Collection of Bibliographies, Online Libraries and Blogs
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH),
Suggested Reading
“ANSIRH’s office has
a library with almost every book published on the topic of abortion, as well as
a digital library for journal publications related to abortion. As a way of
trying to share it with you, we’ll periodically compile lists of books and
articles we think will interest you.”
American Journal of
Public Health, Roe v. Wade 40th
Anniversary commemorative collection
“Roe v Wade
has been of key importance in the US and globally. This collection brings
together the most current resources on abortion and reproductive rights.”
“Through research,
analysis and shared dialogue, Forward Together develops a range of tools and
media that support reproductive justice organizing and movement building work.
These resources provide lessons and models for effectively advancing
reproductive justice on the ground and for strengthening the coordination,
collaboration and strategy of the Reproductive Justice Movement.”
Guttmacher Institute,
Resources
“The Guttmacher Institute continues to advance sexual and
reproductive health and rights through an interrelated program of research,
policy analysis and public education designed to generate new ideas, encourage
enlightened public debate and promote sound policy and program development. The
Institute’s overarching goal is to ensure the highest standard of sexual and
reproductive health for all people worldwide. The Institute produces a wide
range of resources on topics pertaining to sexual and reproductive health, publishes
two peer-reviewed journals, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
and International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and
the public policy journal Guttmacher Policy Review.”
Law Students for Reproductive Justice, Resource Guide
LSRJ’s resource guide is a “compilation of law journal
articles, media articles cases, books, films, and television shows on issues
pertaining to reproductive health, rights, and justice – everything from teen
pregnancy to abortion to healthcare access.” It is updated at least annually.
Political Research Associates, Defending Reproductive Rights
Toolkit
Political Research Associates publishes “Defending
Reproductive Rights, an activist resource kit on the anti-abortion movement, by
collecting the Right’s own words to demystify the motives and worldviews of
those who campaign against progressive causes.” It has been updated many times
since its 2000 beginning, and is currently undergoing another update.
Sistersong, Publications and Articles
“The mission of the SisterSong Women of Color
Reproductive Justice Collective is to amplify and strengthen the collective
voices of Indigenous women and women of color to ensure reproductive justice
through securing human rights. SisterSong is comprised of 80 local, regional
and national grassroots organizations in the United States representing five
primary ethnic populations/indigenous nations in the United States: Native
American/Indigenous, Black/African American, Latina/Puerto Rican, Arab
American/Middle Eastern, and Asian/Pacific Islander, as well as white allies
and men. The Collective was formed in 1997 to fulfill a need for a national
movement by women of color to organize our voices to represent ourselves and
our communities. SisterSong educates women of color on Reproductive and Sexual
Health and Rights, and works towards the access of health services, information
and resources that are culturally and linguistically appropriate through the
integration of the disciplines of community organizing, Self-Help and human rights
education.” Their website contains foundational articles on the reproductive
justice movement.
University of Michigan OB/GYN Program for Sexual Rights and Reproductive
Justice, Resources
“The Program for Sexual Rights and Reproductive Justice
(SRRJ) is developing and defining a research agenda for national and
international scholarship and advocacy. Working with partners in advocacy and
academia, we engage in collaborative qualitative and quantitative research
programs that support sexual rights and reproductive justice.” SRRJ’s website
includes coverage of current events, legal materials for medical practitioners,
and scholarly articles.
“The purpose of this special collection is to
provide resources and an introduction to reproductive justice, focusing
particularly on the connections between the elimination of reproductive
oppression and domestic and sexual violence. Included is a basic definition of
reproductive justice, information about the development and the history of the
Reproductive Justice Movement, and related resources. Highlighted in this
collection are resources that relate to the holistic well-being of women,
families, and communities as it pertains to violence against women and
reproductive rights and health. “Reproductive Justice & Violence
Against Women: Understanding the Intersections” makes connections between
the Reproductive Justice Movement and the Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence
Movements in the United States to demonstrate the necessity of collaboration.
