Feminists for Life
Encyclopedia
Feminists for Life of America (FFL) is a non-profit, pro-life feminist
, non-governmental organization
(NGO). Established in 1972 and now based in Alexandria, Virginia, the organization describes itself as "shaped by the core feminist
values of justice
, nondiscrimination, and nonviolence
." FFL is dedicated to "systematically eliminating the root causes that drive women to abortion
—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions."
FFL publishes a quarterly magazine, The American Feminist, and aims to reach young women, college students in particular.
Feminists for Life professes to "stand on more than two hundred years of pro-life feminist
history," continuing a tradition of nineteenth-century American feminists such as Susan B. Anthony
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
. This position has been challenged, however, by some who question comparisons between 19th and 20th century views on abortion, as well as the attribution of certain quotes to Anthony.
in 1972. Goltz and Callaghan met in a judo
club on the campus of Ohio State University
, where Callaghan was a tenured professor of linguistics
. In 1974, Goltz was expelled from the Columbus, Ohio
, chapter of the National Organization for Women
(NOW) for arguing that abortion violated feminist principles, although she and Callaghan were not expelled from national NOW membership.
, grassroots
organization, and its members as believing in "the strength of women and the potential of every human life," refusing "to choose between women and children," believing that "no woman should be forced to choose between sacrificing her education and career plans and sacrificing her child," and as rejecting violence and exploitation.
FFL describes its broader vision as opposing all forms of violence, which it considers "inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, nonviolence and nondiscrimination", including the death penalty
, assisted suicide
, euthanasia
, infanticide
and child abuse
. FFL strives for the traditional feminist goal of equality for women in the workplace. FFL maintains that its pro-life
positions are not merely compatible with feminism
, but are the natural conclusion of feminist values.
With respect to abortions allegedly required to save the life of the mother, FFL states that it "refuse[s] to choose between women and children." FFL contends that doctors sometimes advise abortion because "they are unaware of other options or because they are pressured by fear of malpractice suits." FFL argues that physicians "should treat both patients and do what they can to save both lives [because] [t]his is what was done before the Roe decision
was handed down"." With respect to ectopic pregnancies
(which are not medically classified as abortion), FFL states that, "since the child has no chance of survival, and the mother can survive if the pregnancy is ended, we must do what we can to save her. To let both die would not be pro-life."
FFL's pro-life positions have been criticized by some traditional feminists. Katha Pollitt
, columnist for The Nation
claims that FFL seeks to make abortion illegal in all cases, including those of rape, incest, health, major fetal defects and "even some abortions most doctors would say were necessary to save the woman's life." Former FFL board member Sharon Long responded that "FFL opposes the criminalization of women (as almost everyone in the prolife movement does) and focuses our efforts on freeing women from abortion by addressing the issues reported by the Guttmacher Institute--and working along with prochoice advocates to check off our task list." Pollitt also claims that FFL president Serrin Foster "professed ignorance" about rates of death and injury in countries where abortion has been made illegal.
or preconception issues, stating, "Preconception issues are outside FFL’s mission." FFL also states that its members and supporters "hold a broad spectrum of opinions regarding preconception issues, and FFL welcomes anyone committed to working alongside us in our shared mission." FFL and its representatives have repeatedly reiterated that the group takes no position on contraception. Prominent FFL member Sarah Palin
stated in 2006, "I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues."
Some commentators have criticized FFL for not promoting contraception. Katha Pollitt says that she asked Serrin Foster about it and that Foster replied in part that the Pill did not work for teenagers, which Pollitt said she knew to be false. Foster has said that FFL members hold a wide range of beliefs about contraception. Feminist scholar Laury Oaks pointed out that FFL's silence on the subjects of contraception and safer sex "fails to address some of the most critical sexual and reproductive issues for women and presents views on pregnancy that cannot encompass the reality of many women's experiences."
testimony, and well-phrased analysis of abortion-related issues that can't be dismissed as expressions of inherited, unexamined religious beliefs
." Regular features include Herstory—a profile of an abortion opponent, news items and legislative updates.
have identified college women as the group at greatest risk of abortion, FFL determined to address these women's unmet needs, excluding contraception but including the coercive factors that drive them to choose between their education and bearing children. In 1996, the College Outreach was established.
