Access to legal contraception and abortion was guaranteed as a fundamental right of American women in constitutional protections to privacy enunciated more than a quarter century ago. The ability to control and limit reproduction has made it possible for women to balance the obligations of public and private life, and, in turn, has facilitated the advancement of women's rights and opportunities. For this reason, reproductive rights are an important element of an open society.

In recent years, however, many efforts have been made to restrict access to contraception and sex education. And although the essential right to legal abortion has been preserved, it has been seriously compromised by the imposition of often disabling burdens, such as mandatory 24-hour waiting periods and parental consent requirements for minors. Only 15 states today provide publicly-funded abortions in all or most circumstances.

In response to these developments, and in support of the overriding individual and social value of reproductive autonomy for women, the Open Society Institute initiated the Program on Reproductive Health and Rights. The program's mission is to promote the development of policies and practices to protect women's comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare, including abortion, both in the United States and in the countries and regions where the Open Society Institute operates.