About Iris
Iris is graduating from the University of Denver in June 2025, earning her BA in Political Science with minors in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and Leadership Studies. She has a passion for social justice, activism, and community organizing, which she has brought to her work at Athena Project. Since she joined the Athena team two years ago, Iris has focused on expanding the #ReproductiveJustice campaign, which amplifies the voices of artists fighting for reproductive rights.
Intersectionality and community solidarity are essential in the movement for reproductive justice.
“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court struck down decades of precedent by ending the constitutional right to have an abortion. The decision sparked rage and resistance across the nation, with thousands of people taking to the streets and making their voices heard, demanding equity and bodily autonomy for people who can get pregnant.
Now, nearly three years since the Court overturned Roe, the imperative of resistance continues.
Yet, despite these harmful policies and the rhetoric surrounding them, people have continued to show up, to advocate for change–and for one another. Communities are standing together in solidarity, recognizing that the fight for freedom must be driven by our interconnectedness and shared humanity amidst the impacts of intersectional systems of oppression.
What is intersectionality, exactly?
Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how the different aspects of people’s identities (race, gender, sexuality, economic status, age, etc.) intersect to impact their experiences in the midst of overlapping discriminatory structures (racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ageism, etc.). It is an essential component to the Reproductive Justice Movement, as is evidenced by the movement’s founding and continued influence today.
The History of Reproductive Justice
These women worked to address the needs of women of color and marginalized communities, which were not being realized by existing pro-choice movements.
Uniting into a coalition called Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, the group took out an ad in the Washington Post and Roll Call back in 1994 calling on the US government to consider reproductive freedom within their healthcare reform debates. Healthcare was a focus of the Clinton Administration, and these women fought to ensure that healthcare reforms would adequately meet the reproductive needs of marginalized women.
In the ad, they highlighted the necessity of “Universal coverage and equal access to health services,” “Comprehensiveness” of health care services, and “Protection from discrimination.” They stood firm in their advocacy, also noting in the ad that they would “not endorse a health care reform system that does not cover the full range of reproductive services for all women – including abortion.”
Reproductive Justice for the LGBTQ+ community
No access … no justice!
To achieve true Reproductive Justice, it is also essential that families have the support and resources necessary to raise their children in safe and healthy environments, another key tenet of the Reproductive Justice framework.
We must be inclusive and intersectional in our fight for Reproductive Justice, lest we continue to perpetuate the systems of injustice that impact our communities.
Reproductive Justice at Athena
At Athena, we have centered this history and the importance of intersectionality in our definition of Reproductive Justice:
#ReproductiveJustice means we ensure that ALL humans have the resources and freedom to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives and receive adequate care, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status, and disability
(In addition to the truncated definition above, you can view our org’s full Reproductive Justice definition here.)
Centering this definition, Athena Project has worked to amplify your Reproductive Justice art and stories to showcase the power of artists in promoting equity, justice, and inclusive change. Movements for social justice require activism in many forms, including art!
Every Tuesday, we amplify a new story or artwork highlighting repro rights, and our May/June 2025 #ReproductiveJustice campaign features deep dives into different facets of the movement, including reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy for marginalized communities, the importance of Reproductive Justice in all stages of pregnancy, access to contraception and inclusive sex education, and common barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare.
How you can support Athena’s #ReproductiveJustice campaign:
- Follow along on our Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn pages, like, comment on and share our Reproductive Justice posts.
- Submit YOUR #ReproductiveJustice artwork and/or stories.
- Donate to help keep this campaign running
Onward, and always in community.
-Iris