For a college audience, FFL designed a promotion campaign that challenged traditional abortion views and provided practical information for pregnant women, not including how to obtain an abortion. FFL members created several kits for student activists, a kit for residential advisers and psychological counselors, a feminist history kit for libraries, and more challenging ads for college audiences, in addition to the resources available through FFL's website. Two of the eight "Question Abortion" posters offered in 2000 touched upon political issues, one of these saying "No law can make the wrong choice right." One used an image of Susan B. Anthony and an out-of-context quote of hers determined two years earlier by FFL historian Mary Krane Derr to be about estate law
, not abortion. Other posters recast choice
as the "imperative to have an abortion", or implied that life was better before abortion rights, back when abortion was illegal. FFL reports that its College Outreach Program has reached more than 5 million students since 1994 and that the rate of abortion among college-educated women has dropped by 30%.
In 1997, Planned Parenthood Federation of America'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.
"Abortion is not a measure of society's success in meeting the needs of women," explained Foster, "it's a measure of its failure. Why celebrate failure? 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."
The "Women Deserve Better" and the "Refuse to Choose" slogans reflected what FFL saw as integrated aspects of their philosophy. Foster explained: "We refuse to choose between women and children. We refuse to choose between sacrificing our education and career plans or sacrificing our children."
The major legislative goal of FFL's "Women Deserve Better" campaign was the passage of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
by Congress. The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Act was first introduced into the United States Senate
by Elizabeth Dole
on November 8, 2005, and into the House of Representatives
by Melissa Hart the next day. The first Capitol Hill briefing on the legislation took place on February 15, 2006. The bill was criticized by writer Emily Bazelon
in Mother Jones
as a "largely hollow 'message bill'". Bazelon opined that the 10 million dollars provided by the bill would be "paltry" when spread nationwide." Bazelon quoted Frances Kissling
, leader of the pro-choice
organization Catholics for a Free Choice, as calling the bill "not serious", and adding that "if we support these message bills that don't really give women much help, then the real message we send is that we're not strongly committed to women."
On July 12, 2010, Feminists for Life announced that the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act had been incorporated as the basis of one of three components in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
's Pregnancy Assistance Fund. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced that "The Act appropriates $25 million for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2019 for the purpose of awarding competitive grants to States and Indian tribes or reservations. It is anticipated that up to 25 grants in the amounts of $500,000 - $2,000,000 per year will be awarded." FFL President Serrin M. Foster said, "This is what we have been working towards. Pregnancy and parenting should never terminate an education."
In 2006, Foster announced a new Web-based campaign to educate the general public about pro-life feminism.
Feminists for Life has been a participant in the annual March for Life
in Washington, D.C.
and a sponsor of the Walk for Life West Coast
in San Francisco, both of which mark the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade
.
Two-time Emmy Award
winning actress Patricia Heaton
and actress Margaret Colin
are honorary co-chairs of FFL. Actress Kate Mulgrew
is also an FFL supporter.
Jane Sullivan Roberts, wife of U.S. Chief Justice
John Roberts, served as pro bono
legal counsel to FFL for twelve years and is a former executive vice president of FFL's board of directors. During the confirmation hearings for John Roberts, his position on abortion was questioned in light of his wife's FFL membership, leading to intensified focus by the media on the group.
Sarah Palin
, the first woman to be nominated by the Republican Party
for Vice President of the United States
and the first female governor of Alaska
, has been a FFL member since 2006.
Goltz later drew attention to what she saw as the growing trend of pro-life feminism and hostility against it from the feminist establishment. While testifying before a Congressional panel in 1975, Goltz stated "The National Organization for Women suppresses any woman who is pro-life. It does not matter how sincere her feminism on the basic issues." (Senate Testimony, 1975)
The newsletter, Sisterlife, was first published during Goltz's tenure as national president. Originally the Feminists for Life Journal, the newsletter got its unique name from a letter to Goltz by a member of the Canadian chapter of FFL, who instead of closing her letter with the customary "In Sisterhood," wrote "In Sisterlife." Editors conferred the title on the newsletter, feeling that it reflected what they saw as a dedication to life from conception to natural death.
