Introducing Our Community Members Stories Series

At inroads, we are proud to nurture movement leaders and grassroots organizations across the globe that are at the forefront of advancing abortion justice. This blog series highlights stories from our community members, showcasing the collective power of their work and the impact of the inroads community. 

Through these testimonies, we aim to amplify their leadership and highlight the importance of resourcing community building & grassroots movements and the critical role they play in advancing reproductive justice.

Women Spaces Africa: Shifting Power and Narratives in Abortion and Disability Justice

Women Spaces Africa’s journey with inroads reflects the profound impact of community care, solidarity, and power-building in advancing abortion justice and access.

As an organization committed to centering the lived experiences of girls and women with disabilities to advance their full potential, Women Spaces Africa has made significant strides in working at the intersection of abortion and disability rights—an issue that was virtually invisible in Kenya prior to their work.

Lilian, the co-founder of Women Spaces Africa, shared how her personal experiences with stigma fueled her commitment to creating spaces that address and combat stigma in all forms.

“As a person with disabilities, I have encountered stigma since I was very little. So anything related to stigma is something I can resonate with very well. I understand the challenges that come with stigma and the opportunities lost because of it.”

At the outset, Women Spaces Africa saw significant challenges in finding community and support for their abortion stigma-busting work for people with disabilities. Joining the inroads community was key to advance their work.

“Before inroads, it was a challenge to find groups openly speaking about abortion. But through inroads, we found a community, a family, and a place for information sharing.”

Lilian highlights the solidarity and collective care that the inroads community brings and how mutual support has been essential to the growth of Women Spaces Africa in their work to destigmatize abortion for people with disabilities.

“They walk with you without judgment and help you overcome the challenges you face. The lived experiences of others were so encouraging for me and those I worked with.”

One of the greatest challenges Women Spaces Africa encountered was securing funding for abortion work. 

“Even up to today, it is not very easy to get funding for abortion work,” they noted. 

Inroads was the first organization to provide both financial resources and the tools necessary to launch and sustain their efforts. This initial trust was instrumental in helping them break the silence surrounding abortion stigma and gain additional recognition from other funders.

“Inroads trusted us as a grassroots organization. They were our first donor, and that trust helped us grow and achieve so much. They supported us without requiring perfect books of accounts, and that allowed other donors to come on board. They have contributed immensely to our work of realizing justice for the community we serve.”

The support from inroads went beyond financial resources—it provided access to tested tools and community-developed materials that allowed Women Spaces Africa to implement their initiatives with confidence. “They gave us access to tools already tried and tested to implement our activities, saving us from starting from scratch.”

With inroads’ support, Women Spaces Africa has been able to advance their reproductive & disability justice work and transform the narrative around abortion and disability rights, sparking critical conversations across Kenya and beyond.

As part of inroads, Women Spaces Africa has contributed their own wealth of experience and expertise in Disability Justice, enriching the global inroads community and the global abortion justice movement as a whole. 

As active members contributing to multiple mutual learning spaces hosted by inroads, they have fostered cross-movement solidarity and deepened the collective understanding of intersectional justice. They can be found sharing on the inroads community workspace, leading sessions and panels at our in-person gatherings & online sessions, and speaking at key convening spaces.

When asked what advice they would offer to other abortion justice groups considering joining inroads, they emphasized the value of our movement-led community:

“Inroads is the best place to be if you’re working on abortion issues. You find a community that understands and walks with you without judgment. Inroads is our space. We are co-creating it together, and there’s a strong sense of belonging. It’s a movement that trusts its members and supports grassroots organizations like ours.”

The message from Women Spaces Africa to donors is clear: supporting inroads means empowering grassroots organizations to tackle abortion stigma and advance access where it matters most.

“It is at the grassroots where abortion takes place, and where stigma reduction work is needed the most. Even with good policies in place, if stigma remains, people still won’t access the services they need. That’s why the work inroads does is so critical. Before inroads, there was nothing like abortion and disability justice work in Kenya. Together, we midwifed this effort into existence.”

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About inroads

inroads: The International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma is a global feminist hub and community of practice dedicated to nurturing abortion justice movements to dismantle abortion stigma and its discriminatory and harmful outcomes.

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.

With over 10 years in the field, our community currently comprises 2,600+ movement leaders and collectives across all areas of the abortion justice ecosystem in more than 120 countries.