4 Easy Ways to Fight for Abortion Rights

The timing is crucial for reproductive rights. Politicians and activists who oppose abortion are attempting to revoke our bodily autonomy. Since Roe v. Wade, state governments have imposed almost 1,300 abortion restrictions, and 2021 was the worst year on record for abortion rights. This year alone, 47 states have introduced more than 560 restrictions, and more than 100 have been adopted. In September, Texas’ S.B. 8 bill prohibited abortions after six weeks – before most individuals even realise they’re pregnant. Other states are expected to follow suit.

Restrictions on abortion harm actual people, particularly Black, Latino, and Indigenous populations for whom systematic racism and prejudice in this country have erected enormous obstacles to health care and economic prospects. They harm individuals who lack the time or resources to travel large distances for an abortion. They harm those with poor incomes, rigid work schedules, and lack of access to child care and transportation. And they harm immigrants who fear travelling or crossing state lines.

You have the ability to safeguard and extend abortion access. Here are four countermeasures:

1. Shout Your Support for Abortion Access

Discuss with your friends, family, and social media followers the importance of abortion access to you. The more we speak up, the more comfortable others will feel sharing their tales and offering their support. We can end the stigma and be a tremendous force for change if we speak with one voice.

• Post about abortion rights on social media. You can make a simple statement like “Abortion is health care,” share content from other advocates, or use the hashtag #BansOffOurBodies.
• Repost shout-outs from your favorite abortion rights supporters, like Billie Eilish or Megan Thee Stallion.
• If somebody close to you is having an abortion, follow these tips to help support them.

2. Support Abortion Funds

When you contribute to abortion funding, your contributions go directly to aiding patients and those on the ground who strive to ensure access to abortion. Abortion funds play a crucial role in safeguarding and expanding access to abortion: they help patients who cannot afford an abortion pay for their care, and they may also offer transportation, accommodation, and child care.

Visit the website of the National Network of Abortion Funds to donate to your local abortion fund.

3. Support Reproductive Justice Organizations

• SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective is the largest multiethnic reproductive justice collective in the United States. Join their community and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
• The Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice empowers Latinas/os to advocate for reproductive health, dignity, and justice as a fundamental human right.Subscribe to their mailing list and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
• We Testify amplifies the stories of people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and others who’ve had abortions. Get involved, and follow them on Instagram.
• The Texas-based Afiya Center helps Black women overcome disparities in health access. Volunteer and follow them on Instagram.