Ashley Underwood

Ashley Underwood (she/her) is the director at Equity Forward. She is a reproductive justice and public health advocate with an extensive background in working to improve maternal and sexual health outcomes through program implementation and development. Ashley was previously a research associate and senior researcher at Equity Forward; before that, she worked as a research and program manager at NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. Ashley holds a master’s degree in public health from Case Western Reserve University.

Anti-Abortion Centers and Their Fake Economic Solutions

Having the freedom to decide if and when we have kids is fundamental to building the lives we want for ourselves. But in the face of a housing affordability crisis, underfunded child care infrastructure, and a widening gender wage gap, this fundamental freedom feels further and further out of reach. Instead of addressing these economic issues, anti-abortion lawmakers are trying to divest from proven social services and invest in anti-abortion programs that are not only ineffective, but detrimental to communities.

The Systemic Targeting of Marginalized Groups by Anti-Abortion Centers

Targeting marginalized communities is an issue across various businesses, including finance, food and beverage, and retail. Anti-abortion centers (AACs) also fall in the predatory business category. AACs’ strategic targeting of marginalized communities exploits disparities and systemic inequalities in reproductive health care to their advantage.

Recent Headlines Of Anti-Abortion Ties Are Part Of A Broader Judicial Strategy

Has the anti-abortion movement weaponized the judicial branch to enforce its agenda? Of course it has. The Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) ethical state-of-play is particularly concerning given the justices will be hearing oral arguments on the two biggest post-Roe reproductive rights cases so far.

Seven Reasons Why Anti-Abortion Centers Are a Problem, Not a Solution

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Background

On December 1, 2021, the Supreme Court will hear arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The case will weigh a Mississippi abortion ban and call into question the future of Roe v. Wade. In anticipation of Roe being overturned and abortion clinics subsequently being forced to close, anti-abortion centers (AACs) claim they are ready to absorb the burdens of people forced to carry a pregnancy to term.

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Equity Forward Launches New Federal Accountability Campaign, Light Inside

Today, we are proud to launch Light Inside, a research-based campaign shedding light on the government agencies and contractors that can either protect, or deny, human and reproductive rights for people in the United States, with a focus on people who are detained and/or incarcerated under the Biden-Harris administration.

Cruelty and Control: Reproductive Rights and Health Care in the U.S. Immigration System

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Summary

The U.S. government runs the largest immigrant detention system in the world. A far cry from America’s promises of liberty and freedom for all, this system is known for its cruelty. This cruelty is illustrated perhaps most acutely through the denial of reproductive freedom and health care for those detained in U.S. detention centers. Cruelty and Control: Reproductive Rights and Health Care in the U.S.

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Beyond Abortion: The Radical Agenda of Anti-Abortion Groups

Groups that used to primarily focus on criminalizing abortion are expanding their portfolios to infringe upon more than just reproductive rights. And they are doing so by strategizing to suppress voter turnout, strengthen their already outsized political power and fuel hostility toward immigrants. From statehouses to globally influential organizations, these groups are consistently working to impose a theocracy anchored in white supremacy-tinged Evangelism.

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