We stand for reproductive health as U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Pennsylvania cases

Statement from In Our Own Voice

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases that will review a Trump administration rule that would allow employers with religious or moral objections to birth control to limit their employees’ access to free birth control under the Affordable Care Act. Marcela Howell, founder and president of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement:

“Today, the most basic human right is to be able to decide when and if to have children and to have the resources to raise our families with dignity and safety. The Trump administration’s attack on access to birth control weakens the very foundation of reproductive health and rights.
“By weakening the Affordable Care Act, the administration will put decisions about birth control in the hands of employers, making it harder to access this important health care. The administration’s rule disproportionately impacts women of color who already face barriers to accessing health care. Black women’s health, rights and economic security will be at greater risk. In Our Own Voice calls on the U.S. Supreme Court to respect human rights by striking down this attack. We also call on Congress to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and preserve access to health care for all people, of all races, genders and experiences.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national Reproductive Justice organization focused on lifting up the voices of Black women at the national and regional levels in our ongoing policy fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women and girls. In Our Own Voice focuses on abortion rights and access, contraceptive equity, and comprehensive sex education as key policy issues. As a Reproductive Justice organization, we approach these issues from a human rights perspective, incorporating the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation and gender identity with the situational impacts of economics, politics and culture that make up the lived experiences of Black women in America.