Pro-Life is Pro-Woman

Read Time: 7 minutes

You’ve heard the arguments before. 

Abortion is pro-woman. Abortion is a fundamental women’s right. Abortion empowers women to choose what’s best for their situation. And one of my favorites, real feminists support abortion.

Each one of these common euphemisms from the abortion industry is weaponized to sell the lie that the ability to kill a preborn child is not only acceptable, but something to be celebrated. They market to convince the American public that denying abortion access is an attack on women’s rights. They influence culture into believing that abortion empowers women.

Unfortunately, the statistics show these tactics work. 

Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, over 60 million preborn children have been killed by abortion in America. And each year, a million more lives are at stake, as the abortion industry targets vulnerable women with increased aggression. 

Moreover, their messaging is more and more engrained into our culture. According to a Pew Research Center study, only about half of Americans believe that having an abortion is morally wrong. Another study shows that it’s taking root inside church congregations, with 43% of Americans identifying as Protestant and 56% of Americans identifying as Catholic saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.  

Clearly, ending abortion will require a dramatic change in our culture. And to spur that change, we need to challenge the abortion industry to deal with abortion on its terms and reveal the truth about what being “pro woman” really looks like. 

Abortion’s Takeover of Feminism 

Feminism is broadly defined as the belief in the political, economic, and cultural equality of women. 

We support equality for women, and for all human beings, because we believe that all human beings were made in the image of God with extraordinary intrinsic value. 

But for many organizations that consider themselves part of the feminist movement, their quest for equality only applies to life outside of the womb.  

For example, the National Organization for Women lists “Reproductive Rights and Justice,” as their top issue, saying, “…reproductive rights are issues of life and death for women, not mere matters of choice.” 

The Feminist Majority Foundation says their work advances, “…abortion
and reproductive health care including Medicaid funding, access for minors, poor women and girls, and people regardless of immigration status.” 

The Women’s March says that they “…do not accept any federal, state or local rollbacks, cuts or restrictions on our ability to access quality reproductive health care services…” which means “…open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion…”. 

EMILY’s List specifically works to gain “…larger leadership roles for pro choice Democratic women in our legislative bodies and executive seats…”.  

Then, you have Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which boasts 49 local affiliates and over 600 “health centers” nationwide. Together, Planned Parenthood’s clinics account for more abortions than any other organization.

To these organizations, and many others, access to abortion is a critical component to women’s rights, women’s empowerment, and the entire feminist movement. 

But the reality is, supporting abortion promotes women’s inequality. 

Many heroes of the early feminist movement did not support abortion. Some disavowed the practice all together – with figures such as Alice Paul calling the procedure the “ultimate exploitation of women.” 

Today, nearly 50 years after the legalization of abortion, over 30 million preborn girls have been killed by abortion.That’s over 30 million preborn girls who have had their fundamental right to life taken away by the very activists who claim to stand up for the fundamental rights of women. 

If feminists claim to stand up for women’s equality, shouldn’t that apply to ALL women – regardless of their age or stage?

Fortunately, there’s a better way to stand up for women’s rights. There’s a better way to empower women. There’s a better way to be a feminist.  

True Empowerment. True Feminism. 

The abortion industry misleads our culture into believing that women want to get abortions. However, a deeper look into the reasons why women turn to abortion reveal that this isn’t the case.  

Human Coalition works with thousands of women every year who are  looking for abortion information. And the prevailing reason is not that they are excited about the idea of abortion. It’s not that they are feeling  empowered to carry out a “fundamental right.” It’s not even that they don’t want their child.  

Instead, they are usually younger, uninsured, don’t have job stability, and they are concerned about very basic life circumstances- such as financial, housing, or childcare challenges. 

Abortion solves exactly zero of those problems, and keeps women in a cycle of dependence and instability. 

Our data shows that 75% of the women who come to Human Coalition seeking an abortion state that if their life circumstances were different, they would prefer to keep their child. 

But that’s not what the abortion industry offers. Instead of providing real help to improve their circumstances, they present abortion to women as the best option, the easy option, or

worse yet, the only option. They act like women are incapable of improving their circumstances to provide for their family. They mask the reality of what an abortion is – all while making a profit.Then, they leave women to deal with the long-term consequences of their decision. From stories on AbortionMemorial.com, to feedback we hear from our clinics, we know that abortion regret is very real for countless women. Some go on to grieve and regret their decision to abort for the rest of their life. It impacts their marriages, their mental health, their future relationships, and even other members of their family. 

Human Coalition, and the pro-life movement at large, believes empowerment looks like giving women dignity by providing the resources and opportunities to improve their circumstances. We believe in walking with women and families, and providing comprehensive care and assistance to address the challenges they face. We believe in telling women the truth about their pregnancy and what abortion does to their child. We believe in telling the medical and anatomical truth. 

Comprehensive care, life-changing resources, and the truth for women who need it. 

That’s empowerment. That’s feminism. That’s being pro-woman.  

Change the Culture 

You know what empowerment looks like. You know what true feminism looks like. You know that our culture needs to change.  

So the question is: How can you help change it?  

The answer to this question can be found in Proverbs 31:8: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”  

Changing our culture means pro-lifers like you and I need to speak up in our families, our churches, and our communities. With grace, compassion and confidence, speak the truth about abortion and talk about what empowerment actually looks like.

Discuss what abortion is, and what it isn’t. Talk about how abortion is not something to be celebrated. Share stories about the lasting impact abortion can have on a woman, a marriage, and an entire family. You can find firsthand stories from families who have experienced abortion on AbortionMemorial.com.  

Then, talk about what real empowerment looks like. Share stories of women whose lives were changed when they were given real help and hope. You can find stories on our website of women who were facing
financial challenges, homelessness, broken relationships, domestic abuse,
and everything in between. But rather than giving into the abortion industry’s lies, they chose life for their child when they were given the support they needed. 

Culture change is possible. Rescuing children and families from
the grip of abortion is possible. Ending abortion is possible.  

But it will take each one of us “speaking up for those who cannot speak for
themselves.” And it will take showing our culture that the only way to be pro-woman is to be pro-life.  

Looking for more ways to get involved in the pro-life movement? Visit https://www.humancoalition.org/get-involved/ to learn more!