March is here, which means it’s Women’s History Month. Since its establishment in March 1987, Women’s History Month has become a time for women to feel empowered and appreciated. We’ve come a long way with women taking the spotlight and breaking records, but when it comes to reproductive rights, there is still a lot of work to do.
Since the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the future of women’s reproductive rights in the United States remains uncertain. The Biden-Harris administration has been working to set initiatives in motion to help protect reproductive health countrywide. But, the future of access to safe reproductive healthcare may still seem a little too daunting to think about. It’s OK. Take a breath, and take in some wise words to remind you, during Women’s History Month, that you do have a right to safe, reproductive health care and that you have full autonomy over your body.
- “The emphasis must be not on the right to abortion but on the right to privacy and reproductive control.” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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RGB was the queen of women’s empowerment!
- “As Black women, our fight has always been – and continues to be – about the human right to control our body, our work, and our community.” – Marcela Howell
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As a Black woman myself, this one hits.
- “Abortion is normal, safe, essential health care.” – Dr. Yashica Robinson
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Period.
- “It’s long been accepted as fact that the availability of family planning services saves lives. Where women have access to these services, children and families are healthier, and society at large benefits.” – Martha Plimpton
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Reproductive rights ensure the health of not just women, but all families.
- “I want all the girls without an exception to have that space for themselves where they have opportunities to be the women they wish to be.” – Priyanka Chopra
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With the proper access to reproductive health care, women have the power to shape their futures.
- “Our collective experience has shown that when women have the power to make their own choices, good things happen.” – Madeleine Albright
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Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State.
- “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of using your voice.” – Michelle Obama
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Never stop fighting for what you believe in, bestie.
- “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even where her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
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We’re all in this together.
- “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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Preach.
- “Our bodies are instruments, not ornaments. We should celebrate our different shapes and sizes, our cesarean scars, and all the other beautiful imperfections that make us who we are.” – Gloria Steinem
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Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women The empowerment continues at all stages.
- “I watch everybody fight over whether it’s appropriate to be a feminist or not. And I sit here thinking, well, I’m a woman. I would like to be judged on the quality of my work, I would like to be compensated fairly for my work. I would like to have just as much access to health care as any man. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” – Sophia Bush
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No crumbs left.
- “I’m done compromising; even more so, I’m done with being compromised.” – Mila Kunis
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Reproductive rights are human rights.
- “It is a fact that when you change a girl’s life, you affect her vision of herself and her immediate world and the world that she will have an impact on.” – Oprah
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Without safe access to proper reproductive health care, women aren’t able to reach their full potential.
- “The absolute right that we have is the right to our own body. You have the absolute right to your own body.” – Kathy Najimy
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Retweet.
- “We’ve allowed shame to be associated with a safe health procedure, and it’s misogynistic and it’s racist. We have to dispel the myths and the stigma.” – Rep. Jackie Speier
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Rep. Jackie Speier is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for California’s 14th congressional district.
- “But if you feel like it doesn’t affect you, soon something is gonna be in your lane, and you’re gonna wish that you had been in this fight from the beginning.” – Cazembe Murphy Jackson
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The fight for reproductive rights isn’t just a woman’s fight.
- “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg
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Women deserve to be a part of conversations that ultimately affect their livelihoods.
- “Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental human right.” – Faye Wattleton
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Faye Wattleton was the first African American president of Planned Parenthood Federation.
- “In a health care situation, you see humanity at its most basic, and you realize there are no simple yes-or-no, right-or-wrong answers.” – Faye Wattleton
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It will never be a simple issue — reproductive health care will always require the space to be unique to everyone’s needs.
- “No woman should be told she can’t make her own decisions about her body.” – Vice President Kamala Harris
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A reminder that you deserve to make your own decisions about your body. Always.
