Earlier this week, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell introduced Sapna Khatri as the Director of the newly-formed Reproductive Justice Unit as reported by the Attorney General's office. The Unit's mission is to enhance and defend reproductive rights, establish gender affirming care, rectify maternal health disparities, and counter misinformed narratives obstructing access to care.
Campbell highlighted the Unit's purpose in addressing the increase in threats to personal autonomy in her announcement, stating "We must counter the rising anti-science, extremist assaults on bodily autonomy with decisive action." Fervent in her commitment to reproductive justice and privacy, Khatri expressed her gratitude and underscored the Unit’s vital role within the nationwide battle for reproductive rights.
In light of the escalating disputes over reproductive health access following the Supreme Court's notable Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision in 2022. Some states have significantly restricted or completely prohibited abortion services since then as stated in the aforementioned press release. Together with the bans on gender affirming care and the criminalization of providers or parents supporting access to it, threats to reproductive rights are intensifying.
Working with members across various departments of the Attorney General's office, the Reproductive Justice Unit plans to advocate forcefully for reproductive rights and bolster policies enhancing comprehensive reproductive care access in Massachusetts. By partnering with community organizations, healthcare providers and legal experts, the Unit aims to build an effective support structure for those in need of reproductive rights assistance.
With the aim of supporting reproductive rights, AG Campbell, in collaboration with the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, the Women's Bar Foundation, and five law firms, launched the Abortion Legal Hotline. This service, which is both free and confidential, provides legal advice and resources related to abortion access and care for patients and healthcare providers in Massachusetts.
Prior to her new role, Khatri achieved considerable success in establishing UCLA's inaugural Reproductive Justice Externship Program and the nation's first Medical-Legal Partnership at a Planned Parenthood clinic per the AG's office. Her advocacy and policy background endows the Reproductive Justice Unit with invaluable expertise and experience.
The Reproductive Justice Unit's announcement coincidentally aligned with that of a $1.5 million maternal health grant program by AG Campbell, seeking to address maternal health disparities and promote culturally competent care across the Commonwealth earlier this year according to Office of the Attorney General.
