Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund's 2022 Report to Funders

Abortion is currently illegal in Kentucky, with no exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomalies, lethal fetal anomalies or threats to a person’s health or well-being—an unthinkable extreme.

The Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund Founders are also the founders of EMW Women’s Surgical Center dedicated to reproductive health, (abortion, contraceptives, family planning and training the next generation of health care physicians),which has been in continuous operation for 41 years despite Governors, state legislators, extremists attempting to shutter our doors and daily unlawful harassment from anti-abortion protesters. Under these circumstances, we’ve held steady and continue to stand for women’s equality and their right to make complex, personal health care decisions.

For years, EMW has done the heavy yet crucial work of serving as plaintiffs in many cases challenging abortion restrictions in Kentucky. 

While we await a decision from the Kentucky Supreme Court on the trigger ban and a new 6 ban, women who need abortion care must travel out of state to exercise control over their own bodies. These restrictive laws are interfering beyond abortion, already limiting women’s access to IUD’s and raising legitimate concerns about the ability to get adequate prenatal, maternal, and birthing care. 

 The current bans are a violation of our rights to privacy, equal protections, self-determination and religious liberty.

We’ve had to turn away hundreds of patients and while we don’t know each person’s story, we know who’s impacted, because we have spent decades caring for people from all walks of life.

The Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund is a totally volunteer organization that has been working steadily to protect Reproductive Rights nationwide and are on the frontlines of where access is under threat. 

 In fiscal year 2022, the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund was proud to fund:

A statewide campus campaign to defeat amendment 2 on the November ballot, which would amend the Kentucky Constitution to ban abortion. We won, which allowed us to proceed to the Kentucky Supreme Court to continue fighting for the restoration of Kentuckians’ rights, freedom and equality. Stationed on 8 campuses, students voting no on Amendment 2 amassed a critical following in the state and educated young voters to become civically engaged. When young people are engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future. We need everyone to vote and galvanize public attention to pressure elected officials to restore abortion rights .

 Statewide newspaper placement of an open letter signed by 300 physicians calling on all Kentuckians' to defeat amendment 2.

 A 24-week fellowship at the Feminist Majority Foundation, National Clinic Access Project, powering and nurturing the future generations of reproductive rights advocates and leaders. The National Clinic Access Project leads efforts nationwide to reduce anti-abortion violence, to keep abortion care personnel and patients safe, to keep clinics open, and to bring violent anti-abortion extremists to justice. At the end of the fellowship, the fellow accepted a position with the organization.

Nationwide organizations that are seeing record numbers of people traveling from out of state to access the reproductive health care that they need.

Reversing the current setbacks will require sustained efforts. No matter what the courts decide, we will need to continue the work to protect and advance gender justice more broadly.

Some of our greatest challenges yet lie before us.

Thank you for being there with us as we continue to navigate an uncertain future.

Ona Marshall and Dr. Ernest Marshall

Founders, The Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund