California Latinas for Reproductive Justice is a statewide organization committed to honoring the experiences of Latinas to uphold our dignity, our bodies, sexuality, and families. We build Latinas’ power and cultivate leadership through policy advocacy, community education, and community-informed research to achieve reproductive justice.
In 2016, NIRH partnered with CLRJ and California Family Health Council to advocate for passage of the Direct Access to Reproductive Health Act to increase the availability and affordability of comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion, in California. This bill sought to replace the current patchwork of private insurance policy requirements with a new direct access policy that would allow patients to see out-of-network reproductive health care providers when necessary to access timely care and to see in-network providers for reproductive health care without a referral. These changes are critical for improving abortion access, as many California women currently face insurance-related delays in care. To mobilize and secure support from key stakeholders and policymakers, they engaged in education and organizing efforts, with a specific focus on the Latino community. In addition to improving access to care in California, they provided a model for abortion insurance policy in the United States