My friend Jess told me about this amazing organization called The Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies (RAISE), that is trying to establish reproductive rights as an essential part of emergency services. Traditionally, we think of food, water, shelter, and safety from violence as the only essential concerns in times of crisis, like genocide, natural disasters etc., but RAISE believes that:
High quality RH services are among the most basic of human needs. They are also among the most poorly addressed needs of displaced persons. Women are especially vulnerable to RH risks and emergencies, both in crisis and conflict settings and in general.Access to comprehensive RH services and information is crucial to the wellbeing of populations that have been affected by humanitarian emergencies. When RH care is limited or absent, the toll - in terms of life-threatening medical emergencies; harm to women and their families; and the violation of human rights - is profound.
Check out more about their amazing work here.
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RAISE does great work - I live/work on the Thai/Burma border, doing RH trainings, funding, and supply runs. RAISE has a large project at the most influcential clinic on the border and we're all very glad it does. The emergency obstetrics training and general upgrades from RAISE help contribute to better outcomes for women.
But RAISE uses the term "comprehensive" reproductive health and the RAISE initiative DOES NOT TALK ABOUT OR TRAIN HEALTH WORKERS TO PERFORM SAFE ABORTIONS. RAISE completely avoids any mention of safe early abortion even though unsafe abortion is one of the biggest causes of maternal mortality in our area and in most conflict/post conflict zones where RAISE works.
I think RAISE is awesome, but it's not reproductive justice - it's partial, and helpful RH care for vulnerable populations.
But true reproductive justice includes access to safe abortion. Women here can't access abortion safely and choose to risk maiming and death instead of having more babies in a conflict/post conflict zone -- RAISE isn't changing that.