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As the title depicts and as you have read, the narratives that live within these pages are as vast and beautiful as the sky. Reflecting the many colors and tones it takes throughout the day and seasons. The sky is reflective of the environment, just as these narratives are reflective of the current state of reproductive health in Oklahoma. These stories shared are bound with joy, pain, love, and tears. We hope that you understand the immense honor and privilege it is to read and take part in these lived experiences.
As you sit and reflect on the words shared by women across the state, thank them for sharing their stories. You do not have to know their names to be thankful for their courage. These narratives are not mere ‘stories’, they are lived experiences. Our hope is that as you read through the narratives you learned something from the stories and the people to whom they belong. Remembering that these are not singular experiences, although unique, many women are facing a variation of the experiences shared. We hope that you come away with a new perspective about women and AFAB people in Oklahoma and their experiences pertaining to their health, as well as the countless obstacles they have to overcome. It is crucial to read these narratives through an intersectional lens as no one woman’s experience is like another because no one woman is identical to the next.
This report is but a snapshot of women’s health experiences in Oklahoma. Though we covered six experiences, it is in no way exhaustive of the plethora of experiences women face in terms of their health. We hope that your engagement with this topic does not end here. In fact, we hope this is the beginning of your journey. Let this report serve as inspiration and a call to action to join the fight for women’s health. Do it for you, for your loved ones, for the women in your communities, and frankly because those who are historically excluded deserve it.
For those of you who found some of your own experiences reflected in the narratives, you are not alone. For those of you who read these stories and were shocked, keep engaging with material that challenges the confines of what you know. You will find that most women have a story lined with discrimination, gaslighting, cruelty, or mistreatment in regards to healthcare in America.
These narratives shed light on the faults that exist within the healthcare system in Oklahoma. Women’s issues are not only for women. These issues permeate into our families, our communities, and our state. The faults within our healthcare system affect us all.
As we move forward, we think, what comes next? Well, the women gave us concrete next steps, actions to take, and policy innovation for advocating. Throughout the interviews, our storytellers shared the dreams they had, specifically, their dream policy proposals. These recommendations came as a direct result of their lived experiences. The participants were vulnerable, they were honest, they were real about what they needed to help them and other women who are facing these issues. Women are speaking up; we are telling you what we need, and now we just need someone to listen and work with us to champion our ideas, and take our experiences seriously. We need to create a more just and equitable healthcare system, not only for women, but for everyone.
Policy innovations need to include the voices of those who are being most affected by the current policies in place. There is no dataset, no statistics that can shed light on the issues women face as much as a personal narrative. The intimacy of a story is something that is left lacking with quantitative data. Qualitative data is still data, and we need more of it. Women are the experts when it comes to their bodies and their healthcare experiences. Listen to them. Commit to being a part of a system that cares for all of us.
As the title depicts and as you have read, the narratives that live within these pages are as vast and beautiful as the sky. Reflecting the many colors and tones it takes throughout the day and seasons. The sky is reflective of the environment, just as these narratives are reflective of the current state of reproductive health in Oklahoma. These stories shared are bound with joy, pain, love, and tears. We hope that you understand the immense honor and privilege it is to read and take part in these lived experiences.
As you sit and reflect on the words shared by women across the state, thank them for sharing their stories. You do not have to know their names to be thankful for their courage. These narratives are not mere ‘stories’, they are lived experiences. Our hope is that as you read through the narratives you learned something from the stories and the people to whom they belong. Remembering that these are not singular experiences, although unique, many women are facing a variation of the experiences shared. We hope that you come away with a new perspective about women and AFAB people in Oklahoma and their experiences pertaining to their health, as well as the countless obstacles they have to overcome. It is crucial to read these narratives through an intersectional lens as no one woman’s experience is like another because no one woman is identical to the next.
This report is but a snapshot of women’s health experiences in Oklahoma. Though we covered six experiences, it is in no way exhaustive of the plethora of experiences women face in terms of their health. We hope that your engagement with this topic does not end here. In fact, we hope this is the beginning of your journey. Let this report serve as inspiration and a call to action to join the fight for women’s health. Do it for you, for your loved ones, for the women in your communities, and frankly because those who are historically excluded deserve it.
For those of you who found some of your own experiences reflected in the narratives, you are not alone. For those of you who read these stories and were shocked, keep engaging with material that challenges the confines of what you know. You will find that most women have a story lined with discrimination, gaslighting, cruelty, or mistreatment in regards to healthcare in America.
These narratives shed light on the faults that exist within the healthcare system in Oklahoma. Women’s issues are not only for women. These issues permeate into our families, our communities, and our state. The faults within our healthcare system affect us all.
As we move forward, we think, what comes next? Well, the women gave us concrete next steps, actions to take, and policy innovation for advocating. Throughout the interviews, our storytellers shared the dreams they had, specifically, their dream policy proposals. These recommendations came as a direct result of their lived experiences. The participants were vulnerable, they were honest, they were real about what they needed to help them and other women who are facing these issues. Women are speaking up; we are telling you what we need, and now we just need someone to listen and work with us to champion our ideas, and take our experiences seriously. We need to create a more just and equitable healthcare system, not only for women, but for everyone.
Policy innovations need to include the voices of those who are being most affected by the current policies in place. There is no dataset, no statistics that can shed light on the issues women face as much as a personal narrative. The intimacy of a story is something that is left lacking with quantitative data. Qualitative data is still data, and we need more of it. Women are the experts when it comes to their bodies and their healthcare experiences. Listen to them. Commit to being a part of a system that cares for all of us.
