Inspiring South Asian American Women – ISAAW (“ISAAW”) will host a groundbreaking panel of experts at the Eagleton Institute of Politics to discuss reproductive rights in the United States, and recent changes to these rights, and their impact on South Asian women. From controversial laws passed by state legislatures affecting access to contraception and legal access to abortion to the implementation of the Title X gag rule, the state of reproductive rights is in flux. By gathering this panel, ISAAW seeks to better understand the climate around reproductive rights in the U.S., and explore and highlight the specific impact of these rights on women in South Asian communities, with their distinctive cultural and demographic concerns, here in New Jersey.

The panel discussion will take place Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6:30pm at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Woodlawn campus. The panelists are Vinita Jethwani, the first South Asian American woman Board member of Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern NJ and a Director of Research Administration at the renowned sexual and reproductive health research and policy think tank, Guttmacher Institute; Navneet Bhalla, the Executive Director of Manavi, the first organization in the United States to specifically address the unmet needs of South Asian women affected by violence; and Dr. Hetal Gor, a prominent gynecologist and reproductive rights activist.
“We are excited to advance the dialogue around reproductive rights, and understand the political impact on our communities,” said Suchitra Kamath, the Executive Director and President of ISAAW. “This panel is one of many panels ISAAW will roll out this year. By doing so, we hope to provide a platform of policy resources and inspire women in our communities to become more civically engaged. A greater number of diverse voices can only benefit democracy.”

About ISAAW:
ISAAW was founded in 2017 to create a platform for South Asian American women interested in greater civic engagement. Driven by a single mission – to empower South Asian American women to affect change in their communities – ISAAW strives to promote awareness of issues impacting South Asian American women, increase their involvement in public service, and help with voter registration efforts.