Abortion Forward (formerly Pro-Choice Ohio)

Abortion Forward envisions a future in which the dignity of every person is valued and stigma-free abortion is accessible without financial or political barriers. Abortion Forward mission: To expand and protect abortion access, we use the political process to champion policy changes, mobilize activists and voters, and endorse and support elected officials working to protect bodily autonomy.

Abortion Forward was founded in 1979 as a 501(c)(4) non-profit, pro-choice membership and lobbying organization.

Key Abortion Forward programs include:

• Monitoring and analyzing legislative activity from all levels of government relevant to the protection of reproductive choice. Abortion Forward is often the first to know about legislation that would interfere with the right to access reproductive health services, including family planning, sexuality education, and safe, legal abortion. Our staff provides technical assistance to legislators on key reproductive health issues and has provided written and verbal testimony to legislative committees.
• Informing our members and the public about laws, policies, and bills that affect reproductive rights. An informed electorate is crucial to the protection of choice. Abortion Forward provides timely updates, newsletters, and action alerts that keep Ohioans informed about activities at the state and federal government levels.
• Professional lobbying. Abortion Forward serves as your voice in Ohio’s political institutions. Our staff actively lobby to defeat anti-choice legislation and promote pro-choice legislation. Abortion Forward has also been instrumental in the introduction of legislation that promotes reproductive freedom, such as the bill to require insurance companies to cover contraceptives.
• Grass-roots organizing. Abortion Forward’s power is in its numbers. Through our organizing efforts, our members are involved in lobbying, elections, accountability sessions, and grass-roots communications with elected representatives. By continually building the collective voice of our membership, we increase our impact on state politics and gain pro-choice votes.
• Electoral activity. Abortion Forward’s efforts to mobilize voters will help elect dozens of pro-choice leaders to Congress and the state legislature. We recruit, train, and turn out the vote for pro-choice candidates.