JC Fellow Sarah Lee Day and Reproductive Equity Now launch Toolkits on expanding access to contraception and reproductive health care
Image by Lorie Shaull: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11020019@N04/47902778991
Justice Catalyst Fellow Sarah Lee Day and Reproductive Equity Now have developed toolkits for expanding access to contraceptives and reproductive healthcare.
These toolkits are aimed to help evaluate the success of Massachusetts’ reproductive health legislation and to provide models for other states and municipalities to protect reproductive rights.
Read about each of the groundbreaking Toolkits below.
Toolkit 1:
On World Contraception Day, Reproductive Equity Now Launches Toolkit to Assess Successes and Challenges of Implementing 2017 Contraceptive ACCESS Law
BOSTON (September 26, 2022) – Reproductive Equity Now today launched the Contraceptive ACCESS Toolkit, which includes a comprehensive assessment of the organization’s advocacy work to pass the ACCESS Law (An Act Relative to Advancing Contraceptive Coverage and Economic Security in our State) in 2017, in addition to challenges the organization and state have faced in the implementation of the law. The toolkit also offers recommendations to advocates in other states for best practices when writing, advocating for, and implementing similar legislation. Launch of the toolkit comes on World Contraception Day, a global campaign to increase education and access to contraception.
Reproductive Equity Now is a grassroots organization focused on passing policies to promote reproductive health equity and ensure the full spectrum of reproductive health care for every person. The ACCESS Toolkit is the first project of its kind for the organization and was made possible, in part, through a fellowship grant from Justice Catalyst, as well as funding from the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH).
The online ACCESS Toolkit can be found HERE. A PDF of the Toolkit can be found HERE.
Toolkit 2:
Reproductive Equity Now Launches Advocacy Toolkit to Help Expand Access to Emergency Contraception in State Laws
BOSTON (October 18, 2022) – As access to emergency contraception becomes more important than ever in a post-Roe America, Reproductive Equity Now today launched the Emergency Contraception Access Expansion Toolkit, a guide to the organization’s successful advocacy to expand access to emergency contraception in Massachusetts. The toolkit analyzes Reproductive Equity Now’s work to pass a statewide standing order for both prescription and over-the-counter emergency contraception and new language to allow emergency contraception to be sold in vending machines. The toolkit is intended to serve as a resource for advocates in other states as they work to pass emergency contraception access expansions of their own, and offers recommendations for best practices when writing, advocating for, and implementing similar legislation.The online Emergency Contraception
Toolkit can be found HERE. A PDF of the Toolkit can be found HERE.
Toolkit 3:
To Guide Whole-of-Government Response to Dobbs Decision, Reproductive Equity Now Launches Toolkit for Municipalities to Expand Access to Reproductive Health Care
BOSTON (November 16, 2022) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade this June created a national health care crisis that requires a whole-of-government response, from Congress to state houses to city halls. To guide municipal action to protect and expand reproductive health care, Reproductive Equity Now today launched its Win & Deliver Toolkit, a portfolio of resources to support Reproductive Equity Now City Champions and municipal officials in taking action to advance reproductive equity in their communities.
The policy recommendations outlined in the Win & Deliver Toolkit build off Reproductive Equity Now’s 2021 City Champion Pledge, a policy pledge that over 70 city council and mayoral candidates took to show their commitment to protecting everyone’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including abortion. The toolkit, which includes policy proposals, draft ordinances and resolutions, and supporting materials, will serve as a starting point for municipal leaders looking to move the needle forward on reproductive equity policies.
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