2SLGBTQIA+

Advocating for reproductive justice for all

Experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in abortion care.

MSW student Emma enjoys the outdoors with her two dogs.
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes
MSW student Emma enjoys the outdoors with her dogs
MSW student Emma enjoys the outdoors with her dogs
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes

Emma Cowman is helping change how abortion care is understood on the Prairies by focusing on the voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in her research. A graduate student in the Master of Social Work (MSW) foundational program, Emma’s research focuses on reproductive justice and the barriers queer and trans people face when trying to access abortion care in Manitoba. Emma, recipient of the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award, shares more about her research and vision for the future.

Growing up across Treaty 4 and 7 territories in Regina, Saskatchewan and Calgary, Alberta, Emma (she/they) built a life anchored in community, curiosity, and care. With an honours degree in Psychology and a BA in Women's & Gender Studies from the University of Regina, she deepened her understanding of how systems shape people’s lives, particularly in relation to gender, sexuality, and health.

Emma moved to Winnipeg for the University of Manitoba’s MSW program, completing foundational and advanced coursework before returning to Saskatchewan to do her research virtually. Along the way, relationships with classmates, instructors, and an advisor became essential sources of mentorship, collaboration, and encouragement, helping Emma refine their thesis and voice as a researcher.

I am deeply interested in reproductive justice research, specifically relating to the topics of abortion, reproductive coercion, and 2SLGBTQIA+ reproduction.

Working with assistant professor Dr. Lindsay Larios on her project, Abortion in Manitoba: An intersectional analysis of care, Emma spent nearly two years listening to Manitobans share their abortion stories. Among those narratives, accounts from queer and trans participants resonated deeply, revealing experiences that were often absent from mainstream research and public conversations about abortion.

Knowledge from shared stories became the foundation for Emma’s thesis, which challenges the assumption that only cisgender, heterosexual women become pregnant or need abortion care (an assumption that continues to shape policy, practice, and research). By documenting how queer and trans people navigate abortion services—where they feel affirmed, where they feel invisible, and where they encounter barriers—Emma aims to help create abortion care spaces that are inclusive, gender-affirming, and responsive to all who need them.

I want to challenge the assumption that only cisgender, heterosexual women need abortion care, and advocate for spaces that are truly inclusive and affirming.
Reproductive justice

A movement led by Black, Indigenous, and other women and gender-diverse people of colour, expands beyond legal access to abortion to include the right to have children, not have children, and to parent in safe, supported communities.

Emma hopes her thesis and future projects will spark conversations, influence policy, and help reshape healthcare practices in ways that fully reflect reproductive justice principles. More than anything, she wants to contribute to communities in the Prairies where everyone—regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation—can make decisions about their bodies, families, and futures free from stigma, coercion, and systemic barriers.

For Emma, the MSW program has been as much about people as it has been about theory. She encourages new MSW students to invest in relationships—with peers, instructors, and advisors—as a core part of learning. Study groups became spaces to unpack difficult concepts, while hallway conversations and Zoom calls turned into sounding boards for thesis ideas and shared strategies for navigating her studies. 

"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!"

Emma's vision for the future is to stay in the Canadian prairies and keep showing up as a reproductive justice advocate and researcher for her communities. She plans to continue to pursue a doctorate so she can keep learning, growing, and exploring new ways to encourage change. 

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.

Interested in connecting with Emma about her research? Contact Emma at emma.cowman@umanitoba.ca.