This collection was developed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center,
the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and the Women of Color
Network.”
Blogs
Advancing New Standards
in Reproductive Health
A blog covering “news
and views on reproductive health research” from ANSIRH, a program of the Bixby
Center for Global Reproductive Health that “works to ensure that reproductive
health care and policy are grounded in evidence. ANSIRH’s multi-disciplinary
team includes clinicians, researchers and scholars in the fields of sociology,
demography, anthropology, medicine, nursing, public health, and law.”
“The American Constitution Society (ACS)
believes that law should be a force to improve the lives of all people. ACS
works for positive change by shaping debate on vitally important legal and
constitutional issues through development and promotion of high-impact ideas to
opinion leaders and the media; by building networks of lawyers, law students,
judges and policymakers dedicated to those ideas; and by countering the
activist conservative legal movement that has sought to erode our enduring
constitutional values. By bringing together powerful, relevant ideas and
passionate, talented people, ACS makes a difference in the constitutional,
legal and public policy debates that shape our democracy.” ACS’s blog covers
legal news and current events from a progressive viewpoint.
“Black Girl Dangerous is the brainchild of writer Mia McKenzie. What
started out as a scream of anguish has evolved into a multi-faceted forum for
expression. Black Girl Dangerous seeks to, in as many ways possible, amplify
the voices, experiences and expressions of queer and trans* people of color.
Black Girl Dangerous is a place where we can make our voices heard on the
issues that interest us and affect us, where we can showcase our literary and
artistic talents, where we can cry it out, and where we can explore and express
our “dangerous” sides: our biggest, boldest, craziest, weirdest, wildest
selves.”
California Latinas for
Reproductive Justice
CLRJ is a “statewide
policy and advocacy organization whose mission is to advance California Latinas’
reproductive health and rights within a social justice and human rights
framework. CLRJ works to ensure that policy developments are reflective of the
priority needs of Latinas, their families and their communities.” Its blog
covers current events in the news, and updates of the CLRJ’s activities.
“At Colorlines.com, we believe that instead of
being defined and divided by racism, we can become uplifted and
united by
racial justice. To do so, we have to confront explicitly the
racism that is so
often at the core of our society’s challenges. This is the
perspective that
informs Colorlines.com’s award-winning investigative reporting
and news
analysis–and that drives our focus on finding solutions as well
as
naming problems. Colorlines.com is produced by a multiracial
team of writers who cover stories from the perspective of community,
rather than
through the lens of power brokers. We see racism as a structural
problem,
rather than one defined by individual prejudice. We are
published by the Applied Research
Center (ARC), a racial justice think
tank using media, research, and activism to promote solutions.”
Colorlines
include a separate section on the intersection of race and
gender.
“Feministe is one of the oldest feminist blogs
online designed by and run by women from the ground up. Lauren founded Feministe as her personal blog in 2001, and brought Jill in as a co-blogger in 2005. In the years since, the blog grew and
grew in readership while still remaining essentially a personal blog, just with
more bloggers and increased running costs (thus why Feministe started running
ads to cover those costs). Lauren (mostly) retired from active blogging at
Feministe in 2010, and several more co-bloggers have come and gone as the tides
of the Internet have ebbed and flowed. Currently the active blogging roster
consists of Jill, Caperton, Sally and tigtog, augmented by many marvellous Guest Bloggers and the occasional random appearance from one
of our bloggers emeritus.”
“Feministing is an online community for
feminists and their allies.” The blog consists of both Feministing bloggers on
a front page, who post about news, pop culture, and other current events, and a
community blog, where anyone may post.
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
“INCITE is a national activist organization of radical feminists
of color advancing a movement to end violence against our communities through
direct action, critical dialogue, and grassroots organizing.” Their blog covers
both domestic and international current events relating to systemic violence
and oppression.
