The Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centres originated in Los Angeles, and subsequent member clinics opened throughout California, Tallahassee, Florida, Atlanta, and Georgia.
In 1990, Carol Downer, founder of the Los Angeles FWHC and leader in the women's health movement, responded to the controversy, "Most of the criticisms I've heard revolve around hierarchy...
[18] Feminist Women's Health Center has formally advocated for legal access to abortion and healthcare at the local and state level for more than 20 years.
FWHC engages a full-time lobbyist at the state Capitol, mobilizes community members for action alerts, coordinates advocacy days where volunteers can learn about the politics of reproductive justice and lobby their state legislators,[19] and educates on laws relevant to reproductive justice and legislative process, including voter engagement.
[21] In June 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of several reproductive justice advocates and abortion providers, including Feminist Women's Health Center.
[22][23] Although initially enjoined by Judge Steve C. Jones in July 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit allowed the law to take effect in June 2022 in light of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
[25][26] The protest was in response to a spate of legislation that would restrict Georgia women's access to reproductive health care, ranging from religious exemptions for birth control coverage to a twenty-week abortion ban.
[33][34] Using the community leadership model of promotores de salud from Latin American countries, the initiative offers open and safe spaces to discuss reproductive health and address specific needs and barriers.
[35] The Errin J. Vuley Fellows Program was launched in 2017 to support community leaders in building skills and knowledge through a reproductive justice framework.