Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health

Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH) believes that every Wisconsin woman – at every age and every stage of life – is able to reach her optimal health, safety and economic security. It aims to achieve this vision by informing, involving and inspiring individuals to be effective advocates.   

NIRH has partnered with WAWH, a leading advocate for reproductive health care in Wisconsin, for many years.   

NIRH supported the WAWH in its efforts from 2012 to 2014 to strengthen collaborations, improve voter education, and counter restrictions on access to reproductive health care.   

Beginning in 2017, NIRH worked closely with WAWH to coordinate with legislators and coalition partners on the RESPECT Women Act. WAWH built public and legislative support for the Act’s expansion and protection of abortion access. 

In 2022, NIRH worked with Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (FFBWW) and Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH) to disrupt the persistent maternal and child health disparities that have plagued Black women and babies in Wisconsin for generations. With an incredibly high rate of Black infant mortality, Black babies in Wisconsin are three times more likely to die before the age of one. Equally disturbing, Black moms in Wisconsin are five times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications or during childbirth. At the center of these efforts is the Wisconsin Birth Equity Act, a groundbreaking collection of policies targeted at increasing access to full-spectrum care, financial resilience, comprehensive insurance coverage, and a statewide effort to engage Black women in birth equity advocacy efforts. NIRH, WAWH, and FFBWW worked closely together to create education and organizing opportunities to advocate for the Birth Equity Act. NIRH and WAWH partnered in 2022 to explore a series of opportunities to help ensure Wisconsin patients have meaningful access to the full range of contraceptive options. This comprehensive contraceptive access project includes assessing and raising awareness of contraceptive deserts in the state along with ensuring awareness of and compliance with the 2008 Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Law. In collaboration with academic partners, health care providers, and community-based groups including community doulas, this partnership seeks to ensure that expanded access to contraceptive care is person-centered, inclusive, and affordable, including the development of tools and resources to counter implicit bias and educate stakeholders on the reproductive justice framework.