What is reproductive justice?

According to Berkeley Law, Reproductive Justice is the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social, and economic well-being of women and girls, based on the full achievement and protection of women's human rights.

The racial disparities that exist in our current medical system are long overdue for radical change —


Black birthing people are at risk.

• Figures from the CDC's Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System indicate that from 2007 to 2016, black mothers died at a rate of 3.2 times that of white mothers.

How does this affect me?

If you are a woman, have reproductive organs, vote, know someone with reproductive organs, know a female-identifying human, have a child, know a child, value bodily autonomy, fight for social justice, have female or trans friends, or know any single human being at all, you should care about reproductive justice.

From 2011 through 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the ratio of pregnancy-related deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native women was 30.4 deaths per 100,000 births, compared with 13 deaths per 100,000 births for white women and 42.4 deaths for black women. 

• American Indian/Alaska Natives have twice the infant mortality rate as non-Hispanic whites.

• American Indian/Alaska Native infants are twice as likely as non-Hispanic white infants to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

• American Indian/Alaska Native infants are 2.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white infants to die from accidental deaths before the age of one year.

• In 2017, American Indian/Alaska Native mothers were 2.8 times as likely to receive late or no prenatal care as compared to non-Hispanic white mothers.

“An effective solution to maternal mortality rates is doula care. Doulas support women throughout their pregnancy, birth, and first year of the child’s life. Doula care reduces cesarean births, decreases mortality and other adverse outcomes, and improves quality of life for the first and second child.”

- Tilden, Ellen L. and Caughey, Aaron B. “The Cost-Effectiveness of Professional Doula Care for a Woman’s First Two Births: A Decision Analysis Model.” Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. Volume 64, No. 4. 2019 July/August.