The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice on Reproductive Justice

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice advocates for the reproductive health and rights of Latinx communities. They believe that Latinas/xs/es should be empowered to make informed decisions around our bodies, sexualities, families, and futures.

In this brief overview, the Institute defines and discusses reproductive justice. The Black Women's Caucus coined the term “reproductive justice” in 1994. The concept brings together reproductive rights and social justice, thus creating a broader and more expansive framework.

Reproductive justice centers people of color and those who are the most marginalized. It recognizes our right to have children, our right to not have children, and our right to parent in safe and healthy environments.

We were dissatisfied with the pro-choice language feeling that it did not accurately encompass our twinned goals: To protect the right to have and not have children. Nor did the language of choice accurately portray the many barriers African American women faced when trying to make reproductive decisions.

SOURCE: The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice