National Institute for Reproductive Health Announces Three Honorees Fighting for Reproductive Freedom in 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2018
Contact: Stephanie Reichin
E: [email protected]
M: 617.549.3745
Whoopi Goldberg, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Producer Caroline Hirsch will be honored at Champions of Choice Luncheon, May 1
New York – The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the NIRH Action Fund announced today that they will honor Whoopi Goldberg, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and producer and founder of Carolines on Broadway Caroline Hirsch with the annual Champions of Choice award on May 1, 2018. The Champions of Choice Luncheon – held every spring in support of NIRH and NIRH Action Fund – honors and celebrates individuals who have demonstrated their commitment and used the power of their position to advocate for reproductive health, rights, and justice.
“At a time when we have a president, Congress, and many state legislatures intent on rolling back access to reproductive health care, a select few stand out as champions of reproductive freedom,” said NIRH and NIRH Action Fund President Andrea Miller. “The three 2018 Champions of Choice honorees – Whoopi Goldberg, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Caroline Hirsch – are speaking up, using the power of personal story and taking concrete steps to protect and expand our reproductive health, rights and justice.”
Throughout her career, Whoopi Goldberg has been an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. She has used her platform on The View to counter harmful myths about women’s health, speak out against those who do not support a woman’s right to choose, and destigmatize the discussion about abortion by sharing her own life experiences.
“I am so proud to be honored as a ‘Champion of Choice’ by The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) – an organization fighting on the front lines to protect and advance access to abortion,” said Whoopi Goldberg. “Abortion is incredibly personal to me and with an administration that has launched a systematic assault on women’s health and rights, working to ensure reproductive freedom is more critical than ever before.”
New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has been a longtime advocate for reproductive health, rights and justice, beginning with his work in a clinic before Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. Working in partnership with NIRH, Schneiderman introduced New York’s Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (CCCA), which protects access to cost-free contraception; filed suit to protect access to clinics after anti-choice protestors threatened, harassed, and obstructed women seeking care; and much more.
“If a woman does not have the right to control her own body, she is not truly free. We know that those who would deny a woman’s reproductive rights seek to do so in order to oppress and disempower women. As your lawyer, I will use every tool at my disposal to continue to fight the toxic, anti-woman policies spilling out of Washington, and protect New Yorkers’ fundamental right to reproductive health care,” said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “It’s an incredible honor to be named a ‘Champion of Choice’ by NIRH, which has been an invaluable partner in the fight for justice and equality.”
Caroline Hirsch, producer of Ask for Jane and founder of Carolines on Broadway, has dedicated her life to uplifting women and provides unwavering support for organizations that advance women’s rights and access to reproductive health care. Her most recent project, the forthcoming film, Ask for Jane, celebrates the Jane collective, a group of women in Chicago who helped 11,000 women obtain safe abortions before Roe v. Wade.
“Despite all of the recent attempts to strip away women’s rights in this country – the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) continues to push forward from the ground up to counter this troubling trend.” Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of the iconic NY comedy venue Carolines on Broadway, and executive producer of Ask for Jane. “My film Ask for Jane, examines the brave work of past leaders who helped more than 11,000 women safely end their pregnancies before abortion was legalized. I am incredibly humbled to be recognized as a ‘Champion of Choice’ by today’s leaders who make sure the past will never repeat itself – NIRH – and to support their mission of advancing and protecting women’s reproductive freedom.”
The Champions of Choice luncheon will be held on May 1, 2018, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit: https://nirhealth.org/champions2018/.
About the National Institute for Reproductive Health and the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund
The National Institute for Reproductive Health builds power at the state and local level to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception. The National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund conducts non-partisan issue advocacy and electoral engagement to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice across the country.
Using a partnership model, we provide state and local advocates with strategic guidance, hands-on support, and funding to create national change from the ground up. We form strategic partnerships with a wide range of organizations to directly impact the reproductive health and lives of women across the country. Each year, NIRH works in at least 20 states and more than a dozen localities; to date, NIRH has partnered with more than 150 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in 39 states and 56 localities across the country.
At the national level, NIRH engages in groundbreaking public opinion research, proactive policy initiatives, and innovative advocacy campaigns to shape a new national conversation about reproductive freedom.
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