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Holistic Well-Being & Reproductive Justice

We catalyze the conditions to ensure that women, girls, and gender-expansive people are well in every area of their being, with maternal and infant health, reproductive justice, and healing.

The Women’s Foundation combats structural racism and responds to community-specific needs with investments in support, healing, and restoration for women, girls, and families affected by generational and current trauma, violence, erasure, and harm.

Woman talking to a nurse

What the Data Shows

Economic Security Affects Health

According to the state Department of Health, Minnesota would have healthier babies, more productive workers, and better overall health if every employer provided paid family and sick leave.


Cost & Access Create Barriers to Care

Cost of health care is a greater barrier for African American and Latina women in Minnesota. 1 in 5 Black women and 1 in 3 Latina women in MN reported they could not see a doctor because of costs in the past year. Minnesota’s decline in rural obstetric services now outstrips the national average

Mental health care is not equitable across race. Women and girls of color and Native American women and girls are less likely than white women and girls to receive therapeutic treatment for a variety of reasons, including limited access, cultural norms, lack of sufficient healthcare professionals, and lack of culturally sensitive care approaches.

Nationally, through COVID-19, Latino/a adults were 60% more likely to report symptoms of depression than white adults during the pandemic and four times more likely to express suicidal thoughts/ideation than white or Black adults.


Dignity in Pregnancy & Childbirth

Native American birthing people in Minnesota are four times more likely and Black birthing people in Minnesota are 2.3 times more likely to die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes than white birthing people, and over 60% of these deaths are preventable.

Nearly half of all maternal deaths in the state occur in greater Minnesota.


Restricting Reproductive Rights Has Lifelong Consequences

Living a safe and healthy life in Minnesota includes reproductive justice, a critical right for women, girls, gender-expansive people, and their families. Comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion and contraception, improves the health, independence, and economic stability of women, gender-expansive people, and families.

Policy Advocacy for Systems Change: In 2021, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, supported by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. The new law addresses these issues by requiring hospitals to supply education on implicit biases and anti-racism training in hospitals with obstetric units and birth centers, as well as by improving the availability of doulas and midwives in underserved communities

“Give me time, give me patience, give me resources. Allow me to heal and understand what it feels like to be impacted and also creating impact.”

Khadra Fiqi, WFMN Innovator

Grantee-Partners Make an Impact

Our investments in the Healing Justice Foundation, founded by Dr. Joi Lewis,
fund a network of local Black, Indigenous, and people of color healers who support Black women and their communities experiencing compounding traumas with strategies for holistic well-being.

Dr. Joi spoke with Gloria Perez to address our collective need for truth, healing, and transformation.

Related Funds & Research

We strive to create strategic, innovative investments to increase and enhance services, prevention, policy, and education to improve safety and well-being.

Our Statewide Impact

Interactive Grants Map

Discover more about Women’s Foundation grantee-partners, statewide. Click on the icon in the upper right of the map to expand the legend and see other options for viewing. Use the drop-down menu in the legend to filter grantee-partners by fund, location, or impact area.

View a larger version of WFMN Grantee-Partner map created with eSpatial mapping software.

Explore Ways to Give

Your support fuels the innovative community-based, community-led work happening across the state. Explore our funding opportunities.