|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
May 19, 2012 |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Feminists for Life (FFL) is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit pro-life feminism|pro-life feminist organization established in 1972. The organization describes itself thus:
As these statements show, Feminists for Life believes that being pro-life is not only compatible with feminism, it is the natural conclusion of feminist values. Members and supporters of the organization frequently claim that being a pro-life feminism|pro-life feminist "is not an oxymoron, it's redundant". In its broader vision, FFL opposes "all forms of violence, including abortion, infanticide, child abuse, domestic violence, capital punishment, and euthanasia, as they are inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, nonviolence, and nondiscrimination." Basic human rights, including the right to life, extend from conception (understood as the first formation of a human zygote) until the end of natural life, according to FFL (The American Feminist - volume 10, #1, page 4). Headquartered in the United States, Feminists for Life also has members and supporters as an international entity. Background Though Feminists for Life is only a few decades old, FFL professes to "stand on more than two hundred years of pro-life feminism|pro-life feminist history" (The American Feminist vol. 12 no. 1, p. 5), claiming to continue the tradition of early feminists such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, Alice Paul. "Without known exception," Feminists for Life president Serrin Foster said, "the early feminists condemned abortion in the strongest possible terms," ("The Feminist Case Against Abortion," The American Feminist vol. 11 nos. 2-3, p. 29). One quote from early feminist Mattie Brinkerhoff in particular appears on the inside front cover of almost every issue of FFL's magazine, The American Feminist: "When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society???so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged," (The Revolution (newspaper)|The Revolution, 4(9):138-9, September 2, 1869). Organization Feminists for Life was founded in Ohio in 1972 by feminist activists Pat Goltz and Cathy Callaghan. Goltz had been expelled from the Ohio Chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW) for arguing that abortion violated feminist principles and distributing pro-life literature. In 1976 organizational management was moved to Wisconsin. The group's activities focused on being a presence at both pro-life and feminist events, distributing literature, and writing letters to various publications. The organization's Sisterlife newsletter was launched in this era, as well as a national workshop that became an annual conference for pro-life feminists. Many members supported both the Equal Rights Amendment and a Human Life Amendment as "complementary in their concern for human life," (c.f. "Reflecting as FFL Celebrates Its Tenth Birthday" and "HLA and ERA???Inedible Alphabet Soup?" in Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices, ISBN 0919225225, pp. 17 & 35). In 1984 FFL's headquarters were moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Feminists for Life began to receive more national exposure during this time through media interviews, involvement in a broad spectrum of pro-life issues, and invitations to speak at pro-life events. Two anthologies of pro-life feminist essays were published, Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices (1985, ISBN 0919225225) and Prolife Feminism Yesterday and Today (1995, ISBN 0945819625). In 1994 the organization relocated its national office to Washington, D.C., where Feminists for Life reorganized its structure, updated its image, revamped the Sisterlife newsletter as The American Feminist magazine, created its first website, and began to develop new outreach programs, including the College Outreach Program. FFL also became more involved in political advocacy, working to ensure the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and enhanced enforcement for child support, as well as fighting against child exclusion provisions in the Welfare Reform Act.
The American Feminist The American Feminist has been the official magazine and primary publication of Feminists for Life since 1994, when it replaced FFL's Sisterlife newsletter. Since its beginning, most issues have been thematic, exploring "Crimes Against Women Around the World," "Victory Over Violence," "Remarkable Pro-Life Women," "Our Pro-Woman, Pro-Life Legacy," "FFL On Campus: The Revolution Continues," and "Pro-Woman Answers to Pro-Choice Questions." College Outreach Program FFL's College Outreach program began in 1994 when Serrin Foster, now president of Feminists for Life, began delivering her speech "The Feminist Case Against Abortion" on college campuses. Originally designed to educate students about the history of pro-life feminism, the speech evolved to identify difficulties faced by pregnant and parenting women in the workplace and higher education and to propose "creative, life-affirming, women-centered solutions." Feminists for Life identified college women as the group at greatest risk of abortion and determined to address their unmet needs, the coercive factors that drive them to choose between their education and their children. Over the next couple of years, FFL began designing an ad series for a college audience challenging traditional abortion rhetoric and providing practical information for pregnant women. A university health clinic kit was designed to help staff advise pregnant students how to seek and access existing support and resources. The first Pregnancy Resources Forum at Georgetown University brought together students, both pro-life and pro-choice, and administrators in a non-confrontational gathering to discuss, identify, publicize, create, and improve resources for pregnant and parenting students on campus. Question Abortion became a popular slogan in FFL college activism. In 1997 Planned Parenthood's INsider called FFL's growing College Outreach Program the "newest and most challenging concept in anti-choice organizing" and predicted it could "have a profound impact" on college campuses. In following years Feminists for Life created several kits for student activists, a kit for residential advisors and psychological counselors, a feminist history kit for libraries, more challenging ads for college audiences, and continued to deliver speeches and moderate Pregnancy Resource Forums on college and university campuses across the United States. More resources became available to students domestically and internationally through the FFL website. "The Feminist Case Against Abortion" was included in the Women's Rights anthology of the "Great Speeches in History" book series (2001, ISBN 0737707739). FFL reports that its College Outreach Program has reached more than 5 million students since 1994, and the rate of abortion among college educated women has dropped by 30%.
