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HBO's The Janes, slated for release on June 8, will narrate the untold story of Jane Collective, a group of women who selflessly risked their lives, careers, and everything at hand.
These women fought to provide safe and affordable abortions to women in the 1970s Chicago, way before the US Supreme Court's landmark decision to instate Roe v. Wade.
The Janes conducted free of cost and inexpensive abortions to approximately 11,000 women during the pre-Roe period. When abortion, even spreading abortion-related information, was illegal and considered a felony in most states, this underground network of women activists came forward to work under the noses of the Illinois state authorities to strike a revolutionary movement that is still fuming in the streets of America.
Based on Jane Collective, HBO's upcoming timely documentary, The Janes, will offer first-hand accounts from several activists and interviews with women who received assistance at the hands of these saviors. Taking a historical look at the initiative, the timely documentary The Janes is set to hit the small screen on June 8, 2022, while the nation waits for the Supreme Court's official decision to overturn Roe.
What is the Jane Collective?
The Jane Collective, an underground network of women activists in the late 1960s and early 1970s Chicago, labored relentlessly to offer safe and inexpensive (at times even free of cost) abortions before Roe v. Wade was brought into motion. Before being detained for their exceptional services, especially for women with unwanted pregnancies, it was revealed that they had successfully assisted over 11,000 women in getting abortions.
Reports state that the Jane Collective advertised its services by publishing them in student and independent media. The ad would read, "Pregnant? Don't want to be? Call Jane," followed by a phone number. The group would arrange for abortion services from qualified physicians as they were a safer option than the mob, which was a common means for abortion back then.
Research proves that abortion-related deaths were far more significant in the 1960s than ever after Roe ensured legal abortion. According to reports, in 1963, 280 people died due to abortion, and in 1972, the same year that saw Roe getting instated, 35 people died as a result of illegal abortions. When Roe was adopted in 1973, there were 19 fatalities, with a consistent drop in the numbers to single digits or zero deaths every year.
More about HBO's The Janes
Several American activists, including Heather Booth, Judith Arcana, Marie Leaner, Diane Stevens, and Eleanor Oliver, will describe their involvement in the Jane Collective. Some will be speaking publicly on the matter for the first time.
The Janes will also include exclusive interviews with women who the Janes helped in 1970s and lawyers, doctors, and other experts who will talk about the historical period under consideration.
In an interview with WCNC Charlotte, Waxhaw resident and former member of the Jane Collective, Diane Stevens, described her experiences as part of something that holds great significance in American society today:
"We were ordinary people, clearly I was an ordinary woman. Not only would I be doing abortions, I would be facilitating women obtaining illegal abortions. They had to trust us to keep them safe and healthy and we in turn had to trust them that they legitimately wanted an abortion and that they weren’t going to turn us in."
She added:
"It's our hope that abortion will be ended in our country in our in our time."
Helmed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Tia Lessin and Emmy-nominated producer Emma Pildes, The Janes will debut at the Sundance Film Festival.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Lessin and Pildes spoke about their upcoming film, abortion rights, and the relevance of their work in today's society. The former said:
"One of the powers of this film is to show audiences from the eyes of people who experienced this first hand their lived experience of what this country looked like [before Roe]. What is the impact on individual lives when abortion access is not federally protected? Hopefully that moves the audience to action."
Pildes also spoke on the matter, saying:
"[We want people to see] lived experiences, human stories, reminders that these are people that are going to die, people that are going to be injured, people that are going to be alone and scared making these decisions and we can talk about policy and that's important obviously but it felt like this partisan country needed a reminder."
She added:
"We’re not valuing women’s lives anymore. We’re not even talking about women’s lives anymore. The majority of Americans believe in a woman’s right to choose and the policymakers and lawmakers and courts are not reflecting the majority and that's a problem of democracy. A big problem."
Premiered on Sundance Film Festival, it is now slated for release on HBO this Wednesday, June 8, at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Janes is ready to take us on this important, historic and illuminating journey.
