“The right to self-determination over one’s body is not a privilege reserved for a select few, but a core foundation of human dignity in a civilized society.” With this uncompromising belief, Scarlett Johansson has positioned herself at the center of one of the most polarizing human rights battles of the modern era. As reproductive healthcare access faces renewed threats, Johansson has transformed her celebrity into a protective shield for women who are most at risk of being silenced—those living in poverty.
For Johansson, gender equality is not an abstract ideal debated on red carpets. It is a tangible issue rooted in clinics, neighborhoods, and healthcare systems where millions of women rely on basic services to survive.
A Decade-Long Stand with Planned Parenthood
Johansson has been one of the most consistent and outspoken allies of Planned Parenthood for over a decade. Her advocacy is deeply personal. She has publicly shared that she relied on Planned Parenthood’s services as a young woman, emphasizing that the organization provides far more than politically weaponized talking points. For many patients, it is their primary source of cancer screenings, STI testing, contraception, and preventive care.
By sharing her own experience, Johansson humanized an issue often buried under stigma and misinformation. In 2014, she partnered with the organization’s “Women Are Watching” campaign, helping design a now-iconic pink t-shirt that mobilized voters nationwide. She has since repeatedly spoken out against efforts to defund health centers that disproportionately serve low-income women.
Art Reflecting Autonomy
Johansson’s activism mirrors the themes that run through many of her most acclaimed roles. In Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland, she portrayed a woman reclaiming bodily autonomy after systemic exploitation. In Marriage Story, under Noah Baumbach, she embodied a woman fighting for independence and self-definition within an unequal structure. Even earlier, Lucy, directed by Luc Besson, explored themes of control over one’s body and mind.
These performances are not coincidental. They reflect Johansson’s long-held belief that autonomy is the cornerstone of dignity.
Why the Stakes Are So High
Planned Parenthood serves nearly 2.4 million patients each year, with more than 70% living at or below the federal poverty line. When clinics close, studies show maternal mortality rates can rise sharply—especially among women of color and low-income communities. Johansson’s advocacy has helped fuel fundraising efforts that generated hundreds of millions of dollars to combat restrictive legislation state by state.
Her most visible moment came at the Women’s March, where she addressed hundreds of thousands, demanding that bodily autonomy be respected as a basic human right—not a political bargaining chip.
A Shield, Not a Spotlight
Scarlett Johansson has proven that influence can be armor. By standing firm for reproductive justice, she has reframed celebrity activism as protection rather than performance. In a healthcare landscape where the poorest women stand to lose the most, Johansson’s message is clear: equality begins by defending those with the least power—and dignity begins with choice.