Abortion to Abolition

Dr. Martha Paynter has worked to advance abortion access in Canada for over twenty years. A writer, nurse and public scholar, she is recognized internationally for her expertise at the nexus of reproductive justice and prisoner health. She is an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Nursing, where her research addresses the health rights of people experiencing incarceration, as well as sexual and reproductive health care in Canada and around the world. She is the author of Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada (Fernwood, 2017) and has published extensively in national magazines (Chatelaine, Briarpatch) and scientific journals. Paynter is a keen advocate for increasing the influence of women and gender-diverse people in news media and participates regularly in interviews with national and international print, radio and TV press (CBC/Radio-Canada, Global, CTV). She values and fosters collaborations with community organizations and lived-experience experts in reproductive health and prison justice. Paynter is a recipient of the 150th anniversary medal from the Senate of Canada for her volunteer service to the country (2017) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal for service to the nursing profession (2025).Julia Hutt is a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist residing in Kjipuktuk. Inspired by her own experience with pregnancy, birthing and baby-raising, Julia works with both traditional and digital illustration to create anecdotal scenes that portray snapshots of early parenthood. Her work challenges the capitalist devaluation of child rearing and traditionally gendered work. She produces work with Wellness Within and Martha Paynter to raise awareness about reproductive justice in the Canadian prison system.

• : Bodily Autonomy (Heidi Rathjen, Justice Claire L’Heureux-Dube, Synthia Kavanaugh, Terri-Jean Bedford and Santina Rao): To Not Have Children (Emily Stowe, Dorothea Palmer, Chantal Daigle, Clinic 554, iamkarats) : To Have Children (Leilani Muir, Leia Picard (Swanberg), Kirsti Mathers McHenry): To Parent in Safety (Motherisk, Donna George Baby H, Fatuma Alyaan, Water Protectors): Parents in Prison (Emily Boyle, Renee Acoby, Lisa Whitford, Amanda Inglis, Julie Bilotta) : Conclusion (Martha Paynter)

“This critical reading offers insight into Canadian histories of reproductive health access and the manifold violence of Canada’s carceral system, while communicating the vital hope embedded in politics and action at the intersection of reproductive justice and abolition.”