The Center for Reproductive Rights is devoted to protecting and promoting women's reproductive health, autonomy, and dignity as basic human rights. This includes advocating for access to abortion, contraception, maternal health services, and more. In the past, women have experienced discrimination in the insurance market due to procedures related to pregnancy and childbirth, such as C-sections, as well as reproductive cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer. In order to address these issues, the Indiana Women's Commission (ICW) conducted a comprehensive research project called Mothers in Transition. The collective report served as a guide to mobilize stakeholders from all sectors to find positive, meaningful and lasting solutions to the challenges affecting the lives of women in Indiana.
The study revealed that less than one in four Americans believes they know notable women and their achievements well. In response to this, the Torchbearer Awards were created in 2004 by the ICW Board of Commissioners to honor the many accomplishments of Hoosier women. While there are several award programs, these awards are the only event of their kind where the state of Indiana recognizes and honors its greatest natural resource: Indiana women. The Working Women in Transition (WWIT) program was also established to provide women with the forum to discover resources and options that can transform their lives as they prepare for their next career. During a WWIT session, women learned about trends affecting them in the workforce and about the opportunities, programs, resources and services available to them. In addition, Governor Kim Reynolds (R) presented a proposal to allow women to obtain over-the-counter contraceptives without a prescription. This plan was modeled after a similar proposal in Oregon.
Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia permit women to order contraceptives online without a prescription and receive them by mail. The Center for Reproductive Rights also uses the power of law to promote reproductive rights as fundamental human rights around the world. To this end, they have organized conferences offering three full days of workshops on professional skills development, briefings on women's issues, and creative programming ideas. Guest speakers included a panel of prominent sports personalities in a debate on leadership through sports and Latifa Lyles, director of the Office for Women of the U. S.
Department of Labor. Organizations such as HWC Engineering Integrating Women Leaders LLC, IU Center of Excellence in Women's Health Krieg DeVault LLP, Mentoring Women's Network Moore Matters LLC, RAW Corporation United Consulting Women Like Us Foundation are also working towards improving women's rights in Indianapolis.
