Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE) is a national youth-led reproductive rights and justice non-profit organization in the United States based in Washington, D.C. that began as Choice USA in 1992. Choice USA changed its name to URGE in July 2014.

History and organization

URGE was founded in 1992 by activists

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem ( ; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social movement, social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

, Julie Burton, and Kristina Kiehl. The organization's first projects analyzed the activities of the religious right in elections and promoted electoral participation by women, young people, and people of color. URGE provides multiple ways for young people and students to get involved in their organization, including internships. The Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute (RJLI) is provided by URGE for students and young adults to become fully educated on the matters of activism. Through the training classes provided, students are able to ask questions and connect to the causes that they are passionate about. There are also URGE chapters on college campuses that allow students to be activists on their own campus. URGE currently has five chapters on college campuses throughout the state of Alabama. These campuses include: The University of Alabama, The University of Montevallo, Alabama State University, Troy University, and The University of Alabama at Birmingham. In recent years, the organization has focused its efforts on mobilizing people under 30, on and off college campuses, in support of abortion rights, comprehensive sex education, and access to sexual health and wellness services. Specifically, URGE has partnered with other organizations including with All* Above All to "proclaim abortion access as a public good" and overturn the

Hyde Amendment In U.S. politics, the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except to save the life of the woman, or if the pregnancy arises from incest or rape. Before the Hyde Amendment took effect in ...

, which excludes abortions from covered

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

services All* Above All's mission is to remove the bans that keep people from receiving coverage for their abortion care. They have multiple partner organizations that help them educate policymakers on the negative effects that the Hyde Amendment has not only on women in general, but specifically on women of color.

Activism

In 2004, URGE led the March for Women's Lives youth contingent, one of the biggest demonstrations in U.S. history. In 2005, URGE focused on defeating California Proposition 73, which would have amended the California Constitution to ban performance of abortions on minors until 48 hours after the minor's parent or guardian was notified by a physician. In 2006, URGE and the Latina Institute for Reproductive Health hosted the Young Women's Collaborative training, the first training for what would later become the Southwest Partnership, in Tucson, Arizona. The Latina Institute for Reproductive Health partners with multiple reproductive health organizations, including All* Above All, which is a mutual partnership with URGE. The Latina Institute for Reproductive Health focuses on the rights of Latinas and immigrants. In 2009,

GenderPAC GenderPAC (the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition) was an LGBT rights organization based in Washington, DC working to ensure that classrooms, communities, and workplaces were safe places for every person to learn, grow, and succeed, whether or not th ...

wound down operations and transferred its GenderYOUTH network and resources to Choice USA. In 2013, the "Bro-Choice" project was launched to involve men in the reproductive justice and anti-sexual assault movement. In 2015, to educate and organize young people, URGE launched an integrated voters engagement program. URGE was a co-sponsor of the

2017 Women's March The Women's March was an American protest on January 21, 2017, the day after the first inauguration of Donald Trump as the president of the United States. It was prompted by Trump's policy positions and rhetoric, which were and are seen as mi ...

. In 2020, URGE brought into the organization, giving themselves a better opportunity to help more students across America. stands for Campus Action for Reproductive Equity and its mission is to make the abortion pill more easily accessible at student health centers in public universities. In 2019, before joining URGE, partnered with local legal teams to help pas
California's Senate Bill 24
(SB 24). This bill made sure that all student health centers at public universities in California needed to provide the abortion pill for their students. After partnering with URGE, has access to make changes at more universities all over the United States.

References

External links

*
URGE Records [labeled as Choice USA records
/nowiki>">abeled as Choice USA records">URGE Records [labeled as Choice USA records
/nowiki>at the Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College {{DEFAULTSORT:URGE Abortion-rights organizations in the United States Organizations established in 1992 Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C. Feminism and health Feminism and the family

History and organization

Activism

See also

References

External links