With the tag line
“Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women. Without Airbrushing,” Jezebel serves as one
of the largest feminist-leaning blogs for women. It is a part of Gawker Media,
and covers current news events, including reproductive justice news, as well as
pop culture, fashion and art.
Law Students for Reproductive
Justice’s RepoRepro
“The mission of Law Students for Reproductive
Justice (LSRJ) is to train and mobilize law students and new lawyers across the
country to foster legal expertise and support for the realization of
reproductive justice. Reproductive justice will exist when all people
can exercise the rights and access the resources they need to thrive and to
decide whether, when, and how to have and parent children with dignity, free
from discrimination, coercion, or violence.” LSRJ’s RepoRepro blog covers
reproductive justice news from a legal angle, and features writing from law
students around the country.
MomsRising takes “on the most critical
issues facing women, mothers, and families, by mobilizing massive grassroots
actions to: Bring the voices and real world experiences of women and mothers
straight to our nation’s leaders; Amplify women’s voices and issues in
the national dialogue & in the media across all platforms (from print, to
radio, to blogs, social media, and more); Accelerate grassroots impact on
Capitol Hill and at state capitols across the country; Hold corporations
accountable for fair treatment of women and mothers & for ensuring the
safety of their products… The MomsRising blog is a soapbox where people
across our nation can talk politics, policy, and parenting.“
Ms. Magazine was launched in 1971 as the
“magazine of a movement” for the women’s rights movement. Decades later, it is
still circulating under the Feminist Majority Foundation’s ownership, and has a
blog with daily updates and news coverage.
National Latina
Institute for Reproductive Health, Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz
Description: “The
mission of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is to ensure
the fundamental human right to reproductive health care for Latinas, their
families and their communities through education, policy advocacy, and
community mobilization.” NLIRH’s blog, Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz, covers
current events, the work of NLIRH, and reflections on identity, from a Latina
viewpoint.
Our Bodies Ourselves,
Our Bodies Our Blog
Our Bodies Ourselves
(OBOS), also known as the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, is a global
nonprofit, public interest organization based in Cambridge, Mass. OBOS promotes
accurate, evidence-based information on girls’ and women’s reproductive health
and sexuality, and addresses the social, economic and political conditions that
affect health care access and quality of care. OBOS’s landmark publication, “Our
Bodies, Ourselves,” first published in 1971, has been translated and
adapted into 25 languages by women’s groups around the world. Library Journal
named the new U.S. edition of “Our Bodies, Ourselves” (Simon &
Schuster, 2011) one of the eight best consumer health books of the year.” Our
Bodies, Our Blog is “your daily dose of women’s health news and analysis.”
“Racialicious is a blog about the intersection
of race and pop culture. Check out our daily updates on the latest celebrity
gaffes [and] our no-holds-barred critique of questionable media
representations.”
“RH Reality Check is a daily
publication providing news, commentary and analysis on sexual and reproductive
health and justice issues. RH Reality Check is guided by the issues and
recommendations identified in the Program of Action agreed on at the
International Conference on Population and Development at Cairo in 1994.
Protection is our watchword—we are contributing to the global effort to empower
people with the information, services and leadership they need to safeguard
their sexual and reproductive health and rights against false attacks and
misinformation. RH Reality Check exists as a resource for evidence-based
news, provocative commentary, in-depth analysis and interactive dialogue.”
Shakesville is “a
progressive feminist blog about politics, culture, social justice, cute things,
and all that is in between.”
“Sociological Images is designed to encourage
all kinds of people to exercise and develop their sociological imagination by
presenting brief sociological discussions of compelling and timely imagery that
spans the breadth of sociological inquiry.”
“Strong Families is a home for the 4 out of 5
people living in the US who do not live behind the picket fence—whose lives
fall outside outdated notions of family, with a mom at home and a dad at work.
