Shifting landscapes: Creating new strategies for persistent challenges to health equity and reproductive justice for women

The women's health movement of the 1970s educated a whole generation about sexual and reproductive health, ushering in an era that fostered greater social and economic choices for those women able to achieve a new level of sexual and reproductive autonomy. Although the movement's goals were partially achieved, recent setbacks – especially attacks on access to abortion and contraception, constraints on women's choices in childbearing, and increases in gender-based violence – have created new obstacles for this much more fragmented movement of the 21st century. The development of new reproductive and genetic technologies also pose unique challenges to those with a social justice perspective. Panelists will explore lessons learned during earlier struggles and suggest strategies and approaches that would best achieve reproductive justice for all women today and in the future. Topics will include abortion, contraception, sterilization abuse, human eggs provided for both procreative and research purposes, commercial surrogacy, and birthing justice. Attendees will be exposed to renowned experts in health equity and reproductive justice and participate in an interactive, provocative discussion, with opportunity to ask questions of the prestigious panelists.