West Fund and Frontera Fund are coming together to stand with the people of Palestine, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. We acknowledge that our joint statement might appear delayed to some. Since October 7th, we’ve collectively been pinpointing covert zionism within our movement, our partners, and our funders. In alignment with Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction we decided to begin to do research on how we can divest from Zionism as border funds. Additionally, we have been educating ourselves about what is happening in DRC and Sudan, and have been exploring ways to take action. We felt it was important for us to take sufficient time to clearly and thoughtfully articulate our collective stance. Furthermore, there is no time limit for being in solidarity with and advocating for Palestinian, Congolese, and Sudanese liberation. We not only call for a permanent ceasefire, but a complete end to the Israeli occupation and any US imperialist and capitalist intervention in DRC and Sudan. This is an ongoing responsibility for everyone, as there are no bystanders in a genocide.
In this letter, West Fund and Frontera Fund will address the ongoing crimes committed by “Israel”, the connection between the atrocities people are facing in Palestine with other genocides taking place in the Congo, Sudan, and other neo-colonial projects around the world. We want to emphasize how these events contribute to the broader struggle for reproductive justice for all people.
The history of apartheid in Israel has been well-documented long before the event that took place on October 7th. For the 75 years following the 1948 Nakba, Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank have endured numerous human rights violations at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), including lethal and non-lethal assaults, home demolitions for illegal Israeli settlements, and restricted access to clean water. Other serious rights violations have been reported including:
- Arbitrary detentions and imprisonments of Palestinians without justification
- Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse by IOF soldiers within Israeli prisons
- The retention of Palestinians’ bodies until the completion of their sentence
- Environmental destruction, such as burning down olive trees, deliberate flooding of Gaza with sea water, and damaging land and resources to further displace Palestinians
Additionally, Israel’s treatment of African immigrants, particularly Ethiopian Jews, highlights Israel’s history of blatant racism. Ethiopian Jews were not allowed to immigrate to Israel until 1975 and since that time they have faced anti-blackness, police brutality, and forced sterilization.
Reproductive Justice and Healthcare
The perpetuation of sexual violence and reproductive oppressions by states and colonial settlers, including the US, Israel, and other Western powers, has significantly impacted Black and Indegionous communities in the US, Latin America, Africa, and other regions. Israel is guilty of enacting this violence in these ways:
- A reported 300% increase in miscarriages since Oct. 7th
- Increased infections risks for menstruating individuals due to blockades limiting access to sanitary supplies and clean water
- Restricting Palestinians from seeking reproductive healthcare by having over 700 road obstacles — including 140 checkpoints for Palestinians living in the West Bank
- Forcibly sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish people
- Making Palestinians wait long periods of time to cross checkpoints, leading to instances of Palestinians experience childbirth in these settings
- Restricting Palestinians access to general healthcare, causing a higher infant mortality rate
- Separating families through false/arbitrary imprisonment
This systemic deprivation of reproductive autonomy is a tactic used not only for controlling a particular population, it is a colonial tactic that is often used in addition to sexual violence during times of war. This can be seen in the current conflicts taking place in the Congo and in Sudan. The level of reproductive oppression and violence that we are seeing can only be named one thing, genocide.
The Genocide in Congo is a Reproductive Justice issue:
The increasing global dependence on cobalt has led to the exploitation of Congolese people, who are subjected to slave-like conditions and extreme violence based on these working conditions. M23’s ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), driven by resource acquisition, has resulted in widespread displacement of the Congolese population. As this systemic mass displacement continues, there has been a dramatic increase in reports of sexual violence and severely restricted access to maternal and newborn health services.
This crisis is compounded by the DRC’s long-standing limitations in access to safe abortion care. The lack of access has led to high rates of unsafe abortion procedures and contributes to the DRC’s high maternal mortality rate. People who have experienced sexual violence, sex trafficking, or assault do not have access to psychological support, legal assistance, or socio-economic aid.
