Joining together for reproductive health, rights, and justice

November 2016

Like many of you, we are still processing the outcome of the US election and what it means for our families, our communities, and our work. We expect some challenging battles ahead, but are ready to stand up for our values and fight for information, policies, and services that meet the needs of all people--across the United States and around the world. We are energized by the drive and passion of our partner organizations and will not lose sight of the important progress we have made together, as we unite in support of the rights, health, and safety of all people.

The election has put into sharp relief the structural inequities and racism that make it harder or even impossible for people to get the care they need, and has reinforced what we have known to be true: reproductive rights and justice can only be achieved hand in hand with racial and economic justice. Looking ahead, reproductive health will be an important part of the much larger fight for comprehensive health care access and coverage for everyone. Today and every day we join with advocates for racial, economic, and reproductive justice to strive for the day when all people can thrive, have bodily autonomy, and live free from violence and oppression.

At Ibis we will continue to work with our partners to identify the research questions that need answers, and to generate evidence we can use to ensure the voices of people whose rights and health care needs are under the most threat are heard. Our commitment to addressing critical, under-researched issues, and to responding quickly and nimbly to emerging needs and concerns, is stronger than ever.  We have seen the concrete effects that the right research at the right time can have, like when Ibis's work with the Texas Policy Evaluation Project was used to establish the ways in which HB2 created barriers to abortion care in the Whole Woman's Health v Hellerstedt Supreme Court ruling--or when our research helped to get mifepristone onto South Africa's Essential Medicines List for second-trimester abortion. The need and opportunities for rapid responses using rigorous data are often unpredictable. It is critical that we continue to have the ability to respond to events and circumstances as they emerge. As we face a hostile political environment, we'll need to be even more creative--and we are up for the challenge.

But we know that research is only a piece of the work that needs to be done to ensure reproductive health access and justice for all. We hope you do what you can to support the organizations that are on the front lines of fighting for racial, economic, and reproductive justice around the country, as well as the service providers and abortion funds that now need our support more than ever. These individuals and organizations are our partners, our colleagues, and our friends. We stand with them as we work toward a society that supports all people to thrive.