Beyond Abortion: It’s Time to Examine the Wider Scope of Reproductive Justice
What is Reproductive Justice?
“Taking care of the bodies that participate in human reproduction is so much bigger than whether or not you want children or whether or not you will have children.”
These are the words of Rev. Brandee Mimitzraiem, a pastor and the director of Institutional Engagement and Public Theology for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC).
Her words echo the sentiments from the rest of the speakers on the Reproductive Justice Across Faith Traditions panel, which took place on February 18 as part of the annual student-led Ripple Conference. The other panelists included Dr. Keeli Gailes, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health and the founder of the non-profit Health for People, and Hillary Zaken, Elon’s interim Assistant Dean of Multifaith Engagement.
Reproductive justice is a broad term and yet also incredibly charged. The panel used SisterSong’s definition of reproductive justice to begin the conversation: the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.
When Roe Fell
However, in the months since June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. The Jackson Women's Health Organization case overturned the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe v Wade in 1973, and reproductive justice conversations have mostly focused on abortion rights.
Currently, 13 states have enacted full-trigger bans on abortion, some without exception for rape or incest. The Bible is often cited as the main reason for people to not support abortion.
However, Rev. Mimiraiem pointed out that the majority of Christians do support at least some abortion rights. Zaken, herself an agnostic Jew, explained that Judaism supports abortion rights and even requires it when the mother’s life is in danger.
The rage at Roe’s overturn and resulting support for abortion rights was seen on social media, in donation numbers and at protests around the country. However, the panelists hoped to draw attention to the wide-ranging scope of reproductive justice beyond conversations centering on abortion rights which often only focused on white women’s bodies.
The Edges of the Edges
The panel worked to use inclusive language, recognizing that reproductive justice affects everyone, including trans or genderqueer people.
Rev. Brandee Mimitzraiem, Dr. Keeli Gailes, and Hillary Zaken discussing reproductive justice across faith traditions at the 2023 Ripple conference on Feb 18.
When speaking on her own work, Rev. Mimitzraiem works to prioritize the voices of queer black women.
“You look for the edges of the edges of the edges. You have to look at how reproductive justice is impacting people furthest from the center.”
She adds that socioeconomic status, and what decisions people would make if they had enough money to do whatever they wanted to, also play into reproductive justice conversations. This involves looking at whether people live in food deserts or not, the effects of police brutality and examining the education system.
“We have to take seriously what are the issues involved in reproductive oppression. Because we can’t talk about reproductive justice until we understand reproductive injustice, and it's not just that you can't get an abortion. We look at what impacts people's decisions and choices, what impacts what laws, what religions, what personal things impact people’s willful participation in reproduction…For instance, if you are infertile, it means something different if you live in one community and if you live in another.”
Reproductive Oppression Impacts Everyone
Identity directly shapes how we deal with reproductive oppression, but Rev. Mimitzraiem made sure to acknowledge that every single person in the room was dealing with a form of reproductive oppression, including cisgender men, who are often not included in the conversation.
Dr. Gailes stressed that in her work she found it impossible to separate mental and physical health. Pelvic floor therapy focuses on strengthening the muscles in the pelvic floor, and Dr. Gailes said it's important for everyone — those who give birth and those who do not.
Looking Beyond White Women
Dr. Gailes added that even physical therapy centers around white women, stating that oftentimes black and brown bodies are not sent to physical therapy as often as their white counterparts. This is because doctors don’t often take people of color’s pain seriously, and in part because white women are often in spaces where they can educate and advocate for their pelvic health.
The maternal mortality rate for Black women in the United States is three times that of white women. But, all women in the United States are three times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than other women in similarly high-income nations.
“All of these things impact whether or not someone will or can have a child,” Rev. Mimitzraiem argued. Dr. Gailes said that her own family’s experiences with the healthcare system made her realize that it was broken, and she established her nonprofit to try to remedy some of it.
The Healthcare System
To the audience, Dr. Gailes said that if your doctor isn't listening, find a new one. Zaken agreed, emphasizing the importance of listening to your own body.
All three panelists agreed that education and conversation are also critical, arguing that sex-ed in middle school doesn’t teach people what they need to know about their bodies, or how their bodies are supposed to engage with other people. They stressed the importance of having candid conversations about sex, our bodies and reproductive health with your friends, even if it feels like there is stigma.
Moving Towards Freedom
Dr. Gailes added, “If we're not educating in school about basic reproductive health, then we're taking a person's ability away to have an abortion, to have a choice.”
As the fight for reproductive justice continues, it is important to recognize that it is about so much more than just abortion rights. It is about creating safe and sustainable communities where everyone has the right to make their own reproductive choices and have access to the resources they need to care for their bodies and families.
“Reproductive justice is meant to achieve reproductive freedom. The goal is freedom,” said Rev. Mimitzraiem.