Jordan Hatcher (she/her) has stayed quite busy since graduating with her BA in 2012! Jordan applied her International Studies major and Certificate in Gender and Woman’s Studies in service as a community health volunteer with the Peace Corps in both Senegal and South Africa on HIV, malaria, and maternal health projects. From there, Jordan spent several years in the Washington D.C. area completing her MPH at Johns Hopkins University and working with the United Nations Foundation Family Planning 2020 initiative where she coordinated stakeholders across government, civil society, and philanthropy to advance national family planning goals in 13 countries.
Currently, Jordan is based in Chicago and serves as the Program Director for Implementing Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!), a nonprofit organization working to de-silo, de-stigmatize, and normalize birth control as basic healthcare. ICAN! uses a systems change approach to ensure on-the-books policies translate to on-the-ground access so no matter where a person lives, who they love, or how much money they make, ensuring access to birth control, and STI and related care without financial barriers. Knowing that reproductive rights and access will face continued attacks in the years ahead, Jordan has prioritized strengthening her leadership skills to meet this moment and is currently an Obama Leader USA 24-25. The Obama Leaders USA program equips 100 U.S. based leaders to expand their impact through pluralism over polarization to help build a strong democratic culture and create lasting change for their communities. In Jordan’s free time, she can be found reading, cooking new vegetarian recipes, running (she finished her first marathon in Chicago in October and will be back this year!), and volunteering with the Chicago Abortion Fund as a Steering Committee Member of their Movement Building Cohort – a dedicated team of volunteers working to build power through political education, public programming and mutual aid, and fundraising for abortion.
How does Gender and Women’s Studies/LGBTQ+ studies matter in the day-to-day of your professional life?
Significantly! I was always drawn to women’s health courses so it’s no surprise I went on to pursue a career in public health that focused specifically on reproductive health access and equity. The theory of intersectionality that I learned during my Gender and Women’s Studies coursework also plays a meaningful role in my day-to-day and thinking about how I can bring a Reproductive Justice lens to my work. To me, Reproductive Justice means thinking about the overlapping systems of oppression that prevent people from being able to make decisions on their own bodies, families, and healthcare, especially people of color and those with fewer resources. In the context of contraceptive access this means asking questions like – Is someone’s preferred method of birth control available in a geographic area that allows them to access it? Can they afford it? Do they have paid time off of work to make it to that appointment? What about accessible transportation and childcare? Did their provider counsel them on all birth control options based on what’s important to that patient – or what’s important to the provider? Was the counseling provided in a language that was accessible to the patient? Is the provider really listening to what the patient says they need, including not using birth control at all? Maybe this is really a conversation on beginning or expanding their family, accessing abortion care, or being connected to infertility assistance. This means ensuring providers have been trained on identifying their own bias, understanding the history of reproductive coercion that’s taken place in this country and persists today, to viewing the patient in front of them as an expert and capable decision-maker on what’s best for them based on their unique life needs and circumstances.
Do you have advice for students who may share your interests and may want to pursue a similar graduate degree and/or career?
Take time to figure out what you like and what you don’t. When I was looking for a job, I knew the things that were most important to me were a mission-driven organization working to advance reproductive health, rights, and access; an environment that was nimble, supportive, and flexible; and a role that focused on the skills I felt best at – relationship building, problem solving, communication, and program management. I strongly encourage students to reach out to people working at organizations they’re interested in to learn more about folks day-to-day – this can be a really good way to help visualize what life in different roles can really look like and what skills you would use (or need to build!) as well as what the general environment and dynamic is like in different work/academic settings. This can also be really helpful for student’s considering a graduate degree. Talk to people who have the job you want in 5 years – did they need a graduate degree? If they have a graduate degree, what did they most/least value? Finally, remember nothing is permanent if you don’t want it to be and it is totally okay if you’re not sure what your interests are or what you want to do yet. I used my entire 20’s to get clear on what I liked and what I wanted. Every role I took on helped me get more clear on what I liked, what I was good at, what I valued, and what I hoped to minimize in my day-to-day (hi, biostats), to help me land on a role I really love today.
What do you remember fondly from the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies? Favorite class? Instructor?
I think I took every course that was offered by Dr. Araceli Alonso. I still have my women’s health and human rights course books in my home office and what I learned from her had a profound impact on my career trajectory and where I am today. Her teaching really opened my eyes to how we talk (or don’t talk!) about reproductive health and sexuality, the policing of women’s bodies, and how imperative women’s and girls’ autonomy to make decisions on their own bodies is to participate in society and their communities. The thing I most valued about her teaching was her empathy and humanity – I never felt like I was listening to a “lecture” as much as someone with a heartfelt commitment to and belief in gender equality and every person’s potential to be their own champion and advocate when connected with the needed resources.
What, if anything, do you wish you could tell your undergraduate self?
Soak it all in. Explore every opportunity you’re interested in. This moment will not last forever and there are sooo many opportunities available to you at an institution like UW – don’t miss out on every chance to learn, connect, explore, and grow!