(ERA). The organization's commitment to the E.R.A. formed with the organization, during Goltz's presidency. Unlike Goltz, Callaghan was not immediately convinced of the need for the amendment, having achieved success as a professor at Ohio State University
. Callaghan soon changed her mind, however, and began to support the amendment. In 1973, Goltz published an article (included in the anthology, Pro-Life Feminism: Yesterday and Today) disparaging the fact that the widespread fear of abortion on-demand had blocked the ratification of E.R.A. in Ohio at the time, and that it would eventually kill the amendment's ratification.
Like many other feminist groups of the women's liberation movement, the personal experiences of members of FFL were what informed their drive for equality and social justice. Many pro-life feminists had experiences with pregnancy discrimination
, abortion, rape, child molestation. Their stories were published in various journals, newsletters, and other publications. Many of these stories were included in the anthology, Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices.
After five years as president of FFL, Goltz retired. In 1977, 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. A national workshop that became an annual conference for pro-life feminists was launched during this time. Many members supported both the Equal Rights Amendment and a Human Life Amendment
as "complementary in their concern for human life."
FFL's work for the Equal Rights Amendment was met with a great deal of resistance, including strong resistance at pro-E.R.A. demonstrations, when FFL members attempted to distribute Pro-Life/Pro-E.R.A. tracts. In the late 1970s, Goltz spoke with the legendary suffragist Alice Paul
, who authored the original Equal Rights Amendment. Paul conveyed to Goltz her belief that abortion was inconsistent with feminism, and that many of the founding mothers of feminism disapproved. She also related her fear that the increased attempts to link abortion to E.R.A.
would prevent the amendment's ratification, and eventually end feminism as well.
, peace activist Rachel MacNair
was elected president of FFL. Out of her office at a crisis pregnancy center
in Kansas City, Missouri
, she ran FFL for ten years. During that time, she founded the Susan B. Anthony List
as a political action committee
. Under MacNair, FFL 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.
, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and enhanced enforcement for child support. Child exclusion provisions in the Welfare Reform Act were opposed by FFL.
(PLAGAL) were arrested for attempting to march under the PLAGAL banner, on the orders of Nellie Gray, holder of the permit for the march. Foster came out publicly in support of PLAGAL, saying she also had had similar run-ins with Gray in the past.
In mid-2005, the Woodward Building, which housed the offices of Feminists for Life, the National Organization for Women
, and The Hill newspaper
, among others, closed to be converted into apartments. FFL moved their headquarters to Alexandria, Virginia. FFL's recent work has involved advocating laws protecting pregnant women from being coerced into an abortion, laws that provide pregnant and parenting students with services, and monitoring cases of pregnancy discrimination.
On February 15, 2006, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, the first major Congressional discussions on the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
began. On October 2, 2006 Foster announced the launch of a national web campaign to promote their message. The campaign included a pro-life feminist response to the traditional pro-choice arguments for abortion.
Carol Crossed, founder of the New York
chapter of Democrats for Life of America
and former board member of FFL's New York chapter, purchased the Adams, Massachusetts
birth place of Susan B. Anthony on August 5, 2006. FFL did not own the Susan B. Anthony birthplace, which was opened as the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum on February 14, 2010. Its mission states, "the Museum will highlight the familial and regional influences which shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life, by displaying the textiles and furnishings of that period, as well as the literature and other memorabilia associated with her later career." The birthplace is managed by The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, a non-profit corporation.
"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." FFL refers to 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?"
In 2005, FFL was granted special consultative status
as a Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO) by the United Nations
' Economic and Social Council.
The Spring–Summer Edition 2002 of "The American Feminist" was devoted to monitoring crimes against women around the world including abortion, sex trafficking, bride burning, female genital mutilation, forced illiteracy, and sweat shop labor. Three other editions of the organization's newsletter were specifically devoted to monitoring sex trafficking.
