Destigmatizing Abortion Is a Matter of Repro Justice

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On March 28, we celebrate the Global Day of Action to Destigmatize Abortion, an initiative promoted alongside Inroads and co-organized by dozens of organizations worldwide, including IPPF. On this day, we come together to highlight the importance of normalizing abortion as a common event in the reproductive lives of women, girls, and other people who can become pregnant. Today, we take this opportunity to remind the world that the Green Wave and the fight for abortion access are not just about making abortion legal—they are about ensuring it is accessible and free from stigma. To achieve this, it is essential to approach abortion through the framework of Reproductive Justice. 

Reproductive Justice is a term coined by Black, Indigenous, Latina, and trans women’s collectives on the eve of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. They sought to recognize that the white, middle-class women leading the women's rights movement were not adequately representing or advocating for the needs of women of color and other historically marginalized communities. 

Thanks to the work of these women, Reproductive Justice has been defined as the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children, to not have children, and to raise the children we do have in safe and sustainable communities. 

What Does Reproductive Justice Have to Do with Stigma-Free Abortion? 

In short: everything. 

Reproductive Justice provides a framework for shaping our movement’s demands, such as access to safe abortion, in a way that acknowledges the structural, social, and economic barriers that prevent women and girls from making the decisions they want for their lives. 

The stigma surrounding abortion reinforces structural inequalities and limits the autonomy of those who need this service. Reproductive Justice offers us a lens to understand that abortion is not just an individual decision but a matter of social justice. Destigmatizing abortion means: 

• Removing economic and geographic barriers to ensure real access to abortion services. 

• Promoting narratives that present abortion as a common experience rather than something exceptional or shameful. 

• Recognizing intersectionality by understanding how racism, poverty, and other forms of oppression impact access to abortion and other reproductive rights. 

• Driving structural and cultural changes that guarantee all people the ability to make decisions about their bodies without fear or discrimination. 

This March 28, we are not just talking about abortion—we are talking about rights, equity, and justice. Because only through Reproductive Justice can we ensure that all people can fully exercise their autonomy and well-being.