MSW student Emma enjoys the outdoors with her dogs.
Graduate student Emma advocates for reproductive justice for all by exploring the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in abortion care
Meet Emma Cowman, a graduate student in the MSW foundational program. Her research focuses on reproductive justice and the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have accessed or tried to access to abortion care in Manitoba.
Emma Cowman, recipient of the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award, shares more about her research and vision for the future.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
My name is Emma Cowman (she/they) and I grew up in Treaty 4 & 7 territories, in Regina, Saskatchewan and Calgary, Alberta. I have a BA honours in Psychology, and a BA in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Regina, and I am a volunteer with the Regina Abortion Support Network, Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, and am a board member on Action Canada’s National Youth Advisory Board. Currently, I live in Regina, with my partner, cat, and two dogs.
I moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba’s foundational MSW program. I have since completed my coursework for the foundational and advanced years and returned home to Saskatchewan, where I have been conducting my research virtually. I am deeply interested in Reproductive Justice research, specifically relating to the topics of abortion, reproductive coercion, and 2SLGBTQIA+ reproduction.
What is your research about and why did you choose to focus on reproductive justice for 2SLGBTQIA+ people?
My MSW thesis uses the Reproductive Justice conceptual framework to explore the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have accessed or sought access to abortion care in Manitoba. My project has come out of Dr. Lindsay Larios’ project Abortion in Manitoba: An intersectional analysis of care, in which I have been working as a research assistant on this project for nearly two years. Throughout the data collection phase of the Abortion in Manitoba project, I had the honour to hear abortion stories from many Manitobans, including a few queer and trans Manitobans. Their stories stood out to me as a queer person as they spoke about the challenges they uniquely faced as non-heterosexual-cisgender people in abortion spaces. Abortion research tends to be focused on cisgender-heterosexual experiences, as there remains to be an underlying assumption that only cisgender-heterosexual women can become pregnant. Through my MSW thesis, I hope to not only challenge these normative assumptions, but also advocate for more inclusive and affirming abortion care spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ in Manitoba.
Do you have any advice for MSW students who are just starting their program?
My advice for MSW students who are just starting their program is to build relationships with their classmates, advisor, and instructors. I met some amazing friends and have had some amazing mentors throughout my time in the MSW program who have supported and cheered me on. From helping me understand class concepts to being a soundboard for my thesis ideas – these people have made my time in the program so meaningful, and I could not have come this far without them!
What is your vision for the future and what do you hope your research accomplishes?
My vision for the future is to stay in the Canadian prairies and keep showing up as a reproductive justice advocate and researcher for my communities. This fall, I’ll be submitting PhD applications so I can keep learning, growing, and exploring new ways to encourage change. I hope that this project, and the ones to come, can spark conversations, shift policies, and improve healthcare in ways that truly reflect the principles of reproductive justice. More than anything, I want my work to help create prairie communities where everyone can make decisions about their bodies, families, and futures free from stigma, coercion, and systemic barriers.
Emma’s project is still recruiting participants for interviews. If you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, have sought or accessed an abortion in Manitoba in the last five years (2020-2025), are 18 years or older, and are interested in participating, you can contact Emma via email at emma.cowman@umanitoba.ca.
Participation entails a 1-1.5-hour interview via Zoom, and all participants will receive a $40 honorarium as a thank you for participation.