Feminists for Life International also supported the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals
by publishing a statement saying, "Feminists for Life believes that the Millennium Development Goals are life-affirming targets that if achieved will greatly improve billions of lives around the globe. Women and children will be freed from lives of poverty, hunger, death, disease, and despair. We support the promotion of these goals and work to ensure that all members of society, including the unborn, benefit from their promotion and achievement." FFL's international director and U.N. representative Marie Smith cautioned, however, that "[w]omen's advocates must unite and direct our full attention to addressing the unmet needs of women—life-saving health care and nutrition, eliminating poverty through education and work opportunities, protecting women and children from violence and exploitation. Abortion is a sign that women's needs have not been met, and women deserve better." "While Feminists for Life was gratified that the concluding document of the Summit was not compromised by the insertion of 'sexual or reproductive rights' (code for abortion), we believe caution must be taken with language that was adopted into the document. The inclusion, 'Ensuring equal access to reproductive health' is problematic. While 'reproductive health' has never been defined by the members of the United Nations to include abortion, proponents of abortion often use a broad definition of this term that includes abortion as a part of fertility regulation." "Political word games do not serve women. Word games distract us and delay our efforts to help those in greatest need."
Additionally, Smith published an editorial in 2005 in the Washington Times on the growing problem of sex trafficking of young Americans in the U.S. as a result of homelessness, child abuse, and poverty.
, who was profiled by The American Feminists project "Herstory Worth Repeating".
Feminists for Life of Ireland is one of many pro-life feminist organizations in the area, and works with other groups such as Feminists Against Eugenics.
(who also founded the New Zealand National Organization for Women) and romance writer Daphne Clair de Jong, who, like their American counterparts Goltz and Callaghan, found themselves at odds with the feminist establishment's endorsement of abortion.
During this period, de Jong authored "Abortion and Feminism; the Great Inconsistency" and "The Feminist Sell-Out" for the New Zealand Listener
. The articles attacked pro-choice ideology as inconsistent with feminist principles and as a pandering to a male system devised by men, for men. However, de Jong soon drifted away from the organization, disheartened at the increasingly social conservative membership and wholesale anti-feminist agenda of the organization.
Feminists for Life of New Zealand no longer exists. After 1984, it was known as "Women for Life." Although it began as a pro-life feminist organization, the organization gradually changed from a secular liberal organization to a Christian conservative pressure group, which reflected the increasingly socially conservative views of its late founder Connie Purdue
. It then changed its name to the "Family Education Network," which published "Off the Fence," until it ceased publication in 2003.
Pro-life feminism
Pro-life feminism is the opposition to abortion by a group of feminists who believe that the principles which inform their support of women's rights also call them to support the right to life of prenatal humans...
, non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO). Established in 1972 and now based in Alexandria, Virginia, the organization describes itself as "shaped by the core feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
values of justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, nondiscrimination, and nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
." FFL is dedicated to "systematically eliminating the root causes that drive women to abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions."
FFL publishes a quarterly magazine, The American Feminist, and aims to reach young women, college students in particular.
Feminists for Life professes to "stand on more than two hundred years of pro-life feminist
Pro-life feminism
Pro-life feminism is the opposition to abortion by a group of feminists who believe that the principles which inform their support of women's rights also call them to support the right to life of prenatal humans...
history," continuing a tradition of nineteenth-century American feminists such as Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early woman's movement...
. This position has been challenged, however, by some who question comparisons between 19th and 20th century views on abortion, as well as the attribution of certain quotes to Anthony.
Origins
Feminists for Life was founded by Pat Goltz and Cathy Callaghan in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1972. Goltz and Callaghan met in a judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
club on the campus of Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where Callaghan was a tenured professor of linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. In 1974, Goltz was expelled from the Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, chapter of the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
(NOW) for arguing that abortion violated feminist principles, although she and Callaghan were not expelled from national NOW membership.
Mission and purpose
FFL describes itself as a non-sectarian, nonpartisanNonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
, grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organization, and its members as believing in "the strength of women and the potential of every human life," refusing "to choose between women and children," believing that "no woman should be forced to choose between sacrificing her education and career plans and sacrificing her child," and as rejecting violence and exploitation.
