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September 28, 2021

Ms. Foundation on International Safe Abortion Day

NEW YORK (September 28, 2021) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement in recognition of International Safe Abortion Day: 

“Since our founding, the Ms. Foundation for Women has funded organizations that promote expanding access to healthcare, including birth control and abortion, and fighting for policies that protect a women’s right to choose. Today, on International Safe Abortion Day, we continue to advocate for bodily autonomy, as more and more restrictions are threatened and enacted on women’s reproductive rights. 

“The right to choose is under attack in this country, and today serves as a timely reminder that one’s access to legal and safe abortion is a fundamental right and a necessary standard of sexual and reproductive health. The recent Texas Senate Bill 8 is a deplorable piece of legislation that continues to inflame the legislative battle over reproductive care. Not only does Texas’ near-total abortion ban make it all but impossible for women, nonbinary, and transgender people to claim ownership of their own bodies and make informed decisions about if and when to parent. 

“International Safe Abortion Day was first celebrated as a day of action by women’s groups in Latin America and the Caribbean. As we commemorate its 22nd anniversary, it is imperative to acknowledge that women of color continue to face greater barriers to receive accessible and quality health care. This abhorrent legislation has many devastatingly harmful effects, including its encouragement of vigilantism that contributes to systemic racism by targeting those seeking to fulfill their right to necessary healthcare. It’s also estimated that the average Texan has to travel 250 miles out of state for access to an abortion, and for women of color who face higher poverty rates than white women, the option to leave the state is a hopeless one. 

“We urge Congress and State legislatures to take action to protect access to abortion. We should all be able to make our own decisions about our health and future, and we must fight for everyone’s reproductive freedom. The Ms. Foundation for Women commits to continue supporting grantee partners such as: The Afiya Center, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, URGE, NAPAWF, Youth Rise TX, SisterSong, and more, who are leading the fight in Texas and across the country for reproductive justice to ensure that everyone has access to safe abortion on their own terms.”

Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or video from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected]. 

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For over 45 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has worked to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. The Ms. Foundation invests in, and strengthens the capacity of women led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change in the lives of women. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.