Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico (FMnPR), the only fund in the archipielago exclusively dedicated to promoting gender and racial equity, announced today the initial results of the Reproductive Justice Fund (FJR). The FJR was created in 2020 to support local organizations working to protect and expand reproductive health services in Puerto Rico.
“It is incredible that, despite what we have learned about this issue as a society, only 1.5% of all philanthropic funds are allocated to crucial issues of gender and reproductive rights. The devastating effects of this shortfall are seen and read about in the press daily, and yet, we fail to make the connection between this reality and the need to prioritize this matter that affects the entire population. Reproductive justice is a matter of rights, not morality, and it should be viewed through that lens because its absence affects people of all races, genders, and social classes,” said Zulnette García, spokesperson for the Fundación.
In its first year, the Reproductive Justice Fund awarded grants to six organizations, including Alianza de Mujeres Viequenses, Mujeres de Islas, Nuestra Escuela, Caderamen, Aborto Libre, and Wet Justice.
“The initial results of the FJR are wonderful, but they also reveal that there is still much work to be done. There is very little awareness of the resources needed to ensure the right to access information; it is crucial that people know the guarantees provided by the State on sexual and reproductive health issues, their reproductive and gender rights. Our organization issues an urgent call to foundations, individual donors, and other organizations to support the work of organizations promoting reproductive justice in Puerto Rico and to direct their funds towards defending the rights of all people,” García added. “We want to create more safe and inclusive spaces where participants can clarify their doubts on the subject in a judgment-free environment.”
The organizations that applied to the fund were tasked with developing educational strategies outside social media that reached the heart of communities. “We also value the efforts of projects aimed at youth and their caregivers, as Wet Justice did,” she concluded.
In this first phase of the program, educational activities were held in Adjuntas (Centro Paz para Ti), Luquillo (Alacena Feminista), and Río Piedras (Catholic women). Participants included people from rural communities, diverse genders, Afro-descendants, Catholics, youth, and adults. Modules aimed at adolescents/youth included: human rights, sexuality and sexual diversity; puberty and adolescence; self-esteem and body image; sexual consent; grooming and inappropriate relationships; pornography (a topic included at the request of mothers); sexual and reproductive rights of minors in Puerto Rico, among other topics. Meanwhile, Wet Justice conducted twelve workshops in rural areas, the metropolitan area, and the island municipality of Vieques. The module/workshop was aimed at caregivers.
Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico (FMnPR) works for social transformation by supporting organizations led by women and non-binary people that promote the integral well-being of women and their communities.
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Press contact:
Ada Torres Toro
torrestoroada@gmail.com
787-368-8484
FMnPR contact:
Zulnette García (787) 408-1066
Marta Elsa Fernández (787) 221-4593