FFL describes its broader vision as opposing all forms of violence, which it considers "inconsistent with the core feminist principles of justice, nonviolence and nondiscrimination", including the death penalty
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, assisted suicide
Consensual homicide
Consensual homicide refers to a case when one person kills another, with the consent of the victim.-Euthanasia:The more common form is assisted suicide, in which terminally ill people seek assistance from their doctors to alleviate their suffering by ending their lives...
, euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, infanticide
Infanticide
Infanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
and child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
. FFL strives for the traditional feminist goal of equality for women in the workplace. FFL maintains that its pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
positions are not merely compatible with feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, but are the natural conclusion of feminist values.
With respect to abortions allegedly required to save the life of the mother, FFL states that it "refuse[s] to choose between women and children." FFL contends that doctors sometimes advise abortion because "they are unaware of other options or because they are pressured by fear of malpractice suits." FFL argues that physicians "should treat both patients and do what they can to save both lives [because] [t]his is what was done before the Roe decision
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
was handed down"." With respect to ectopic pregnancies
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...
(which are not medically classified as abortion), FFL states that, "since the child has no chance of survival, and the mother can survive if the pregnancy is ended, we must do what we can to save her. To let both die would not be pro-life."
FFL's pro-life positions have been criticized by some traditional feminists. Katha Pollitt
Katha Pollitt
Katha Pollitt is an American feminist poet, essayist and critic. She is the author of four essay collections and two books of poetry...
, columnist for The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
claims that FFL seeks to make abortion illegal in all cases, including those of rape, incest, health, major fetal defects and "even some abortions most doctors would say were necessary to save the woman's life." Former FFL board member Sharon Long responded that "FFL opposes the criminalization of women (as almost everyone in the prolife movement does) and focuses our efforts on freeing women from abortion by addressing the issues reported by the Guttmacher Institute--and working along with prochoice advocates to check off our task list." Pollitt also claims that FFL president Serrin Foster "professed ignorance" about rates of death and injury in countries where abortion has been made illegal.
Contraception
Feminists for Life is inclusive of anyone supporting its mission regardless of personal opinions about contraceptionContraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
or preconception issues, stating, "Preconception issues are outside FFL’s mission." FFL also states that its members and supporters "hold a broad spectrum of opinions regarding preconception issues, and FFL welcomes anyone committed to working alongside us in our shared mission." FFL and its representatives have repeatedly reiterated that the group takes no position on contraception. Prominent FFL member Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
stated in 2006, "I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues."
Some commentators have criticized FFL for not promoting contraception. Katha Pollitt says that she asked Serrin Foster about it and that Foster replied in part that the Pill did not work for teenagers, which Pollitt said she knew to be false. Foster has said that FFL members hold a wide range of beliefs about contraception. Feminist scholar Laury Oaks pointed out that FFL's silence on the subjects of contraception and safer sex "fails to address some of the most critical sexual and reproductive issues for women and presents views on pregnancy that cannot encompass the reality of many women's experiences."
The American Feminist
FFL publishes a quarterly magazine, The American Feminist, that is included with membership in the organization. Each issue is centrally focused on a theme like Remarkable Pro-Life Women—Part III, Pro-Woman Answers to Pro-Choice Questions and Our Pro-Woman, Pro-Life Legacy. Using original and reprinted articles The American Feminist shows a "reliance on factual data, experientialExperiential knowledge
Experiential knowledge is knowledge gained through experience as opposed to a priori knowledge. In the philosophy of mind, the phrase often refers to knowledge that can only be acquired through experience, such as, for example, the knowledge of what it is like to see colours, which could not be...
testimony, and well-phrased analysis of abortion-related issues that can't be dismissed as expressions of inherited, unexamined religious beliefs
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
." Regular features include Herstory—a profile of an abortion opponent, news items and legislative updates.
College Outreach program
In 1994, Foster began to visit college campuses to deliver her speech "The Feminist Case Against Abortion". 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, proposing "creative, life-affirming, women-centered solutions." Given that data from sources such as the Guttmacher InstituteGuttmacher Institute
The Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization which works to advance sexual and reproductive health. The institute operates in the United States and globally "through an interrelated program of social science research, policy analysis and public education." According to their mission...
have identified college women as the group at greatest risk of abortion, FFL determined to address these women's unmet needs, excluding contraception but including the coercive factors that drive them to choose between their education and bearing children. In 1996, the College Outreach was established.
