Scores of celebrities and public figures from Meghan Markle to Nicola Sturgeon have described their personal experiences of miscarriage over the years, repeatedly bringing the issue into the public consciousness.
However, a new paper by feminist philosopher Dr Victoria Browne of Loughborough University argues that attention needs to move on from simply ‘raising awareness’ to radically overhauling the care infrastructure which supports those affected.
Dr Browne claims that miscarriage advocacy must also be connected to broader struggles for universal healthcare, economic justice, and migrant rights.
For example, the group Docs Not Cops led an anti-racist campaign to eliminate NHS charging regulations that disproportionately affect migrant communities and restrict access to pregnancy-related services.
Dr Browne also says that current advocacy efforts to “break the silence” tend to over-emphasise individual storytelling, often spotlighting those with the most privilege.
She said: “Let’s rethink how we approach the stigma around miscarriage.
“Instead of just seeing it as a problem caused by social norms that can be solved by talking about it more or raising awareness, we should understand it as part of a larger system of inequality.
“To truly address the stigma, we need to focus on deeper, transformative changes in society, not just surface-level solutions.”
The paper, How to defeat miscarriage stigma: from ‘breaking the silence’ to Reproductive Justice, also says we should be wary of what it calls corporate ‘pink and blue washing’, where companies’ support for awareness-raising campaigns may be more about gaining positive PR than anything else.
Dr Browne calls for new research and activism that incorporates miscarriage within the wider movement for Reproductive Justice – a feminist framework developed in 1994 by Black women activists that combines reproductive rights and social justice.
She said: “It’s time to reframe these conversations.
“While personal stories of miscarriage are essential, their true power lies in fostering collective consciousness and social change, not simply in mutual recognition or emotional catharsis.
“In line with the principles of feminist consciousness-raising, storytelling should drive collective action toward a world where reproductive experiences are understood within a framework of justice and equity.
“The Reproductive Justice movement, coined by Black feminist scholars and activists, has long recognised the need for a broader framework to address reproductive oppression.
“As Loretta Ross noted, RJ is about building a politics that transforms the economic, social, and political realities that shape our lives, not merely recounting personal narratives.
“Following this tradition, this call to action seeks to connect miscarriage advocacy to the larger RJ movement by addressing structural inequalities, including racial, economic, and political disparities that disproportionately impact marginalised communities.”
