For Immediate Release: March 28, 2025
Contact: Lasamee Kettavong, media@napawf.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), BA NIA Inc., and SisterReach Inc. shared key findings and policy recommendations from a recently published advocacy brief, “Reproductive Justice Pathways for Chicago.” The brief was developed from a study conducted by the Black Researchers Collective (BRC) and the Chicago Reproductive Justice Coalition (RJC) that explored the barriers to reproductive justice for BIPOC women, birthing people, and LGBTQ+ communities in Chicago.

In a virtual panel discussion moderated by Connie Choi, Chief Program and Strategy Officer at NAPAWF,  Mekazin Alexander, Co-founder and Executive Director of BA NIA Inc., Fajer Saeed Ebrahim, Senior Policy Manager at NAPAWF, and Cherisse Scott, Founder and CEO of SisterReach Inc. shared how discrimination, economic obstacles, and cultural barriers prevent the realization of basic rights and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, particularly in historically marginalized communities.

Mekazin Alexander, Co-founder and Executive Director of BA NIA Inc., shared context around the need for the study: 

“We want to make sure that people, if they aren’t aware, that they’re made aware of all of the systemic barriers that people face as it relates to obtaining reproductive healthcare. Through this study, we’re hoping that we can equip policymakers to make real changes, advocate for change in the communities that they actually serve, and make sure that everyone has access to reproductive care, that individuals who seek it feel empowered, and that they feel like they can advocate for themselves, and that they can make the best decisions possible for their lives and for their families.”

Fajer Saeed Ebrahim, Senior Policy Manager at NAPAWF delved deeper into talking about the experiences of the study’s participants:

“Our research found that BIPOC women, birthing people, and LGBTQ + folks face overwhelming barriers to reproductive health care and family wellbeing. Many experience structural barriers, whether its the impact of racist healthcare policies, economic instability that limits access to care, or immigration status that blocks them from vital services like Medicaid. There are language and cultural barriers, a lack of interpreters, culturally sensitive providers, and respect for diverse health needs that leads to misinformation and general fear…Finally, education gaps make it harder for folks to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Chicago still lacks comprehensive sex education, leaving young people specifically without the knowledge they need to navigate their own care… No one should have to fight this hard for really basic healthcare.”

Cherisse Scott, Founder and CEO of SisterReach, Inc. discussed how Chicago could model reproductive justice:

“When thinking about advancing reproductive justice at the local level, the city of Chicago can enact the following changes: it’s really important that there is an emphasis on expanding Medicaid access for all, regardless of their immigration status, to strengthen language access and cultural competency, and humility standards, to invest in inclusive community based comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education, to enforce protections against healthcare discrimination and to create a Chicago reproductive health equity fund to support services and access workforce diversity.”

During Q&A, audience questions touched upon what other organizations support reproductive justice work, how people can push for change, and programs that might address medical professionals truly understanding cultural competency and humility standards.

The RJC is composed of six Chicago-based organizations (Apna Ghar, BA NIA Inc., KAN-WIN, NAPAWF, Palenque LSNA, and SisterReach, Inc. The brief, “Reproductive Justice Pathways for Chicago,” includes additional findings, impacts, and local, state, and federal policy recommendations. 

The full webinar can be viewed on NAPAWF’s Youtube channel. 

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.