Women Deserve Better Campaign Feminists for Life's Women Deserve Better campaign was launched on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. FFL describes it as "a long-term public education effort examining the failure of abortion. The campaign aims to refocus the nation on the reasons women feel pressured into abortion and to promote women-centered solutions," (http://www.feministsforlife.org/news/wdb%20smf.htm "Women Deserve Better than Abortion"). The basic message of the campaign, featured on ads, billboards, posters, and placards, is "Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion." "Abortion is not a measure of society???s success in meeting the needs of women; it???s a measure of its failure. Why celebrate failure?" explained FFL president Serrin Foster. "Abortion is a symptom of???never a solution to???the problems faced by women.... abortion has completely failed as a social policy designed to aid women.... women have had to settle for far less than they need and deserve," (http://www.feministsforlife.org/news/wdb%20smf.htm "Women Deserve Better than Abortion"). The Women Deserve Better message goes hand-in-hand with Feminists for Life's Refuse to Choose motto. Serrin Foster explained the philosophy: "We refuse to choose between women and children. We refuse to choose between sacrificing our education and career plans or sacrificing our children," (http://www.feministsforlife.org/news/Some%20Feminists%20Not%20Marching.htm "Some Feminists Won't Participate in 'March for Women's Lives'"). International Outreach Program In 2004, Feminists for Life launched an International Outreach Program, on the grounds that "in every country and region of the world, abortion is a reflection that the needs of women have not been met. Women Deserve Better than abortion, no matter where they live," (http://www.feministsforlife.org/international/index.htm FFL International index). According to FFL's "Global Vision":
"Abortion doesn't put food on the table, or provide clean water. After an abortion, a woman returns to the same situation that drove her there. One abortion is too many. It means we have failed women," argued FFL's international outreach director Marie Smith. "What women want and need is full participation as citizens, equal access to resources and opportunities, and enforced legal protection against discrimination, violence, and oppression.... Education is the most empowering choice for any woman's future," (The American Feminist vol. 12 no. 1, pp. 20-21). Feminists for Life grounds this thinking in the argument of early American feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who said, "There must be a remedy for such a crying evil as abortion. But where shall it be found, at least where begin, if not the complete enfranchisement and elevation of women?" (The Revolution (newspaper)|The Revolution, 1(10):146-7 March 12, 1868). In 2005 FFL was granted Consultative Status|special consultative status as a Non-governmental organization|Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) by the United Nations' UN Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council (http://www.feministsforlife.org/news/PRUN2-05.htm "New Voice for Women and Children at United Nations"). Celebrity activists Two-time Emmy Award winning actress Patricia Heaton is honorary chair of Feminists for Life. Heaton said she believes in "supporting people and stepping out and affirming that life is good," and "wanted to find a group that had compassionate, intelligent, reasonable people who are fun and life-affirming" when she joined FFL. Heaton's activist motto is "Women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy," (The American Feminist vol. 7 no. 4, pp. 12-13). Actress Margaret Colin is honorary co-chair of Feminists for Life. In an address to a Congressional briefing on July 14, 2002, Colin said, "Abortion is violence against women. This is the failure of medicine to help and heal. We need to address the reasons that women seek abortions, to help them find the resources that are available to ease their situations, and coordinate the resources nationwide. Politically, women have always sought to address the root causes. This isn't news. The early American feminists, who fought for our right to vote, fought for the rights of pregnant women???for society to change to accept them, not for them to change to be accepted by society.... remember the woman. Become her voice. And help us redirect this debate by focusing on solutions???because women deserve better," (The American Feminist vol. 12 no. 1, p. 4). Both women have spoken on behalf of Feminists for Life on Capitol Hill, at the White House, and in the national media.
Category:Non-profit organizations Category:Feminism Category:Abortion Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States Category:Pro-life Organizations This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Feminists for Life".
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
![[F]](/images/site.gif){kind=small}
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
All informatin on the site is © www.woman-health.org 2002-2011. Last revised: January 2, 2011 Are you interested in our site or/and want to use our information? please read how to contact us and our copyrights. To let us provide you with high quality information, you can help us by making a more or less donation: |