Reproductive health is a social justice issue: women can not reach full equality if they do not have control over their own fertility. In order to effect policy change, we seek to build on support for a host of reproductive and other health issues, without walking away from abortion rights. Many who oppose abortion are also against strategies that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies (birth control, emergency contraception and comprehensive sexuality education). We want to reclaim or redefine the center, and out the opposition as extremists out of sync with the attitudes of most Americans.

Member, Wendy C. Wolf

Who We Are

The Reproductive Rights Action Circle was created in 2005 to reshape the national conversation on reproductive and other health issues and then to build on broad public support for a host of these issues. Sixty-two donors have supported this multi-year effort raising about $759,000 which has leveraged over $1.75 million dollars from numerous other foundations.

Mission

Our work has two major goals:

Develop an affirmational, values-based language that broadens our conversations around reproductive and other health issues without compromising support for abortion rights.
Build on voter support for policy advances on a broader agenda that includes birth control, emergency contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, the HPV vaccine, stem cell research and end-of-life issues.

What We Do

In 2005, the Reproductive Rights Action Circle, and the Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC) embarked on Moving Forward, a multi-year, multi-million dollar research-based project. We worked with leading pollsters, researchers, NGOs, and message makers. After a multi-phased research project, the frame was created. It is being used to change the national conversation, as well as discussions at the local, state and federal level about reproductive and other health issues. Our work is being used:

To create a values-based way for progressive candidates to talk about their views that galvanizes support;
To address those who believe we should be “reducing the number of abortions" without providing comprehensive sexuality education or additional access to birth control; and
To "out" the opposition as extremists and out of sync with the American voter.

Finally, our work is being used to affect policy change:

Promotion of comprehensive sexuality education and services to teens;
Prevention First and other attempts to promote women’s health;
Ballot Initiatives in Colorado;
End of Life Issues; and
Stem cell issues.

Current Work

Our current work seeks to ensure the use of the frame, values and a focus on the broader agenda to make sure that the whole agenda is not hijacked by a singular focus on abortion. This work involves briefing key stakeholders at all levels of government who are supporters of reproductive rights, be they republican or democratic; working with the non-profit community to coordinate messages and use the broader frame when our rights are potentially abridged, as is the case with the ballot measure to define personhood at the moment of fertilization: a major op-ed strategy to ask media to hold stakeholders accountable for their positions on a host of issues, not just abortion.

A New Frame Leads to a New Discussion

Our research shows Important Life Decisions is a frame broad enough to encompass reproductive and other health issues and is an effective way to start a conversation with voters on a larger set of progressive issues.

Important life decision can only be made responsibly if people have access and information to information, options and services.

The frame incorporates the world “life” in a new way and prompts people to naturally use language that conveys a set of core American values including individual decision-making, responsibility, respect, freedom, and prevention.
By using the word “decisions,” we are able to highlight the more serious, deliberative nature of making a choice supporting public opinion that wants many choices, and options.

It is critical to start the conversation with the frame and the broader agenda, for if you begin the discussion with abortion, you end there. Further, millions of people daily face issues on the broader agenda , while only 1.5 million choose to have an abortion every year.

For more key findings go to http://importantlifedecisions.org/

Click here to view the 2008 Netroots Nation session on Breaking the Frame: Revitalizing and Redefining Reproductive Rights Media Coverage and learn more about the Moving Forward project.

Phases One and Two

September 2005 to August 2006

Accomplishments

Commissioned a case study outlining the way that “the war on poverty” – an equally challenging issue – was successfully reframed as “an economy that works for all.” (Study available at www.movingforward08.org.)
Interviewed more than 150 leaders (pollsters, women’s rights and reproductive health advocates, communications experts, policymakers, authors, academics, and others) on their views of the reproductive health (RH) movement, the pro-choice frame, and identification of common goals.
Created a new values-based frame, message memo, message tips, message box, key research takeaways and cluster analysis based on focus groups, electronic bulletin boards and online discussions, dial groups, and a validation poll of 1,000 voters.
Commissioned regular omnibus polling to track key research findings over time.

Phase Three: Accomplishments

September 2006 to August 2009

Strategies

To educate and inform opinion leaders at the federal and state levels on effective ways to talk about personal health issues, from reproductive rights to end-of-life care, and to support policy changes in line with the new frame that will emphasize a broader agenda.
Stop additional damage by the anti-abortion, anti-birth control extremists in the Bush administration with a new focus as they count down their final 100 days.
To deepen understanding among policymakers, media, and political influentials about voter sentiment on personal health issues, from reproductive rights to choice in dying, so that they accurately represent the voting public on these issues in new ways.
Provide strategic thinking and leadership during the upcoming transition as a new administration and a Congress takes office, regardless of the election outcome.

Highlights of Major Accomplishments

Helped to Create a New Political Climate for a broader reproductive rights and health agenda
Created a values-based, affirmative way for progressive candidates to talk about their views that galvanizes support. Briefed thousands at both the national and state levels, including members of the House and Senate as well as leadership staff of the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Republican Majority for Choice, and the presidential campaign teams of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, on the need for policies to focus on the broader agenda and not let abortion politics hijack policies on broader set of issues.
Provided data to refute the position that the common ground way to “reducing the number of abortions is without providing comprehensive sexuality education or additional access to birth control.”
Exposed the opposition as extremists (against birth control and comprehensive sexuality education) and out of sync with the American voter achievement of hundreds of placements or references to our research in news papers, radio talk shows, op-eds, editorials, and blogs across the country. Launched www.BirthControlWatch.org —the go-to place for reporters, opinion writers, and bloggers with accelerated outreach to media in the 60 days leading up to the election to shine a brighter spotlight on the extremist agenda.
Crafted values-based messages that were used to resoundingly defeat the Colorado ballot Initiative that would give fertilized eggs constitutional rights.
Helped to Further Policy Discussions on Broader Reproductive Rights Agenda
Increased discussions at the state and federal policy level about comprehensive sex education and birth control, two issues that according to our research, voters see as linked to their important life decisions.
Coordinated key messaging among reproductive groups on HHS regulations, the Presidential Transition and First 100 days.
Participated in Reproductive Health Coalition Crafting of Priorities for New Administration.
Integrated Moving Forward framework into major policy paper from 35 Deans of Schools of Public Health on reproductive and women’s health in health care reform for the new administration.
Serve on Trojan Condom advisory board with religious, youth, academic, and other advocates. Our framing is the basis of a major effort, the Evolve Campaign, that targets young people 18-25 with themes of responsibility, individual decision making, respect, and prevention.

Moving Forward Funding Partners

Women Donors Network

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

George Gund Foundation

Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation

Communications Consortium Media Center

Tides Foundation

Brico Fund

Resources

Important Life Decisions

Birth Control Watch

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

National Women’s Law Center

Center for Reproductive Rights

ACLU

NARAL

The Reproductive Rights Action Circle reflects WDN’s key themes of Health and Human Rights and Civic Participation and Progressive Infrastructure: Striving to ensure that all people have an optimal state of physical, mental and social well-being by having access to basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled and strengthening our democratic institutions and community-based organizations to ensure that all people have the capacity to actively engage in shaping the policies that impact their lives. These are two of our seven key areas of work and study.