For a college audience, FFL designed a promotion campaign that challenged traditional abortion views and provided practical information for pregnant women, not including how to obtain an abortion. FFL members created several kits for student activists, a kit for residential advisers and psychological counselors, a feminist history kit for libraries, and more challenging ads for college audiences, in addition to the resources available through FFL's website. Two of the eight "Question Abortion" posters offered in 2000 touched upon political issues, one of these saying "No law can make the wrong choice right." One used an image of Susan B. Anthony and an out-of-context quote of hers determined two years earlier by FFL historian Mary Krane Derr to be about estate law
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
, not abortion. Other posters recast choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
as the "imperative to have an abortion", or implied that life was better before abortion rights, back when abortion was illegal. FFL reports that its College Outreach Program has reached more than 5 million students since 1994 and that the rate of abortion among college-educated women has dropped by 30%.
In 1997, Planned Parenthood Federation of America'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.
"Women Deserve Better" campaign
Feminists for Life's "Women Deserve Better" campaign was launched in 2003 on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. FFL described 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." The basic message of the campaign, featured on billboards, posters, and placards, was "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," explained Foster, "it's a measure of its failure. Why celebrate failure? 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."
The "Women Deserve Better" and the "Refuse to Choose" slogans reflected what FFL saw as integrated aspects of their philosophy. Foster explained: "We refuse to choose between women and children. We refuse to choose between sacrificing our education and career plans or sacrificing our children."
The major legislative goal of FFL's "Women Deserve Better" campaign was the passage of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act would establish a pilot program to provide $10 million annually for 200 grants to encourage institutions of higher education to establish and operate a pregnant and parenting student services office...
by Congress. The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Act was first introduced into the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
on November 8, 2005, and into the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Melissa Hart the next day. The first Capitol Hill briefing on the legislation took place on February 15, 2006. The bill was criticized by writer Emily Bazelon
Emily Bazelon
Emily Bazelon is an American journalist, senior editor for online magazine Slate, and a senior research fellow at Yale Law School. Her work as a writer focuses on law, abortion, and family issues.-Journalism career:...
in Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
as a "largely hollow 'message bill'". Bazelon opined that the 10 million dollars provided by the bill would be "paltry" when spread nationwide." Bazelon quoted Frances Kissling
Frances Kissling
Frances Kissling is scholar and activist in the fields of religion, reproduction and women's rights. She was President of Catholics for a Free Choice from 1982 until 2007 when she turned over the reins to Jon O’Brien. She is now a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Bioethics at the University of...
, leader of the pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
organization Catholics for a Free Choice, as calling the bill "not serious", and adding that "if we support these message bills that don't really give women much help, then the real message we send is that we're not strongly committed to women."
On July 12, 2010, Feminists for Life announced that the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act had been incorporated as the basis of one of three components in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
's Pregnancy Assistance Fund. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced that "The Act appropriates $25 million for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2019 for the purpose of awarding competitive grants to States and Indian tribes or reservations. It is anticipated that up to 25 grants in the amounts of $500,000 - $2,000,000 per year will be awarded." FFL President Serrin M. Foster said, "This is what we have been working towards. Pregnancy and parenting should never terminate an education."
In 2006, Foster announced a new Web-based campaign to educate the general public about pro-life feminism.
Feminists for Life has been a participant in the annual March for Life
March for Life
March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in Washington, D.C., on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. The march is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The overall goal...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and a sponsor of the Walk for Life West Coast
Walk for Life West Coast
The Walk for Life West Coast is an annual pro-life event protesting abortion, held in San Francisco, California. It is held on a Saturday on or near January 22, the anniversary date of the decision in the United States Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade....
in San Francisco, both of which mark the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
.
