SisterSong is a Southern-based, national membership non profit organization dedicated to advancing reproductive justice by transforming the policies, systems, and cultural conditions that shape the reproductive lives of marginalized communities. Grounded in the leadership and lived experiences of women of color, SisterSong builds powerful networks to challenge intersecting forms of oppression that limit bodily autonomy, family integrity, and self-determination.
Founded in 1997 by sixteen women-of-color–led organizations representing Native American, African American, Latina, and Asian American communities, SisterSong emerged from a shared recognition: that women of color must speak for themselves, define their own priorities, and lead the movement for justice affecting their bodies, families, and futures. From this collective vision, the framework of Reproductive Justice—linking reproductive rights to social, racial, economic, and gender justice—was articulated and advanced.
SisterSong’s work centers those most impacted by structural inequities, addressing issues such as access to healthcare, environmental justice, criminalization, immigration, and the right to parent children in safe and sustainable communities. By organizing, educating, and advocating at local and national levels, SisterSong challenges systems that deny marginalized communities control over their reproductive lives.
Why It Matters: Reproductive justice is not only about the right to avoid pregnancy—it is about the right to have children, to not have children, and to raise families with dignity and safety. SisterSong reminds us that bodily autonomy is inseparable from racial, economic, and social justice.
