Groundwork: Addressing Disparities

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, African-American women are nearly four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, 23 times more likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS and 14 times more likely to die from the disease.

"I  had many aha  moments while attending the first  groundwork  training. For over eight years I  have  been trained to think that we need to identify the risk and protective factors before addressing a social problem. This  process can be victim blaming and  it is  limiting  in scope . It is like looking at the branches of a tree without acknowledging that they exist in a forest."
- Mercedes Munoz, Mujeres Unidas de Idaho

This stark racial disparity is one of many reasons Western States Center developed our Gender Justice Program and launched our new Groundwork project in partnership with EMERJ (Expanding the Movement for Empowerment and Reproductive Justice).

Groundwork digs deeper into reproductive justice within our gender justice framework. On September 11, the Center began working with nine organizations in three states to expand the movement for reproductive justice in the West. The projects range from creating training tools and materials, conducting research and developing policy campaigns.

The first session in Portland was packed with energy and exuberance! It included Forward Stance, an approach to bring the minds, bodies, and spirits that are often disconnected because of systemic oppression and control of our gender, bodies and sexuality. Participants went deeper into their understanding of reproductive justice and started planning their work for the next 18 months.

The support that these groups receive through Groundwork will help them to win progressive policies, improve the reproductive health and wellness of their communities, and begin to close the gap of disparities.

Washington

• Chaya
• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) Seattle Chapter
• Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights (POWER)

Oregon

• African Women’s Coalition
• International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC)
• Urban League

Idaho

• Mujeres Unidas de Idaho
• Women of Color Alliance (WOCA)
• Idaho Women’s Network (IWN)

In 2006, Western States Center established the Family, Community, and Sexuality project. The project conducted research with and brought together 17 organizations across the region to discuss gender justice. Building a Movement from the Ground Up is a report that summarizes the research and captures the discussions at the summit. Groundwork is the latest project to meet the values and principles established at the summit. Click here to download Building a Movement From the Ground Up.