A taxpayer-subsidized university in New York City has established an exclusive fellowship for graduate students in public health with the abortion provider Planned Parenthood during the 2018-2019 school year.
According to a press release posted on Planned Parenthood’s official website, the Joan Malin Reproductive Justice Fellowship will support graduate students in public health at the City University of New York in developing their “theoretical knowledge and practical skills in applying a sexual and reproductive justice lens to address disparities in sexual and reproductive health in New York City.”
Students selected for the position will continue to take classes full-time at CUNY, but will also have the opportunity to learn from “sexual and reproductive justice (SRJ) scholars and activists” through the school’s connections with Planned Parenthood of New York City, or PPNYC.
Throughout the program, students will be responsible for completing a variety of task for Planned Parenthood, including “participating in the ongoing PPNYC SRJ work group to develop a set of guiding principles for integrating SRJ into the various kinds of work that PPNYC performs.”
While PPNYC is attempting to code their work associated with the position as being a type of social justice effort, previous efforts by organizations to promote “reproductive justice” have shown that the term is nothing more than a phrase for continuously promoting the acceptance and legality of abortion.
Though the position is only part-time, it provides several cushy benefits to students who are selected. In addition to being paid $35 per hour for 10 to 15 hours of work per week, students receive a full tuition waiver for two semesters, a benefit that is worth in excess of $10,000 per year for graduate students.
The educational fellowship was created in honor of Joan Malin, who recently retired as president and CEO of PPNYC after 17 years. During her tenure with PPNYC, Malin was known for having expanded the organization’s reach throughout New York City, as well as having expanded the organization’s influence within New York State politics.
