The Janes (2022), HBO
The Jane Collective: Women's Rights in Secrecy
Mission
The Janes were inspired by the anti-war movement and the subsequent nationwide lack of trust towards the government.
"I learned that sometimes you have to stand up to illegitimate authority. And sometimes there are unjust laws that need to be challenged."
Heather Booth, 2022, The Janes Documentary
Additionally, they were shut out of the movement by men who pushed women into helper roles, disregarding and undervaluing their intelligence.
The Janes (2022), HBO
"The message that women received was that they were less intelligent, less capable, less valuable than men. They weren’t the heroes."
Laura Kaplan, 1995, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Undergound Feminist Abortion Service
"Jane was a dangerous undertaking by a lot of smart women. Traveling under the radar of the Chicago Mafia and Chicago Police Department, that was the case where men’s underestimating women’s abilities worked very well for us."
Katie, Jane Member, 2022, The Janes Documentary
Ultimately, the Jane Collective’s fight to affirm women’s reproductive rights despite defying the law is a reflection of their feeling of necessity to deliver justice and liberation to women. In a society where their rights weren’t protected by law, the Janes couldn’t identify any solution other than to take them back through their own efforts of disobedience in supporting a woman’s right to choose.
"Women were at a total disadvantage when it came to our reproductive rights and our own medical rights and just our personal rights."
Eleanor Oliver, 2022, The Janes Documentary
"Being arrested was a minor worry compared with their overriding concern that women come out of their abortions physically and psychologically healthy. Although they talked about what it meant to be breaking the law, they weren’t bothered by the morality of breaking this one. “Why should we respect a law that disrespected women?” Jenny asks."
Laura Kaplan, 1995, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Undergound Feminist Service