While that life has never been the reality for most of our families, too many
of the policies that affect us are based on this fantasy. From a lack of
affordable childcare and afterschool programs, to immigration policy and
marriage equality, the way we make policy and allocate resources needs to
catch up to the way we live.” The Strong Families blog covers current events,
movement efforts, and popular culture from these perspectives.
“Too many articles have proclaimed,
exasperated: Where are young people in the feminist and pro-choice movements?
Look no further. We are unapologetic activists for reproductive justice. We are
Jewish, Christian, atheist, Muslim, Wiccan, secular. We are mixed race,
African-American, Latina, White, bi-racial. We are completing graduate degrees,
we didn’t finish high school. We have had abortions, children, miscarriages. We
have IUDs and we use rhythm beads. We work in reproductive health and we tweet
about being #prochoice. We call ourselves feminists, womanists, womyn, wimmin,
grrls, bois, men, women. We are cis gender, we are trans women, we’re straight
men, we are gender queer. We have sex with anything that moves, we are
abstinent, we are poly amorous. And we stand against reproductive oppression.
This is our space to talk about what drives, inspires, and challenges us, what
renews our passion for reproductive justice, what outrages us, and our ideas to
keep the movement going forward. We range from 16 years old to 40, all
creatively using new media (along with many other outlets) to change the way we
think about and interact with activism.”
“The Crunk Feminist Collective (CFC) will create a space of support
and camaraderie for hip hop generation feminists of color, queer and straight,
in the academy and without, by building a rhetorical community, in which we can
discuss our ideas, express our crunk feminist selves, fellowship with one
another, debate and challenge one another, and support each other, as we
struggle together to articulate our feminist goals, ideas, visions, and dreams
in ways that are both personally and professionally beneficial.”
Yes Means Yes is a groundbreaking new look at rape, edited by
writer and activist Jaclyn Friedman and Feministing.com founder Jessica
Valenti. Through the anthology — and now this blog — we’re trying to move
beyond “no means no” to connect the dots between the shaming and co-option of
female sexuality in our culture(s) and some of the ways rape is allowed and
encouraged to function.
Other Online Resources
“The following is an annotated list of
additional resources that funders have found useful in learning about
reproductive justice organizations and the reproductive justice movement. It is
by no means an exhaustive list and represents our first attempt at listing
publications that we have used in our work. If you come across a resource or
publication that is not listed here that you think would be helpful to funders,
please let us know in the Comments Section of this toolkit. We have provided
you with the links and or pdf files for easy access to them.”
Reproductive Rights
Profs Blog
Caitlin E. Borgmann of
CUNY School of Law. It
sends me a weekly feed of legislation, cases, law conferences, calls for
papers, etc relating to reproductive rights and justice.
Strong Families,
Movement Building Indicators
“Movement Building Indicators provides
effective ways to assess leadership development, policy advocacy,
communications, and relationship building with easy-to-use worksheets to guide
your work. Rather than simply being a reporting mechanism, Movement Building
Indicators has multiple strategic objectives: developing a shared language
and analysis of reproductive justice; articulating the benefits of using a
reproductive justice framework as a base building tool; strategic planning at
the local, regional and national levels; and strategic communications.”
The Pro-Choice Public
Education Project, Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Glossary
A glossary of terms used
in reproductive health, rights, and justice research and work, from PEP, “a
national reproductive justice organization that works to engage and inform
organizations, young women, transgender and gender non-conforming young people,
ages 16-25, especially those whose voices are not heard in spaces where sexual
and reproductive health and rights are addressed. We do this through research,
leadership development, movement building, and changing the conversation by raising
unheard voices.”
The Women’s Media
Center, Media Guide to Covering Reproductive Issues
The Women’s Media Center
“works with the media to ensure that women’s stories are told and women’s
voices are”. Their media guide” is a resource for journalists, producers, and
interview bookers to help them understand medical, health, legal, social
policy, and other key issues in covering today’s reproductive stories and to
identify key organizations and leaders who support and oppose reproductive
freedom.”