Missouri going dark, TRAP laws, and a united front against FGM: Your civic action to-do list for 5-28-19


3. In the next 72 hours, Missouri could become the first state in the country without a health center that provides safe, legal abortion. This means that more than 1.1 million women will lose access to the health care they need. This is not a drill.

In a nutshell: Reproductive freedom in Missouri is on the brink of crisis: This Friday, the state is expected to block the last remaining licensed abortion center from providing care. Only days after Gov. Mike Parson signed one of the most extreme abortion bans into law, this closure will completely deprive Missouri women of their constitutional rights and endanger their health.

Take Action: We cannot go back to a world where abortion is inaccessible or illegal. We need everyone engaged in an emergency response. Sign and promote this petition to show just how widespread opposition is to restricting reproductive health care. If you live in Missouri, contact your elected officials and come out and rally on Thursday to stop the bans.


2. Anti-choice legislators have passed nearly 150 laws restricting abortion since 2016, and more than 400 since 2011. These Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP laws) impede access to abortion, aim to close clinics, and burden low-income women. 

In a nutshell: Congress just reintroduced the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would prohibit states from imposing any restrictions on abortion that are medically unnecessary or disrupt access to care. Stopping TRAP laws will enable clinics to remain open and women to realize their constitutionally protected right to abortion. Women need a federal safeguard against the anti-abortion policies that conservative-majority statehouses are cranking out.

Take Action: Many Members of Congress supported WHPA’s reintroduction, so encourage them to take the next step and cosponsor the bill. Be sure to thank your Senators and Representative if they have already signed on! Also, check out JWI’s Op-Ed in Washington Jewish Week to learn more about the Jewish community’s leadership on reproductive rights.


1. Though Congress outlawed female genital mutilation in 1996, half a million women and girls in the United States alone have undergone or are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation as of 2016. Around the world, female genital mutilation is exponentially more prevalent: It is estimated that 200 million women and girls have been victims. Ending this brutal, traumatizing practice must be a global priority.

In a nutshell: Last week, the House passed a unanimous resolution denouncing female genital mutilation – a significant bipartisan statement. The resolution officially recognizes the practice as a human rights violation and urges the State Department and international community to undertake coordinated efforts to eradicate it. With 3 million girls worldwide currently at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation, it is crucial for the international community to uphold every woman’s right to live free from violence and mitigate this abuse.

Take Action: Every single member of the House of Representatives voted to condemn female genital mutilation in H. Res. 106 – thank them for their leadership on this issue!