Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom - Paperback

by Kathryn Kolbert (Author), Julie F. Kay (Author)From two lawyers at the forefront of the reproductive rights movement, this fully updated book shares bold strategies meant to help restore and expand reproductive and sexual rights. "Urgent and timely...Kolbert and Kay’s pressing, informative, and engaging book is leading the charge in the right direction." - Gloria Steinem “Controlling Women is a remarkably thorough account of the history of the legal fight for abortion rights in the United States and sets the stage for the work that still must be done to ensure that the broad spectrum of reproductive rights are a reality for all. Kolbert and Kay have added a vital resource to the pantheon.”- Nancy Northup, President and CEO, Center for Reproductive Rights “The story feels both old and new. The wins, the backlash—it’s exhausting. How many times do women have to shout their abortions? How many times do women have to demand to have a voice about our own skin? But while Kay and Kolbert provide a necessary and urgent primer on the history of reproductive rights in America, they don’t just end the story here in this moment, where reproductive rights are under attack like never before, they push the conversation forward. Instead of making their mission smaller, they are expanding the vision of reproductive justice to include 'healthcare for all,' better sex ed, expanding access to birth control, reducing sexual abuse, violence, and harassment, and reducing maternal deaths.” - Lyz Lenz, author of Belabored Reproductive freedom has never been in more dire straits. Roe v. Wade protected abortion rights and Planned Parenthood v. Casey unexpectedly preserved them. Yet in the following decades these rights have been gutted by restrictive state legislation, the appointment of hundreds of anti-abortion judges, and violence against abortion providers. Today, the ultra-conservative majority at the Supreme Court has overturned our most fundamental reproductive protections. With Roe toppled, abortion is now a criminal offense in nearly 1/3 of the United States. At least 6 states have enacted bans on abortion as early as 6 weeks of pregnancy--before many women are even aware they are pregnant. Today, 89% of U.S. counties do not have a single abortion provider, in part due to escalating violence and intimidation aimed at disrupting services. We should all be free to make these personal and private decisions that affect our lives and wellbeing without government interference or bias, but we can no longer depend on Roe v. Wade and the federal courts to preserve our liberties. Legal titans Kathryn Kolbert and Julie F. Kay share the story of one of the most divisive issues in American politics through behind-the-scenes personal narratives of stunning losses, hard-earned victories, and moving accounts of women and health care providers at the heart of nearly five decades of legal battles. Kolbert and Kay propose audacious new strategies inspired by medical advances, state-level protections, human rights models, and activists across the globe whose courage and determination are making a difference. No more banging our heads against the Court's marble walls. It is time for a new direction. Author Biography KATHRYN KOLBERT has had a long and distinguished career advancing women's rights. In 1992, she made her second appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the landmark case that has been widely credited with saving Roe v. Wade. A co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Athena Film Festival, she also created NPR's Justice Talking and the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College. JULIE F. KAY began her legal career at the Center for Reproductive Rights and has spent the ensuing decades developing innovative legal and policy initiatives to advance gender equity in the U.S. and internationally. The legal challenge she brought against Ireland's abortion ban before European Court of Human Rights helped lay the groundwork for the legalization of abortion in Ireland. Kay fights for legal reform to protect the parenting rights of people leaving ultra-religious communities and for telemedicine abortion access nationwide. She is the Executive Director of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, a national organization working to make safe, legal, and affordable telemedicine abortion available anywhere in the US, regardless of a person's income.