The Genocide in Sudan is a Reproductive Justice issue:
The former president of Sudan was overthrown by a military coup in 2019. The military worked with civilian leadership for a short time before completing another military coup in 2021. The US engaged with the new government, led by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The civil war between the SAF and another military faction the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has ravaged Sudan as they each vie for control of the country. During this war, hospitals (including maternity hospitals and other healthcare facilities) have been attacked. As a result, medical supplies which include items necessary to address pregnancy complications are scarce. There have also been reports from the Sudanese ethnic group Masalit tribe describing facing ethnically targeted attacks by the RSF. Women who have survived sexual violence from members of the warring factions are subsequently seeking abortions as well. The process of seeking abortion care is made even more difficult due to the lack of accessibility.
Why These Events are Relevant to Us:
Reproductive Justice is defined (by SisterSong) as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” When we look at the conditions of the people in Palestine, the Congo, and Sudan, it is clear that the people of these nations have been stripped of that right. How can any people living through war and neo-colonialism maintain bodily autonomy? How can they raise children? Whether that be referring to the material means of raising a child which have been taken from them, or even just the hope of seeing your child grow up which is impossible when children are being stolen away and murdered on a daily basis. These events and the plight of colonized people are definitively reproductive justice issues and we should care, not simply because we as humans should have basic empathy, but because these acts of oppression can and do happen to us here in the US as well.
There are multiple documented historical accounts of institutionally forced sterilization within the United States in rural and low income communities, indigenous communities, and in its occupied territories (i.e. Puerto Rico). Regionally, we experience this as people living in the state of Texas and as people living in border communities. Our borders continue to restrict abortion access by increasing mass surveillance, racial profiling, and hyper militarization by placing Border Patrol Checkpoints 100 miles north of ports of entry from Brownsville to El Paso, Texas.
The US plays a significant role in creating the conditions and supplying the means for oppressive regimes the world over and these crimes are funded with our tax dollars WITHOUT our consent. This is precisely why we, as figures in our national reproductive justice movement, must call attention to these issues. This movement does not have space for genocide apologists under the guise of reproductive access. It is up to all of us to protect the work and dignity of the reproductive justice framework, the way it was intended.
West Fund, as well as other abortion funds across the United States, has signed on in support of the public statement made by ARC Southeast about Palestine. We encourage other organizations to sign on this letter (linked below) in addition to crafting your own statements and supporting local actions in your area. You can read ARC Southeast’s statement here:
https://arc-southeast.org/2023/10/24/rj-includes-palestine/
What You Can Do to Support:
- Following Connecting Humanity (@connectinghumanity_) on Instagram for an in depth guide on how to provide E-Sims to Palestinians, Pious Projects (@piousprojects) to support with monetary aid to Gaza as well as food baskets to Yemen, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (@thepcrf) who provides medical relief to children in the Middle East, as well as Gaza relief efforts.
- We encourage folks who are also on X (Twitter) to look into @CareForGaza and donate.
- Following Decolonize Palestine (@decolonizepalestine) for infographics about Palestinian resistance, life and history prior to Oct. 7th. You can also visit their website at decolonizingpalestine.com
- Following Within Our Lifetime (@wolpalestine) for updates on Palestine and Yemen
- Continue to share posts highlighting what is happening in Palestine, Sudan, and the Congo
- Attend local actions and participate in global calls to action as much as possible
- @wizard_bisan1 announced a global strike for the week of an 21–28th, meaning no consumption during these dates, whether online or in person in order to disrupt the economy.
- Continue to follow and listen to BDS, updated always on their website
- Bdnaash.com is a platform anyone can access that promotes conscientious consumption, where you can scan products and ensure that your money is not being spent on companies supporting genocide. Android phone users can also download the app “No Thanks”
- Following Nas Al Sudan (@nasalsudan), Sudanese Diaspora Network (sdn.world), @bsonblast, Bayadir (@yourbaya) for infographics on what is happening in Sudan and ways to take action
- Following Friends of the Congo (@congofriends) and Panzi Hospital Foundation (@panzifoundation) for infographics on what is happening in the Congo and ways to take action
- Learn more about what is happening in Palestine, Sudan, and the Congo. Here are places to start:
Palestine Links:
https://jezebel.com/miscarriages-in-gaza-have-increased-300-under-israeli-1851168680
https://arc-southeast.org/2023/10/24/rj-includes-palestine/
Congo Links:
https://www.prb.org/resources/expanding-access-to-safe-abortion-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo/
https://www.ipas.org/where-we-work/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/
Sudan Links:
https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/5/15/23720234/sudan-crisis-war-us-diplomacy
