Now that Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed to the Supreme Court, the threat to women’s reproductive rights feels way too real. But Planned Parenthood announced on Wednesday a three-part plan to protect and expand abortion access.
In a multi-million dollar plan called, Care For All, the organization plans to expand access to abortion, to strengthen pro-choice legislation, and to reduce the stigma attached to abortion.
“We know that we’ll need an ironclad network of states and providers across the country where abortion will still be legal and accessible, no matter what happens at the Supreme Court,” Planned Parenthood’s Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens told ABC News.
We refuse to let our country become a place where people can no longer access abortion. Today, we launched #CareForAll — a nationwide effort to ensure that abortion is still accessible no matter what happens at the Supreme Court.
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— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) October 10, 2018
In Planned Parenthood’s overview of Care For All, the organization explains that it will expand services in states where abortion is already and likely to remain legal and accessible. It also plans to provide telemedicine for individuals living in remote areas. Currently, Planned Parenthood in 14 states use telemedicine to provide medication abortions. The organization hopes to raise that number with the Care For All plan. In states such as California where abortions are legal, the organization wants to provide financial aid to low-income residents and transportation assistance to people who have to travel long distances to reach an abortion clinic.
In terms of policy, Planned Parenthood will fight for policy changes in 10 states including Illinois, Maine and Washington, where it plans to create a Regional Access Network for abortion. It also plans to work with advocates across 25 states to continue to strengthen abortion access and combat anti-abortion legislation. The plan is unclear as to how Planned Parenthood will stop anti-abortion laws, but it says the organization plans to fight “tooth and nail” to “defeat hostile policies intent on shaming our patients and rendering abortion inaccessible.”
At the same time, the organization aims to destigmatize abortion through collaborations with the fashion, music, film and television industries and create public awareness campaigns.
“We demand a world where who you are or how much money you make doesn’t determine your access to health care or access to safe, legal abortion,” Laguens said in the press release. “We demand a world where your personal health care decisions aren’t affected by stigma, shame, or silence. WE demand a world where providers can give patients the care they need without harassment or government interference.”