Focus on Abortion Rights – Veteran Feminists of America

THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Focus on Abortion Rights

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a right to abortion before fetal viability, and after fetal viability if the pregnancy endangers the pregnant woman’s life or health.

Prior to the passage of Roe v. Wade, the Jane Collective or Jane, officially known as the Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation, was an underground service in Chicago, Illinois affiliated with the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union that operated from 1969 to 1973, a time when abortion was illegal in most of the United States. The foundation of the organization was laid when Heather Booth helped her friend’s sister obtain a safe abortion in 1965. The collective sought to address the increasing number of unsafe abortions being performed by untrained providers. Since illegal abortions were not only dangerous but very expensive, the founding members of the collective believed that they could provide women with safer and more affordable access to abortions.

The majority of VFA members and honorees were active in supporting a woman’s right to choose. Here are some of their stories. Click on a name or photo below to learn more.

Click here to see our complete collection of Second Wave Feminists.

The Radical Underground – Self Help, “The Janes”