This morning, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case which has struck down 50 years of abortion rights enshrined in Roe v. Wade. In 26 states — affecting 36 million women — abortion services will be restricted, banned, and in some cases even criminalized.
The ruling is an appalling blow to human rights and reproductive justice. As an organization at the intersection of environmental issues and women’s leadership, we assert that reproductive rights are central to women’s full participation in society. In addition, this decision compounds the risk that pregnant people face due to climate climate change and air pollution.
Many of you are wondering what to do. We’ve gathered some organizations below that need funding.
In the days ahead, the more well-known national organizations will be flooded with donations. Let’s make sure the grassroots organizations led by women of color and low-income women who are most impacted by this ruling get the support they need.
We are taking our cue from our friends at the Groundswell Fund who have been funding grassroots reproductive justice initiatives for 18 years. Some of their vetted grantees include:
The National Network of Abortion Funds
New Voices for Reproductive Justice
Black Mammas Matter Alliance
Access Reproductive Care-Southeast
West Virginia Free
Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
More of their reproductive justice grantees can be found by state here. We also encourage people to support the Universal Access Project which is protecting reproductive rights globally.
Sadly, women’s rights aren’t the only thing on the Supreme Court chopping block. We are anxiously awaiting the decision on cases like West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency which could have disastrous consequences for the government’s ability to fight climate change.
In these times, it’s helpful to keep the big picture in perspective. In a recent interview, National Network of Abortion Funds Organizing Director Adaku Utah said:
“Power does not only lie with the state. We hold power. People hold power. Throughout time, we have been the ones who have been the antidote. We have been the ones who have shifted conditions to get our freedom, to get justice. This is what we do. There is inherent power in all of us.”
Rachel’s Network, a nonprofit organization named in Rachel Carson’s honor, promotes women as impassioned leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth. The Network builds productive alliances among members and offers services that empower them to lead.