"We believe in empowerment. Our clients don't need anyone to make decisions for them, we walk alongside those we serve by providing them with the resources they are looking for to create their own successes. A variety of resources come together to eliminate barriers to the success of the communities we serve, including childcare, family planning, and reproductive healthcare."

—YWCA Spokane

Reproductive Freedom & Domestic Violence

Domestic violence limits many survivors' choices around childbearing and birth control

"In addition to manipulating birth control and contraceptives, abusive partners often attempt to control their partner's decision to have children. This pressure can come through a variety of methods, including physical violence or a threat of violence to force a partner to comply with their desires to continue or terminate the pregnancy. 

Having children with an abusive partner can put both the survivor and the children at an increased risk of violence. Even in childbirth, the rate of complications is higher, and according to the CDC, intimate partner violence is 'associated with unplanned pregnancy, preterm birth, low birth weight, and decreased gestational age.' Many survivors of domestic violence also face the real possibility of their abuser gaining custody of their children if they leave their partner, which happens in up to 50% of cases. 

While maternal mortality rates are high for a variety of reasons, intimate partner homicide is among the leading causes of death for pregnant women in the US."

NNEDV Responds to Leaked SCOTUS Opinion Overturning Roe v. Wade

"Overturning Roe would deny the bodily autonomy of millions, erode the right to privacy for all people, and further harm survivors in need. Removing this agency is unacceptable and such a decision would be particularly devastating for low-income survivors, survivors of color, survivors with disabilities, and others who already face substantial barriers to accessing the healthcare they need."