Lecture 7: Social Histories of Reproductive Justice

What did reproductive justice emerge from?

Black women’s experiences and subjected knowledges, which were excluded by the mainstream pro-choice movement

Who coined the term reproductive justice

The Black WOmen’s caucus in Chicago (1994)

What are the three core tenets to reproductive justice?

1) The right to have a child

2) The right not to have a child

3) The right to parent in safe and healthy environments

How is reproductive justice a matter og gender and intersectional inequity?

• Barriers to accessing reproductive health services impacts racialized communities, with fewer resources

• Access to reproductive health services for racialize communities is often ignored

• Abortion is described as a white woman’s issue

What happened with the Criminal Code in 1969?

Amended to decriminalize abortion in certain circumstances

What happened in 1970?

Protestors stormed Canadian Parliament, chained themselves inside and called for the decriminalization of safe abortion access.

What happened in 1988?

Supreme Court of Canada struck down the restrictive abortion law through the Morgentaller decision

Canada is one of only for countries to…

Have no legal restrictions against abortion

Abortion is legal but that does not mean that having one is

Safe and accessible

What are some abortion barriers that Ross identifies?

• Lack of knowledge

• Services only in major cities (geographic)

• Five provinces and territories in Canada have no rural access to abortion services

• Abortion stigma