Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada

by Martha Paynter

The history of abortion decriminalization and critical advocacy efforts to improve access in Canada deserve to be better known. Ordinary people persevered to make Canada the most progressive country in the world with respect to abortion care. But while abortion access is poorly understood, so too are the persistent threats to reproductive justice in this country: sexual violence, gun violence, homophobia and transphobia, criminalization of sex work, reproductive oppression of Indigenous women and girls, privatization of fertility health services, and the racism and colonialism of policing and the prison system. This beautifully illustrated book tells the empowering true stories behind the struggles for reproductive justice in Canada, celebrating past wins and revealing how prison abolitionism is key to the path forward.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2022

Reviews

[Pretentia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This look at reproductive rights in Canada is informative and engaging in a good way. It challenged me to think about my ideas about what reproductive rights means in the scope of marginalized people.

[Leanne Mylymok · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person to rate it! Woah 🤯
Super informative on abortion access in Canada and how many different threats there are to reproductive justice.

[Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

This was a very informative book on this history of reproductive health and justice in Canada. The linkages of various struggles including capitalism, racism, colonialism, homophobia and transphobia is necessary to realize true reproductive Justice in this Canada. Looking beyond abortion and contraception, which is fairly accessible if you have the social and economic means, and ensuring that all people have the right to not have children, have children, and parent safely.

As a lawyer and social worker, I appreciated the use of legal challenges to tell this history. It’s a great resource of social movement lawyers and how communities have used the law for social change. Highly recommend this read.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! We need to all fight for reproductive justice, “examin[ing] the intersecting impacts of racism, colonialism, classism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia on the right to not have children, the right to have children and the right to parent chosen children in safety” and prison abolition.
The individual true stories reveal past wins and dismal fails for reproductive health and justice in Canada.

[Frey_liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk my mom made it soooo…