Being pro-life and being a feminist… are these mutually exclusive identities? Here’s a CNN think piece written by Erika Bachiochi, who herself identifies as a pro-life feminist: https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/17/opinions/prolife-and-feminist-under-trump-bachiochi-opinion/index.html. Besides believing that abortion is wrong on a principled level, she advocates for the pro-life movement from a more practical, feminist lens. In it, she argues that the legalization of abortion stemming from the sexual revolution in the 1970s has allowed the patriarchy to flourish. She continues to explain that the normalization of rape culture, inequity in the workplace, and an imbalance in family life is a direct result from it. Is this analysis a good enough reason to reconsider the pro-life movement? Are there more convincing reasons as to why a baby’s right to life triumphs all?
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Felicity Wong
Jul 23, 2018
Pro-Life Feminism
Pro-Life Feminism
8 comments
Hello Felicity, this is certainly one of the more interesting perspectives on abortion rights that I've seen. However, it is worth noting that family imbalance, rape, and workplace inequity were issues for women before Roe v Wade as well as after the Supreme Court decision. Also, I don't believe that Bachiochi is arguing her points based on a baby's right to life. She instead stresses against the casualization of sex and the man's right to detach from a relationship. Women should not be able to control the actions of men. Likewise, men should not be able to control the actions of women, so that is why I believe that abortion should be legal. What is your opinion of this article?
I don't think that Bachiochi is explaining Roe v Wade caused patriarchy or family imbalance/workplace inequity, but rather that the abortion ruling exacerbated it. I think what makes her article so fascinating is that she diverts from the typical baby's right to life (which takes a more principled, fundamental approach at the debate) and talks about it from a practical, feminist angle. I'm not sure if Bachiochi is right because she makes a lot of conjectures over a long-term historical period, but it is definitely something worth thinking about when considering the debate as a whole.
Hi Felicity, thanks for sharing! I've never heard nor considered this view; it's interesting to consider how abortion rights could alter the mindset of men. When I first heard of this issue, I leaned toward pro-life because I believe that life starts at conception. I've talked to many since then though and now take a pro-choice stance. I believe that, at its core, the most relevant question is "Will we give women the choice?" To me, it isn't about if abortion is morally right or wrong and it isn't about preventing sexual assault using the psychology of men. Women will have abortions, whether its safe and legal or not. We should provide the resources and information so that they do not harm themselves trying, regardless of personal opinion on the matter.
Hi Maya, thank you for your reply! That's interesting-- what exactly made you shift your viewpoint from pro-life to pro-choice? As someone who is pro-choice, do you still believe that life begins at conception? I believe that life begins at conception, and that is something that is an absolute truth for me, which is why I am hesitant to say abortion is morally correct. For me, I think the debate is about morals, just like we talk about murder and other injustices in the context of morality. Given your presupposition that life does begin at conception and that life should be valued, you probably wouldn't ask, "Should we give this person a choice to murder another person?" (obviously with exceptions, like military or self-defense). You wouldn't use the argument,"people will still murder others even if we criminalize it", as a legitimate reason to legalize murder. Although people will murder regardless of the law, we believe that murder is morally wrong. That is why we criminalize it.
Of course, I definitely see your point about how women will still continue to have abortions, whether its safe and legal or not. If we look at what would practically happen if we suddenly criminalized abortion, there would be plenty of unsafe abortions--something we need to avoid. However, I do hope a cultural shift happens where we start to truly value life as the ultimate human right over ideas like sexual liberation or female power-- this is something that I believe we have lost as a country in the past few decades. If that cultural shift happens, abortions would naturally happen a lot less. As for now, I really hope the country takes the initiative to reform its current adoption system. We should also do a better job of helping pregnant women in a crisis who may be considering an abortion because they do not feel like they will be able to provide for their child. Giving them resources, comfort, and support is necessary.
This was very long, but I hope I articulated my thoughts clearly. Let me know what you think! :)
@Felicity Wong Hi! Hmm, I see your point using murder as the synonymous situation. It's interesting that there are three opposing focuses: man, woman, and baby. In response to your questions, yes I do still believe life begins at conception and it was a combination of personal experiences, mainly with sexual assault and adoption, that shifted my stance. Honestly, I just don't consider preventing a woman from getting an abortion saving a life anymore. I think life is a lot more than just breathing and that it's almost a punishment to force a child to come into the world unwanted.
@Maya Siegel Thanks for your reply (and sorry about the lateness of mine!) I see-- that makes sense how your experiences would shift your stance. Going off your statement about life beginning at conception: do you believe that a baby's life matters less than a woman's life, or what a woman wants? Again, I just see this entire situation like murder. With the presupposition that the fetus is life, how would you explain abortion as anything else besides taking that life away, i.e. murder?
And, I think that's an interesting way to see life. As you said, I think it's a super serious and troubling issue that so many women have unexpected or unwanted pregnancies, and if their child were born, that child would forced to live in terrible conditions (i.e. being unwanted, not able to be socially or financially supported, etc.) However, I think taking away that life based on someone else's will is the last way we should address that issue. There are plenty of other options (like seriously reforming the adoption system in the US, empowering and giving women resources and comfort to raise their children, refocusing culture to emphasize family more, etc.) Would you also say, then, that a child with Down Syndrome should not be given the opportunity to live? What about children with other birth defects? They are less likely to be "wanted" and their life beyond the scope of "just breathing" will probably have more obstacles than the average human.
Personally, I think everyone has the right to live. We should not be able to decide whether a potential life form will suffer and get nothing out of life or not. There is something inherently beautiful and valuable about every human's life, regardless of how oppressed or unprivileged they might . Nobody has the right to take that away.
I'm really enjoying this discussion -- I've never met someone with a viewpoint and experience like yours and I would love to learn more. Please let me know what you think!
Yes, I do think a woman's life matters more than an unborn baby's and I don't see abortion as murder; I see it as saving two lives.
Why does one human have the right to choose how another human will live their life? Just because someone is born into an unfortunate socioeconomic position or with a disease or deformity does not mean that they will not have the ability to lead happy lives. We offer them no choice when we abort a potential human being.