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Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists
for Life of America
On the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing
abortion, many will focus on the undeniable humanity of the unborn child now
seen clearly by millions through sophisticated sonograms on Oprah as well as in
Life and Newsweek cover stories.
Meanwhile, I will be reflecting on the impact of the choice made by
attorney Sarah Weddington in 1973.
As her arguments for abortion before the Supreme Court made clear,
Weddington saw the discrimination and other injustices faced by pregnant women.
But she did not demand that these injustices be remedied. Instead, she demanded
for women the “right” to submit to these injustices by destroying their
pregnancies.
Weddington rightly pointed out the unmet needs of students: “…there are
many schools where a woman is forced to quit if she becomes pregnant.”
But
Weddington didn’t argue against pregnancy discrimination or even for alternate
solutions for a pregnant student.
Weddington did no better for women in the workplace.
“In the matter of
employment, she often is forced to quit at an early point in her pregnancy. She
has no provision for maternity leave… She cannot get unemployment compensation
under our laws, because the laws hold that she is not eligible for employment,
being pregnant, and therefore is eligible for no unemployment compensation.”
For women with serious medical needs, she further noted: “There is no duty
for employers to rehire women if they must drop out to carry a pregnancy to
term. And, of course, this is especially hard on the many women in Texas who are
heads of their own households and must provide for their already existing
children.”
Weddington clearly saw the bind low-income women face when experiencing
unplanned pregnancy: “At the same time, she can get no welfare to help her at a
time when she has no unemployment compensation and she's not eligible for any
help in getting a job to provide for herself.”
Weddington repeatedly said that women need “relief” from pregnancy, instead
of arguing that women need relief from these injustices.
What if Weddington had used her legal acumen to challenge the system and
address women’s needs?
By accepting pregnancy discrimination in school and workplace and the lack
of support in society for pregnant women and parents, especially the poor,
Weddington and the Supreme Court betrayed women and undermined the support women
need and deserve.
Since then, millions of women have paid the price, struggling in school and
the workplace without societal support. After all, when “it’s her body, it’s her
choice,” it’s her problem.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned
Parenthood, the largest provider of abortion in America, half of all abortions
are performed on college-age women.
Since 1994, Feminists for Life has worked to address the unmet needs of
pregnant and parenting students and staff on college campuses. For the past
decade FFL’s Pregnancy Resource Forums on campuses across the country have
revealed the still-unmet needs of pregnant and parenting students — especially a
lack of housing, child care, telecommuting options, maternity coverage and
medical riders for additional children. FFL found there is rarely a central
place on campus for pregnancy and parenting resources. Even when resources are
available, they are often not publicized. For pregnant and parenting students
kept in the dark about the help they need and deserve, perception is their
reality.
This March, which is Women’s History Month, Feminists for Life is helping
college students make history for women by hosting Rallies for Resources on
campuses across the country — so that women don’t feel driven to choose between
sacrificing their children or their education and career plans.
The proposed Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services
Act, a bipartisan effort led by Senators Elizabeth Dole and Ben Nelson and
Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Sue Myrick, would make grants available for up
to 200 colleges and universities to host pregnancy resource forums, create
resource centers on campus, and communicate available support on and off campus.
There was one thing Weddington got right. “Whether she's unmarried; whether
she's pursuing an education; whether she's pursuing a career; whether she has
family problems; all of the problems of personal and family life, for a woman,
are bound up in the problem of abortion.”
Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women.
Thirty-five years after Weddington capitulated to inherently unfair
practices against pregnant and parenting women, those on both sides of the
abortion debate should unite and say “no” to the status quo.
Clearly, women
deserve better.
© 2008, Feminists for Life of America. This article may be reprinted in its
entirety, including the author’s name and title, the organization name, and a
link to www.feministsforlife.org.
Like the early American feminists who opposed abortion, Feminists for Life
works to systematically eliminate the coercive factors that drive women to
abortion by facilitating practical solutions. FFL is a non-sectarian,
nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to empowering women through
progressive, non-violent choices for themselves and their children.
"Abortion
is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better
than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE
BETTER®
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Abortion 