Prominent members
In 2007, Foster noted that FFL had reached 26,000 members, including the families of women who joined. A number of the members are well known in the arts and politics.Two-time Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning actress Patricia Heaton
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
and actress Margaret Colin
Margaret Colin
Margaret Colin is an American actress. She is known for her role as Margo Montgomery Hughes # 1 on As the World Turns and for her role as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose on Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
are honorary co-chairs of FFL. Actress Kate Mulgrew
Kate Mulgrew
Katherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
is also an FFL supporter.
Jane Sullivan Roberts, wife of U.S. Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
John Roberts, served as pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
legal counsel to FFL for twelve years and is a former executive vice president of FFL's board of directors. During the confirmation hearings for John Roberts, his position on abortion was questioned in light of his wife's FFL membership, leading to intensified focus by the media on the group.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, the first woman to be nominated by the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
and the first female governor of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, has been a FFL member since 2006.
Early years
In the 1970s, FFL founders Pat Goltz and Cathy Callaghan met many other pro-life feminists who similarly were or felt excluded from women's organizations during the Women's Liberation Movement's second wave. In protest, Goltz and dozens of other pro-life feminists picketed the National NOW convention, hoping to draw attention to the controversy. The plan backfired when most media sources failed to pick up the story, and the few that did only mentioned that the pickets were by a pro-life group, failing to convey the full meaning of the protest.Goltz later drew attention to what she saw as the growing trend of pro-life feminism and hostility against it from the feminist establishment. While testifying before a Congressional panel in 1975, Goltz stated "The National Organization for Women suppresses any woman who is pro-life. It does not matter how sincere her feminism on the basic issues." (Senate Testimony, 1975)
The newsletter, Sisterlife, was first published during Goltz's tenure as national president. Originally the Feminists for Life Journal, the newsletter got its unique name from a letter to Goltz by a member of the Canadian chapter of FFL, who instead of closing her letter with the customary "In Sisterhood," wrote "In Sisterlife." Editors conferred the title on the newsletter, feeling that it reflected what they saw as a dedication to life from conception to natural death.
Mid-1970s
FFL was active in the ten-year battle to ratify the ill-fated Equal Rights AmendmentEqual Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
(ERA). The organization's commitment to the E.R.A. formed with the organization, during Goltz's presidency. Unlike Goltz, Callaghan was not immediately convinced of the need for the amendment, having achieved success as a professor at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. Callaghan soon changed her mind, however, and began to support the amendment. In 1973, Goltz published an article (included in the anthology, Pro-Life Feminism: Yesterday and Today) disparaging the fact that the widespread fear of abortion on-demand had blocked the ratification of E.R.A. in Ohio at the time, and that it would eventually kill the amendment's ratification.
Like many other feminist groups of the women's liberation movement, the personal experiences of members of FFL were what informed their drive for equality and social justice. Many pro-life feminists had experiences with pregnancy discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination occurs when expectant women are fired, not hired, or otherwise discriminated against due to their pregnancy or intention to become pregnant...
, abortion, rape, child molestation. Their stories were published in various journals, newsletters, and other publications. Many of these stories were included in the anthology, Pro-Life Feminism: Different Voices.
After five years as president of FFL, Goltz retired. In 1977, 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. A national workshop that became an annual conference for pro-life feminists was launched during this time. Many members supported both the Equal Rights Amendment and a Human Life Amendment
Human Life Amendment
The Human Life Amendment is the name for any amendment to the United States Constitution that would have the effect of overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that denied states the authority to prohibit abortion. Although all of these amendments are intended to overturn Roe v...
as "complementary in their concern for human life."
FFL's work for the Equal Rights Amendment was met with a great deal of resistance, including strong resistance at pro-E.R.A. demonstrations, when FFL members attempted to distribute Pro-Life/Pro-E.R.A. tracts. In the late 1970s, Goltz spoke with the legendary suffragist Alice Paul
Alice Paul
Alice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
, who authored the original Equal Rights Amendment. Paul conveyed to Goltz her belief that abortion was inconsistent with feminism, and that many of the founding mothers of feminism disapproved. She also related her fear that the increased attempts to link abortion to E.R.A.
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
would prevent the amendment's ratification, and eventually end feminism as well.
