Looking Forward: Challenging the Opposition to Ensure Reproductive Freedom

From grassroots mobilization efforts to remove the harmful Hyde Amendment, to the increasingly contentious presidential election in November, a new era of reproductive rights and justice is in the making. Unfortunately, this new era includes battles on issues we have fought before — and will continue to engage in again.

Looking back on 2015, we achieved some undeniably major accomplishments to advance reproductive health and reproductive justice for women in this country. As the women’s health community reflects on the past year’s successes, though, we also look to the coming year with cautious optimism because we know our opponents will stop at nothing to roll back the progress we have made.

This year is expected to bring two major Supreme Court rulings on reproductive health care. Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole is the most important abortion rights case in almost 25 years. The case challenges HB2, the 2013 Texas law passed under the guise of protecting women’s health, but in reality was designed to shut down abortion care facilities. The second case, Zubik v. Burwell, marks the second time in two years that the Supreme Court will hear arguments related to the ACA’s contraceptive coverage. As women’s health advocates, we are prepared to fight for these important cases, and to win.

It’s going to be a busy year. Both the legislative and judicial branches of our government are expected to be battlegrounds this year. These are the key challenges as 2016 begins — there will likely be more as the year continues.

To learn more, check out the full article Holding the Line: Challenges to Reproductive Rights in 2016 in the latest edition of the Women’s Health Activist.