The Janes helped over 11,000 women get illegal abortions in the 1970s.
Three years after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, these historic abortion rights activists are speaking out against what they call a tragic regression in the United States.
A lifetime fighting for reproductive rights
“I was devastated,” says Abby Pariser, 80, from her quiet home in Huntington, a suburb of New York. Like dozens of other now-retired women, she became involved in the abortion rights movement in the 1960s—long before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized it.
As students, mothers, or young professionals, they called themselves simply “Jane.” Their tools: an anonymous phone line, secret meetings, and a fierce determination to help women at all costs.
Before the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, abortion was illegal in almost every state. In Chicago, the Janes offered a humane and safer alternative to women in desperate situations.
“There was an entire hospital ward for women injured by illegal abortions,” recalls Laura Kaplan, 77, a former member and author of a book about the group. Some women died of sepsis; others were assaulted or mistreated by underground abortion providers.
Abortion access was expensive—up to $500—when rent cost just $150. Criminal networks and shady doctors profited. In response, the Janes negotiated with trustworthy physicians and, when no one else would, learned to perform abortions themselves.
In total, they helped over 11,000 women, often charging little or nothing. “Women paid what they could,” Kaplan recalls.
In May 1972, seven Janes, including Abby Pariser, were arrested in a police raid. “It was terrifying,” she says. “But what really shocked the officers was realizing we were all women.” Despite the fear and the risk of prison, the group continued, firmly believing in their cause.
The HBO documentary The Janes has revived interest in their story. With emotion, Sakinah Ahad Shannon, 77, a former patient turned activist, says, “It was unthinkable that this could come back—that we could lose this right.”
2022: A harsh step backwards
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, over 20 states have banned or severely restricted abortion. Thousands of women must travel to other states or turn again to unsafe methods.
Donald Trump, proud of appointing the justices behind the decision, is now targeting abortion pills.
“We were naïve,” admits Abby Pariser, pointing to the rise in extremism among anti-abortion activists. “These are people who shot and killed doctors in their clinics.”
Even with legal protections gone, the Janes remain hopeful. Today’s younger generations have more resources, stronger networks, and a deeper sense of the fight.
“Women are refusing to give up,” says Sakinah Ahad Shannon. “They’re saying no—just like we said no 50 years ago.”