#DoTheWork

Today is International Women's Day, a global celebration of the contribution, joy, and lives of womxn around the world. Every day, Ohio Women's Alliance Action Fund is committed to celebrate, honor, and fight for womxn, and today is no exception. We each have a right to exist free from stigma, violence, racism, poverty, and all forms of oppression. 

We can do more than dream, and to that end, we are launching the #DoTheWork campaign as a vehicle for education and action around reproductive justice.

We believe in "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities," as defined by SisterSong. The foundation of OWA centers those who are directly impacted at the intersections of issues through a multi-layered social and reproductive justice lens. All issues that impact Black womxn, womxn of color, LGBTQIA folx, are reproductive justice issues. At OWA, we are reclaiming our right to reproductive justice where health, food security, and self-determination free from the state is a right beyond choice. We work to secure access to having a voice and stake in creating the solutions and decisions for our lives, family & community.

To celebrate International Women's Day and the launch of our #DoTheWork campaign we worked with Tomicha Cassel to create series of artistic representations of reproductive justice.

"The large green leaves are from the Strelitzia plant, also known as the Bird of Paradise. I chose this plant as the dominant aspect of the design because not only is it beautiful, it's representative of freedom. I've also included the Apple Blossom to represent hope and good fortune. Lastly, I've used the Daffodil, which symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. I took care to stick to the soothing sage green color with hints of purple, white. For accent colors, I chose canary yellow and burnt orange to bring in the warmth I desired."

--Tomicha Cassel

 Flags have historically flown in moments of victory, into battle, and during peak moments carrying people through the work.The OWA AF reproductive justice flag is a source of optimism, never fear, and features plants, flowers, and 16 stars to represent the 16 founders of reproductive justice from SisterSong. The pyramids represent the three pillars of reproductive justice; the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to raise families in safe and sustainable communities. The colors represent a commitment to liberate people at the intersections of race, sexual and gender identity, women/womxn’s history and issues, reproductive access and health, birth, and maternal health, and centering queer and trans folx practicing self-determination. 

In the coming months, we will continue to #DoTheWork through education and action around reproductive justice. We hope this art brings you joy, a breath of encouragement and serves as a beacon of hope as we move forward together. Art is healing and critical to preserving our stories and culture in our own words, vision, and sound. Today, on International Women's Day we celebrate all we have accomplished and hold each other close. It will take all of us to uphold the pillars of reproductive justice and move towards collective liberation.

Support this critical reproductive justice work and celebrate International Women's Day by giving to Ohio Women's Alliance Action Fund and sharing with a friend to do the same! #DoTheWork

The #DoTheWork campaign is a collective project in partnership with the Ohio Women's Alliance.