that the voices and
experiences of those most affected by
reproductive oppression are leading our work.

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