Small Strategic Wins: Reproductive Rights Activism in Conservative-Controlled American Legislatures

Following the U. S. Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Republican-controlled legislatures across the U.S. initiated or were able to finally implement existing draconian abortion restrictions. Reproductive health advocates and scholars have long warned of the implications of restricting reproductive rights for birthing people everywhere including increased maternal and infant mortality (Silliman et al. 2016; Ross 1992; Ross et al. 2017; Vilda et al. 2021; Bossick et al. 2023). Despite the cultural and political climate in Louisiana, a largely Catholic and Republican U.S. state, reproductive health advocates have had small strategic wins to counteract some of the negative consequences of restrictive abortion policy. These wins have occurred primarily in the realm of “maternal and child health” (MCH), such as increased insurance coverage for doula care, strategically separated from issues often labeled as “reproductive rights,” such as access to sex education, birth control, and abortion. In this repressive context, however, highlighting connections between reproductive rights and MCH may be the best opportunity for advocates to move legislation that improves reproductive self-determination. In this paper, we consider the legislative challenges facing advocates, the strategic separations and allyships they employ, and the implications for other states and reproductive health more broadly.