May 19, 2025

Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona Reaffirms Commitment to Abortion Access with Microgrants to Regional Support Organizations 

Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona Reaffirms Commitment to Abortion Access with Microgrants to Regional Support Organizations  TUCSON, AZ — The Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona (WFSA) proudly announces $5,000 in microgrants to bolster abortion access efforts in the state. Two leading grassroots organizations—the Tucson Abortion Support Collective, serving Southern Arizona, and the Abortion Fund of Arizona, serving the entire state—will each receive a $2,500 grant to continue their critical work in supporting individuals seeking abortion care. Abortion Funds are on-the-ground experts when it comes to understanding an abortion seeker’s experience with accessing abortion care in Arizona and across the country. Abortion Funds are critical infrastructure in the larger reproductive health ecosphere and deserve deep investment to ensure our communities can afford abortion care.  These funds come at a pivotal moment in Arizona’s reproductive healthcare landscape. In 2024, voters secured a constitutional right to abortion in the state, a stepping stone to protect abortion. However, abortion funds know that Prop 139 is still not enough. This proposition only: 
  • Protects the right to abortion before the viability limit. 
  • Has a carve-out for later abortion access in the event a person’s life or mental well-being is at risk; however, our state does not have abortion providers who can offer care in the third trimester. Due to a lack of providers in our state with this specific expertise, unfortunately, this carve-out is not applicable in Arizona.  
  • Prop 139 did not repeal the nearly 50 active restrictions and bans on abortion care in Arizona. Abortion seekers continue to face significant barriers, with the cost of abortion and clinic deserts (abortion clinics only available in Phoenix and Tucson) being the top barriers. Neither were addressed by Prop 139. 
“This constitutional protection represents a critical victory for reproductive freedom in Arizona,” said Katia Jones, Chief Executive Officer for WFSA. “But legal protection alone is not enough—our communities still face steep, systemic barriers to accessing abortion care.”  Despite constitutional safeguards, significant barriers to care remain in Arizona: 
  • Mandatory biased counseling and a 24-hour waiting period. 
  • Those seeking abortion care after 24 weeks must travel out of state and continue doing so monthly with the support of abortion funds. 
  • Prohibition of telemedicine and mailing for medication abortion. 
  • Restrictive regulations that limit abortion provision to physicians only. 
  • Medically unnecessary licensing requirements targeting abortion providers. 
  • Parental notification laws for minors. 
  • Lack of public and private insurance coverage for abortion services. On average, abortion funds are witnessing a nearly total cost of $1,000 per individual to cover their complete abortion procedure expense, plus any travel expenses to make it to their appointment, such as gas and hotel accommodations. Abortion funds are not receiving sufficient financial donations to meet the needs of Arizona communities seeking abortion care. 
“People seeking abortion care—particularly BIPOC folks, young people, and those living in rural and low-income communities—continue to face significant barriers to abortion access,” said Lauren Berring, Director of Programs for the Abortion Fund of Arizona and Pro-Choice Arizona. “Support like this from WFSA will help about 10% of the callers we pledge to in one month, helping us meet those barriers for folks.”   The fight for reproductive freedom is inextricably linked to racial, gender, and economic justice. In Arizona, systemic inequities and too many abortion restrictions and bans continue to create disproportionate barriers to abortion access for women of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQ+ communities. Economic disparities deepen these challenges: Latina women in Arizona earn just 55 cents, and Black women earn 63 cents, for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men—limiting their ability to afford necessary healthcare. Furthermore, 13.7% of women of reproductive age in the state are uninsured, exceeding the national average and highlighting significant gaps in healthcare access. These statistics underscore the critical need for targeted investment and policy change to ensure that all Arizonans have equitable access to reproductive healthcare.    In addition to the abortion access landscape, contraception access remains fragmented: 
  • Arizona has expanded contraceptive coverage through private insurers and allows pharmacists to prescribe self-administered hormonal contraceptives. 
  • However, Medicaid coverage for family planning services remains limited, and emergency contraception access is not fully expanded. 
  • The federal administration continues to cut crucial Title X funding, further reducing reproductive healthcare services in Arizona and across the country. 
  • An antiquated law sitting dormant on Arizona’s law books, and at risk of revival, prohibits advertising for contraceptives and abortion services. Elected officials must repeal this law to ensure we don’t experience a repeat of an 1864 territorial law enforced in 2025 and beyond. 
The Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona continues to advocate for equitable, comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Through these microgrants, WFSA stands with abortion funds and support collectives working to remove barriers and ensure that everyone in Arizona—regardless of income, ZIP code, or immigration status—can access the care they need.  To learn more about Arizona abortion funds, please visit www.abortionfundofaz.org and www.abortionintucson.org   

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