The Social Work Code of Ethics: Supporting Reproductive Justice for Women

The 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned reproductive, health, and abortion rights for women. Using the NASW Code of Ethics, a course assignment is offered for students to examine the professional, ethical commitment and responsibility of social workers to advocate for these rights and reproductive justice for women. Practical ideas for incorporating content examining ethics into coursework in higher education are examined. An advocacy practice and policy model is provided and examined for consideration and use for advocacy when promoting reproductive rights and justice for women. The course assignment centers on the work of Freire (1970), as students work in small groups to identify generative themes in relationship to the NASW Code of Ethics and reproductive and health rights and justice for women. Practical and useful follow-up considerations, assignments, and takeaways are offered for assessing student learning in relationship to the course assignment.