The New York Women’s Foundation is with you in easy moments and in harder ones, like now. Together, we are powerful. The strength of our power is in our solidarity, in the community of our movement leaders and donor partners. This decision to overthrow Roe v. Wade will not end abortions in the United States. But it will allow states already pushing restrictive policies to pass even more stringent laws and criminalize not just those seeking an abortion, but everyone supporting their right to do so. It will penalize and further control and oppress women, especially women of color, poorer women, women with disabilities, trans and gender expansive people, younger women, immigrant women, and survivors of gender-based violence. It will also energize us to leverage our power. It took 50 years for conservative forces to take down Roe v. Wade, but we assure you that it will not take us 50 years to build forward and to build better. We are stronger now that we have ever been before: we count on a powerful network of BIPOC leaders fighting for reproductive justice; we rely on donor partners who understand the imperative of radical generosity to ensure the vibrancy of our movements; we have been supporting the protection and expansion of our voting rights, electing more women who powerfully represent us. Finally, we have you. We are a force together that will seize this moment and transform it, further igniting our actions for justice and liberation, in our city and country. We will emerge stronger than we were before. What We Do Now
Continue to invest and support our movements’ leadership, specially BIPOC leaders, in the forefront of reproductive justice fight.
Funding movements and their leaders, matters. We are in partnership with many groups on the frontlines, sitting at many tables advocating for our rights, not just our right to choose but our bodily autonomy. Our grantee partners are also caring for communities left out of the mainstream, like trans individuals, women living with disabilities, gender-based survivors, young women, women of color, who typically fight to have access to safe abortion and care for their bodies.
The Foundation has supported reproductive justice throughout our history, through our Early Investment strategy, a five-year commitment to organizations leading work in this crucial area and others pertinent to women and TGNC communities in NYC and the state. Two weeks ago, we increased our support to abortion access funds and networks that seek to care for women and trans individuals at risk in the state and nationally.
Protect and expand our democracy to ensure authentic representation.
We have learned again that it matters who we elect. Women’s engagement in elections, representation, funding women running for elected offices, fighting for voting rights, matters. We see the impact of our continued support and investments, as New York City Council is, for the first time, a majority women, with significant representation of women of color, standing for reproductive, gender and racial justice. The Foundation will support women’s civic engagement at the local, regional, and state level, as we work diligently to regain legislative majority representation.
Ensure and strengthen New York
New York State currently affirms the right to abortion, and we must guarantee that it remains so. We learned again that local and state level strength is critically important – it is not sufficient to have a federal protection. Conversely, without federal protections, localities are also at risk. As a locally rooted foundation, we will continue to focus on New York and strengthen our impact by joining with all who are building forward our national policies and rights.
Support access to New York by women seeking abortions
The New York Women’s Foundation is a trusted partner with several other women’s foundations, many in states eliminating abortion access. We are, and we will leverage those partnerships to accelerate support to women who need to access abortions in New York, with access to quality health care, safety, and support.
As we look at the work ahead, we know there is much to be done and we know we are in great company with you and in partnership with organizations leading solutions and developing networks of mutual support across the state and beyond.
The Foundation is your community. We are in this together. We will regain our right to abortion and reproductive justice, and will do so moving in complete solidarity and determination.
Ana L. Oliveira
she/ela/ella
President & CEO
The New York Women’s Foundation
