At the Center for Reproductive Rights, we're fighting to protect and advance reproductive freedom worldwide. From confronting restrictive abortion policies to championing equity on the global stage, we are dedicated to creating a future where everyone has access to the health care they deserve. Here's a snapshot of our most recent efforts:

Global

The Case of Celia Ramos: Seeking Justice for Women Forcibly Sterilized in Peru

In the 1990s, thousands of women in Peru—mostly Indigenous, rural, and low-income—were forcibly sterilized under a government policy implemented under former President Alberto Fujimori.

Among them was 34-year-old Celia Ramos, who died in 1997 after undergoing a surgical sterilization she had not validly consented to. This month, the Center for Reproductive Rights and partners Study for the Defense of Women's Rights (DEMUS) and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), argued Celia's case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), marking the first time the Court will hear a case on Peru's forced sterilization policy.

The Center asked the Court to recognize forced sterilization as a form of reproductive and gender-based violence, and to establish reparations for victims like Celia. The case also seeks concrete measures to ensure this abuse never happens again, such as strengthened consent protections in reproductive health care.

"Forced sterilizations were acts of power—and of violence—against the most vulnerable women in Peru," said Catalina Martínez Coral, the Center's Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Celia Ramos's case presents the Court with the opportunity to set clear standards for States to follow in finally addressing Peru's history of forced sterilization and reproductive violence."

🔗Learn about Celia Ramos' case

United States

Three U.S. Wins You Helped Make Happen

Michigan: Court Strikes Down Harmful Restrictions

A Michigan court struck down three abortion restrictions, ruling that they violate the state's voter-approved constitutional amendment safeguarding abortion rights. The Center brought this case on behalf of Northland Family Planning Centers and Medical Students for Choice, challenging laws that mandated biased "counseling," required patients to wait 24 hours before accessing abortion care, and prohibited qualified clinicians from providing care. Judge Sima Patel agreed that these laws were unconstitutional and rejected the state's argument that they were necessary for patient safety. This is a huge win for evidence-based, patient-centered care.

Vermont: A Shield Law Breakthrough

In May, Vermont passed VT S.28, a strong expansion of abortion care privacy and shield protections for providers. The Center helped draft and advocate for this bill in collaboration with local providers. The law updates telemedicine policy to allow asynchronous patient-provider relationships and allows prescribers' and pharmacists' names, initials, and facility info to be removed from pill bottle labels. This means Vermont providers can now prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients in non-access states without compromising their privacy. The law is already in effect, offering immediate safeguards for providers and the people they serve.

Colorado: Expanded Coverage and Shield Protections

Colorado enacted two powerful new reproductive rights laws—a massive win for abortion access and provider protection. One law cements that, starting January 1, 2026, Medicaid enrollees and public employees will have the full cost of abortion care covered for the first time in forty years. This is huge news, especially for low-income Coloradans who’ve long been forced to pay out of pocket for essential care. The second law, which takes effect immediately, strengthens Colorado’s telehealth shield protections in two critical ways: it allows providers’ names to be removed from pill bottle labels mailed to patients in hostile states, and it bars private entities like hospitals from sharing information or cooperating with out-of-state investigations.

🔗Click through our After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws by State tool

Threat to the FACE Act Amid Rising Clinic Violence

Anti-abortion members of Congress are working to dismantle a critical protection for reproductive health care providers and patients: the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). This federal law prohibits the use of force, threats, and physical obstruction against individuals seeking or providing reproductive health services—including abortion and fertility care.

On May 17, just days before the House Judiciary Committee took up the bill, a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, was bombed—an alarming reminder of the threats providers face every day.

🔗 Urge your representative to vote NO on the FACE Act repeal

"The history of violence against reproductive health centers is why clinics need protections and patients must feel safe. That's why Congress passed the FACE Act over 30 years ago and why it needs to be strengthened and enforced, not repealed as some in Congress are pushing for."

—Nancy Northup, President & CEO
 

Front Lines is dedicated to keeping you informed about the global fight for reproductive rights. We value your thoughts—let us know what you think! 🌍💬