Reproductive Justice

Abstract

The authors examine the development of reproductive rights, a law-focused movement, and reproductive justice, a social justice–aimed movement that emphasizes intersecting social identities (e.g., gender, race, and class) and community-developed solutions to structural inequalities. In examining the intertwining histories of the reproductive health, reproductive rights, and reproductive justice movements, we consider the relationship between law and social movements, including the limits of law to inform radical social movements. We highlight how the relationship between scholarship and activism on the right to not have children has expanded to include notions of the right to have children (e.g., for low-income people or with the aid of technology) and the right to parent with dignity (e.g., for incarcerated people or in nonmedicalized settings). We end the article with a discussion of best practices and future directions for research.