Please keep checking this page... we will be updating it with new resources, events, information, and more!

5/17/2023: NASW-NC Opposes SB20, Monster Abortion Ban in North Carolina

Overturning of Roe v Wade:

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court released their Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, overturning Roe v. Wade. NASW-NC is appalled by this decision and will continue to work with state and federal partners to ensure social workers have access to needed resources for their patients.

Why is the fight for reproductive justice a concern for social workers?

The NASW Social Work Speaks (2020) Reproductive Justice issue statement says:

1. NASW opposes government restrictions designed to limit access to reproductive health services, including abortion services.
2. NASW opposes the repeal of Roe v. Wade.
3. It is vital that the social work profession keep abreast of the constantly changing policy landscape of reproductive issues and take an ethical and evidence-based position on behalf of our clients and communities.
   

According to NASW Social Work Speaks (2020), Reproductive Justice is “the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social, and economic well-being of women and girls (people), based on the full achievement and protection of women’s human rights”. The lens is consistent with NASW’s focus on social and economic justice for all.

The NASW (2015) Code of Ethics states that “social workers respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals” (p. 5). Self-determination related to reproductive health means that without government interference or reproductive coercion by an intimate partner, friend, family member, or professional, people should make their own decisions about sexual activity and reproduction.

On July 6, 2022, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 263 to protect abortion access and providers in North Carolina. This Executive Order prohibits the Governor’s Cabinet agencies (agencies that are part of the Governor's Office or are headed by members of the Governor's Cabinet) from aiding officials in other states to prosecute abortion providers in North Carolina or patients that come to North Carolina to obtain an abortion. Further, it prohibits the Governor’s Cabinet agencies from sending a pregnant employee to a state with restrictive abortion laws in the event the employee faces a medical emergency. The Executive Order also sets a reminder that it is against the law to block access to abortion clinics and healthcare facilities. Lastly, it encourages other state agencies to adopt the provisions laid out in the Executive Order.

Learn more about this Executive Order here.

President Joe Biden Signs Executive Order Safeguarding Abortion Access

On July 8, 2022 President Biden signed a new executive order to protect access to reproductive health care services and protect patient privacy. Read more about what this executive order does in this fact sheet. 

Here are some helpful reminders and actions to take from our partner, Pro-Choice NC.

First and foremost, abortion is still legal in North Carolina.

Here are steps you can take immediately:

• Donate to Carolina Abortion Fund to help reduce financial burdens for North Carolinians accessing abortion and for people who will now have to travel to NC to access abortion.
• Volunteer with pro-choice candidates. You can find the candidates Pro-Choice NC has endorsed thus far here.

Information From North Carolina Pro-Choice Organizations

• Pro-Choice North Carolina
• Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
• SisterSong
• ACLU of North Carolina - Check out the ACLU of NC's Timeline of Abortion Restrictions in NC

Resources From NASW National

• NASW Condemns Decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v Wade
• Major Mental Health Associations decry U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade
• NASW National Reproductive Rights Resource Page
• ReproductiveRights.gov: Resources from the Biden Administration