Historical Context of the Jane Collective

The Jane Collective emerged in the late 1960s in Chicago amidst a landscape of restrictive abortion laws and systemic medical abuse. Women seeking abortions often faced dangerous and degrading conditions, including the risk of being assaulted or receiving substandard medical care. Confronted with the question of how to provide safe abortions, members of the collective sought to empower themselves and other women through education and self-sufficiency. This grassroots initiative highlighted a pivotal moment where women began taking control over their reproductive rights outside of traditional medical systems.