The Abortion Conversation Project announced five successful grants totally $4,000 in its second round of mini-grants. “We are interested in supporting small grassroots endeavors that start meaningful conversations about abortion,” states Peg Johnston, board member. The grants are in keeping with ACP’s mission “to challenge the polarization that characterizes abortion conversation, lessen the stigmatization of abortion, and promote speaking and listening with empathy, dignity, and resilience about even the most difficult aspects of abortion.”
Two projects are awarded to doula groups and two are going to international projects for the first time.
- The Seattle Full Spectrum Doulas were awarded an early grant so they could start Circle of Stories, an abortion support group with a writing and arts component.
- The Chicago Doula Circle aims to train volunteers to provide support to abortion patients at Stroger Hospital in Cook County. Doulas have traditionally provided lay support to women in childbirth, but in recent years some doula groups have also offered women support through an abortion experience.
- With their grant, Education for Choice in the UK will offer information on abortion, pregnancy, and sexual health, using social networks, such as Tumblr.
- Abortion, According to Me, will collect interviews from fifteen Indian women about how abortion is viewed in their communities, and the complex nature of their choices. Abortion is legal in India, but only 40% of the abortions are safe.
- Another grant goes to Emerge, a successful post abortion support group, to enable them to document their curriculum and process so that others can replicate its results.
Previous grantees include Plants for Patients, a community production of The Abortion Dialogues in Concord NH, Georgia Reproductive Justice Action Network (GRJAN) outreach and training, Inspire, an online support group. In addition to the mini-grants, the board of the Abortion Conversation Project have offered advice and resources to grassroots groups.