JSI and World Education: Our Commitment to Reproductive Rights
June 27th, 2022 | news
The Dobbs v. Jackson decision is a cataclysmic and devastating blow, depriving millions of Americans of their right to privacy, self-determination, and control over their own bodies. Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land for almost my entire life—so for me, like many of you, this is uncharted and terrifying territory.
There are no winners as a result of this decision. Access to reproductive health services, including family planning and abortion, has always been intertwined with social determinants of health, equity, and reproductive justice. Women, trans, and non-binary individuals have never had equal access to this essential reproductive health service, and the Supreme Court decision exacerbates these inequities. Bans on abortion harm Black and brown communities the most; the effect on Black women, who have higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality and lower rates of insurance coverage than their white counterparts, will be especially catastrophic.
Inequitable access to any health service goes directly to the core of JSI’s mission. JSI has been committed to improving access to sexual and reproductive health services throughout the lifecourse since our first family planning project in 1978. We will help our clinical partners navigate the practical consequences of this decision, not only on access to care for the clients they serve, but its impact on community health centers and hospital systems, the provider-patient relationship, and medical education. Abortion is essential health care and we will continue to collaborate with and support organizations that provide access to it.
JSI and our affiliate World Education have committed to a travel benefit for our own staff members who need to leave their state to access surgical or medication-assisted abortion services. Furthermore, in consultation with our insurance providers, we are identifying and removing other obstacles to employees who need reproductive care.
Mission-driven organizations like JSI must increase vigilance. This is our work.
In solidarity,
Margaret Crotty
JSI and World Education CEO
