National Institute for Reproductive Health Announces Its 2017 State and Local Initiatives, Unveils Vibrant New Look Embodying Unapologetic Approach to Reproductive Freedom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2017
Contact: Christie Petrone, 646-520-3504, [email protected]

NEW YORK — The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) today announced that it is working in partnership with advocates in 22 states, including 11 localities, in 2017 to advance reproductive freedom at the state and local level. NIRH and its political arm, the NIRH Action Fund, also unveiled a bold and vibrant new look to underscore its proactive and unapologetic approach to reproductive freedom.

“With the federal landscape so hostile, we are doubling down on our long-standing commitment to working at the state and local level, where so many of the laws that either advance or impede reproductive freedom are passed, and where people can connect directly with elected officials, impact public policy, and determine the fate of our communities,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “We’re proud to partner with so many courageous state and local organizations to wage critical fights to protect reproductive rights and improve access to reproductive health care. We are in an era of fierce resistance and bold advocacy – and that carries through both in our strategic partnerships and our vibrant, new look.”

Together with this new crop of 2017 partner organizations, NIRH is working to advance initiatives to protect and expand access to abortion care in Colorado (Denver), Connecticut (Hartford and Middleton), Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina (Durham County), North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas (Dallas, El Paso, and Houston), and Wisconsin; improve access to contraception in Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, and North Dakota; secure confidentiality in reproductive health care and promote reproductive justice for incarcerated women in Massachusetts; and foster youth-led advocacy in California (Los Angeles), Pennsylvania (Harrisburg Capital Region), and Tennessee. See the full description of each of the 2017 partnership projects at nirhealth.localhost.com.

Working closely throughout the year, NIRH encourages and supports partners in taking calculated risks, pursuing bold strategies, and developing innovative, proactive approaches to expand access to reproductive health care, particularly abortion. In New York, NIRH is using these same strategies to increase access to abortion and contraception and to foster a new generation of activists.

“This is how change is made: by working together to strengthen state and local movements to defend our rights, demand access to care, and control our futures, we can create lasting impact and shape the course of the nation,” Miller said.

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) builds power at the state and local level to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception.