Contraceptive Justice
EverThrive Illinois recognizes that not all families have the power or resources to make decisions about their bodies, gender, and sexuality. In order to achieve a more equitable system, we emphasize Contraceptive Justice, which is defined as all people having the social, political, and economic power, rights, access, and resources to receive contraceptive and pregnancy prevention care.
Our Contraceptive Justice priorities include providing access to high-quality, comprehensive medical care that is affirming of all identities, abilities, ages, cultures and personal histories. We seek to challenge existing biases and promote safe care environments, promoting body-positive initiatives and pro-choice information.
Contraceptive Justice Coalition
Our coalition works to increase access to all forms of contraception for all people and communities. It is comprised of professionals in the fields of health care and education, public health, social services, consumer advocates, government officials, community members, and others that are actively engaged in contraceptive care.
Coalition Priorities:
- Honor the individual needs, values, and choices of each person while promoting the full range of contraceptive methods
- Facilitate meaningful community engagement and access through a feedback loop
- Build the capacity of local organizations and health care professionals
- Uplift innovative programs and strategies that are successfully meeting community and health care professional needs
Contraceptive Justice Report
In June 2019, the Contraceptive Justice Coalition published a landscape assessment to evaluate access to all forms of contraception for all people and communities at the individual, community, health care professional, and policy levels. The result is a series of recommendations to increase contraceptive access in Illinois, which will be used as the focus of collaborative efforts moving forward.
Reproductive Justice Framework
The term “Reproductive Justice” originated in Chicago in 1994 by the Black Women’s Caucus of the Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance after attending a UN conference on population and development in Cairo, Egypt.
In attendance was Loretta Ross, co-founder of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and author of “The Color of Choice: White Supremacy and Reproductive Justice.” In this essay, Ross stated that “Reproductive Justice can be described as reproductive rights embedded in a human rights and social justice framework”
A Reproductive Justice Framework that protects every person’s right to:
- Decide if and when they will have a baby and the conditions under which they will give birth.
- Decide if they will not have a baby and know their options for preventing or ending a pregnancy.
- Parent the children they already have with the necessary social supports in safe environments and healthy communities, and without fear of violence from individuals and the government.