Abortion justice movements around the world are weaving transformative narratives grounded in community care, justice, and liberation.

This curated exhibition presents stigma-busting artivism created by activists and collectives from the inroads global abortion justice community. It aims to represent the cultural transformation power of artistic storytelling efforts led by grassroots collectives.

We invite you to learn more about all their artwork and to support the powerful efforts of abortion justice movements shifting abortion narratives, policies, and practices worldwide!

Ginto | La Loba Negra

“Ginto” describes the many walks of life of persons having abortions – that it could be anyone. Centering their needs and experiences. It reminds us that we are not alone. Bea is a Filipina artist from the band La Loba Negra. Follow her work on Instagram and Youtube.

This song was released as part of an incredible 12-track collective musical Album called ‘Pasya’ – which means ‘choice’, to dismantle abortion stigma and advance the decriminalization of abortion in the Philippines. The album was co-created by diverse Philippines musicians, artivists, and abortion justice groups. Listen and learn more at: pasya.decriminalizeabortion.ph

The Boring Future of Abortion | Asia Bordowa

“The boring future of abortion” is a zine and a collection of illustrations that envision a positive future without abortion stigma. Asia created this project with and for abortion activists –  to start imagining what a positive future could look like. It was developed with the support of the inroads Abortion Stigma Busting Fellowship. See the full zine here.

Asia Bordowa (she/her) is an abortion activist, somatic practicioner, and illustrator originally from Poland, based in the Netherlands. Learn more about Asia’s work on social media.

Hierbitas para Decidir + Sola no estás | Merlina Annuki + Comunidad de Música Autóctona Warmi Pachakuti.

Merlina is a self-taught graphic artist dedicated to illustration and engraving (screen printing and woodcut). She sees graphics and illustrations as visual manifestos and tools of struggle. A field to always occupy and rethink for her is the public space, the street, which is why she also carries out interventions on walls, individually and collectively. She is inspired by the love between women, the connection and defense of our bodies and territories, and memory and ancestral knowledge. She is a feminist activist and abortion companion. She lives in the Cochabambino Valley of Bolivia. Follow her work here.

She developed the mural on her town and this video collage with the support of the inroads Artists Busting Abortion Stigma Fellowship.

“In Bolivia, the road to decriminalizing abortion is still long, but we have been resisting among ourselves, accompanying each other, deciding and aborting at home with our friends, sisters, medication, and little herbs, the knowledge that we have been recovering from our grandmothers. Therefore abortion does not have to be seen as something dark, but also with colors and loving care.

Women have been learning, through our bodies, the ability to abort safely at home with pills. Herbs are also very important in this process for care before, after, and during the procedure. Being able to make this visible on a mural is a call to continue our fight for a free abortion.” Shared  Merlina.

“Sola no estás” is an original song from the Comunidad de Musica Autoctona Warmi Pachakuti, an Indigenous music community of Bolivian women who seek to send a message of struggle and festive rebellion through music. Learn more about their music here.

Passport Butterfly Portraits of Abortion Rights Activists | Emma Campbell

The Passport Butterfly Portraits of Abortion Rights Activists are part of an artistic project titled “An Appropriate Hobby” by Emma Campbell. It highlights the intersection of color photography and Ireland’s anti-abortion laws, both established in 1861. This era of emerging modernity saw the start of the suffragette movement, while butterfly collecting was considered a more “appropriate hobby for women.” The piece features abortion activists, aiming to re-insert women and allies into visual representations of abortion.  Learn more about this artwork here.

Emma Campbell is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher, activist, and professor. She is a co-convenor of Alliance for Choice, the largest abortion rights organization in Northern Ireland, and a member of the Turner Prize-winning Array Collective.

Fandanguito | Son Jarocho Feminista

The Fandanguito by Son Jarocho Feminista Collective is a reinterpretation of a traditional Son Jarocho, with original lyrics that aim to talk about abortion openly and from a destigmatizing narrative. It was developed with the support of the inroads Artists Busting Abortion Stigma Fellowship.

Son Jarocho Feminista Collective redefines the traditional music of Veracruz’s Sotavento region by creating new verses that reflect the experiences, knowledge, and emotions of women and gender non-conforming individuals. They are passionate feminists and abortion activists, actively working within their communities. Learn more here.

Razones porque abortamos | Monse Navas

Monse Navas is a feminist activist and illustrator from Ecuador. Through illustration in various formats, she seeks to raise her voice and make visible diverse bodies and skins, the social struggles of women, and talk about feminism and sexual and reproductive rights.

“Reasons Why We Abort” is a series of illustrations that challenges the socially established idea that women must justify our decisions to others for them to be considered valid. She plays with the expectation of receiving “acceptable” justifications, but instead she presents the image of a self-assured, almost muse-like woman who offers unexpected and confrontational answers.Check out her portfolio and Instagram to learn more.

Pinky Asks Questions | Hidden Pockets Collective

Hidden Pockets Collective presents a song about Pinky, who is fun, loving, and wants to live a happy life. When she gets pregnant, she is confused about what to do. She is not ready for it. This song is about all those questions Pinky wants to ask.

Hidden Pockets Collective (HPC) is a Non-Profit Organisation registered in India that, for the last 6 years, they been using various forms of digital tools to educate young people and advocate for policy changes around sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. Learn more here.

We Hold the Power | Janelle Quibuyen with Shout Your Abortion

Shout Your Abortion is normalizing abortion and elevating safe paths to access, regardless of legality. SYA makes resources, campaigns, and media intended to arm existing activists, create new ones, and foster collective participation in abortion access all over the United States.

Janelle Quibuyen created this artwork in collaboration with SYA reflecting our power to support abortion access in our communities. This artwork and many others can be downloaded for free on the Shout Your Abortion website.

Paysa Music Album | Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) with Filipino Freethinkers and the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN)

“Pasya” – which means ‘choice’, is a 12-track collective music album celebrating the strength of people standing up for their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Through powerful music that is light, liberating, and enabling, they are transforming narratives and campaigning for the decriminalization of abortion in the Philippines.

The album was co-created by local musicians and artivists and produced by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) in collaboration with Filipino Freethinkers and the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), with support from Safe Abortion Action Fund and Abortion Conversation Projects.

Listen to the full album and learn more! 

Aborto Libre | Líricas del Caos

Líricas del Caos – Rap Feminista and Las Parceras – Línea y Red Feminista de Acompañamiento en Aborto developed this song that arises from their first School of Lyrics for Free Abortion, in which Activists, Artists and Artivists aborteras sing and rap to the autonomy of our bodies and the defense of the right to free abortion. Learn more here.

It features multiple Latin American artivists, including La Zea, Drea, Queen Ashanti, Tiña, Yela Quim, Maquifera, Agatha, Tiaret Natural, Rudá, Anlly Sureña, Love Rap, Lilo Lara, Venena, Akanni MC, Crazy Lioness, Amalia, Corrigan Mc, Gaviota, Ajala La Necia & LA POLA.

ABOUT INROADS

inroads: The International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma is a global abortion justice network and feminist hub nurturing movement leaders and collectives in 120+ countries. We build cross-movement collective power, provide flexible resources, and strengthen movements across the global abortion justice ecosystem to build a world where everyone is able to access their inherent right to stigma-free abortion care.

We envision a world where abortion access and care are centered around the needs, experiences, leadership, and requirements of those who have them. Where stigma, fear, and misinformation about abortion can be eradicated through collective cultural change.

Join us in transforming abortion narratives worldwide!