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Student Organizations - Advocacy, Sexuality, Gender and Relationships
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Mission Bowdoin Reproductive Justice Coalition - Mission StatementApril 2023 The History of Reproductive JusticeThe concept of reproductive justice has been practiced by Indigenous women, women of color, and transgender women long before their advocacy work had a specific term. Reproductive justice as a framework and practice was named when a group of Black women gathered in Chicago in 1994 to address disparities in the Clinton Administration's proposal for healthcare reform which de-emphasized reproductive healthcare. The group, who named themselves Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, launched the reproductive justice movement by publishing a historic full-page statement with 800+ signatures in The Washington Post and Roll Call calling for all health care reform packages to include the concerns of Black women. Three years later, 16 organizations, including Black, Asian-American, Latina, and Indigenous women, merged to create Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Today, Sister Song defines reproductive justice as "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities." Through the reproductive justice framework, activism is centered on how reproductive health and access are shaped by the various aspects that make up one's lived experience. Bowdoin Reproductive Justice Coalition Mission Statement The Bowdoin Reproductive Justice Coalition aims to foster education, discussion, and advocacy for reproductive justice within the Bowdoin community. We seek to promote activism at both the local and national levels and affect political change with an emphasis on access to equitable reproductive healthcare. We hope to serve as a connection between Bowdoin students and the larger reproductive justice movement through partnering with on-campus, local, and national organizations. In order to foster an intersectional coalition, we have dissolved our leadership structure and seek representation from as many viewpoints and backgrounds as possible. Anyone can be an officer and lead an initiative. We encourage all students to join and believe a real coalition is diverse in backgrounds, experiences, and identities. We hope anyone who is passionate about reproductive justice will use the coalition's resources to achieve their advocacy goals. At every meeting, the floor is open to all attendees to bring forward issues they want to work on or discuss. We are committed to collaborating with other student groups on campus to foster a welcoming and collaborative space. To see the structure of the coalition, please see our Club Constitution attached in Campus Groups.
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Lifetime membership