1980s
In June 1984 at the annual FFL meeting in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, peace activist Rachel MacNair
Rachel MacNair
Rachel M. MacNair is an American sociologist and psychologist who holds a consistent life ethic, and works against killing. A Quaker, she is an activist against abortion and war. She has written against the culture of violence and the eating of meat...
was elected president of FFL. Out of her office at a crisis pregnancy center
Crisis pregnancy center
A crisis pregnancy center , sometimes called a pregnancy resource center , is a non-profit organization established to counsel pregnant women against having an abortion....
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, she ran FFL for ten years. During that time, she founded the Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
as a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
. Under MacNair, FFL 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.
1990s
In June 1994, the organization relocated its national office to Washington, D.C., where FFL reorganized its structure, and updated its image: the Sisterlife newsletter was renamed as The American Feminist magazine, a website was created, and new outreach programs were developed, including the College Outreach Program. FFL also became more involved in political advocacy, working to ensure the passage of the Violence Against Women ActViolence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, , and signed as by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994...
, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and enhanced enforcement for child support. Child exclusion provisions in the Welfare Reform Act were opposed by FFL.
2000s
At the 2002 March for Life, which observes the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, several members of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and LesbiansPro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians
Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians is a United States-based interest group of LGBT persons and straight allies opposed to legalized elective abortion and supportive of alternatives to abortion....
(PLAGAL) were arrested for attempting to march under the PLAGAL banner, on the orders of Nellie Gray, holder of the permit for the march. Foster came out publicly in support of PLAGAL, saying she also had had similar run-ins with Gray in the past.
In mid-2005, the Woodward Building, which housed the offices of Feminists for Life, the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
, and The Hill newspaper
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
, among others, closed to be converted into apartments. FFL moved their headquarters to Alexandria, Virginia. FFL's recent work has involved advocating laws protecting pregnant women from being coerced into an abortion, laws that provide pregnant and parenting students with services, and monitoring cases of pregnancy discrimination.
On February 15, 2006, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, the first major Congressional discussions on the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act would establish a pilot program to provide $10 million annually for 200 grants to encourage institutions of higher education to establish and operate a pregnant and parenting student services office...
began. On October 2, 2006 Foster announced the launch of a national web campaign to promote their message. The campaign included a pro-life feminist response to the traditional pro-choice arguments for abortion.
FFL of New York
FFL's New York chapter was dissolved in 2007 and replaced by a new organization, Feminists Choosing Life of New York.New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
chapter of Democrats for Life of America
Democrats for Life of America
Democrats for Life of America is an advocacy group in the United States attempting to reshape the political left, primarily the Democratic Party, into taking a pro-life position. Usually this involves political opposition to abortion, but the DFLA also opposes capital punishment and euthanasia...
and former board member of FFL's New York chapter, purchased the Adams, Massachusetts
Adams, Massachusetts
Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.-History:...
birth place of Susan B. Anthony on August 5, 2006. FFL did not own the Susan B. Anthony birthplace, which was opened as the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum on February 14, 2010. Its mission states, "the Museum will highlight the familial and regional influences which shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life, by displaying the textiles and furnishings of that period, as well as the literature and other memorabilia associated with her later career." The birthplace is managed by The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, a non-profit corporation.
International outreach program
In 2004, FFL launched an International Outreach Program, reflecting that abortion is a global issue. According to FFL's "Global Vision":-
- Feminists for Life advocates for
-
- increased education standards and opportunities for the poor, especially for girls
- increased employment opportunities for all women, especially poor women and others who have been excluded
- micro-loans and other business assistance for low-income women to start businesses and purchase land
- health care for mother and child, before and after birth, including prenatal care, assisted delivery, postpartum care, emergency services, immunizations, disease prevention and treatment, especially for the HIV/AIDS pandemic
- sustainable development that provides clean water, sanitation, housing and food
- child care for the working poor and regulations to protect vulnerable women and children from forced labor
- protection for women and children from violence, including sex trafficking
- measures to rescue women trapped in domestic violence
- (The American Feminist vol. 12 no. 1, p. 20)
-
- Feminists for Life advocates for
"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." FFL refers to 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?"
In 2005, FFL was granted special consultative status
Consultative Status
Consultative Status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council." Also some international organizations could...
as a Non-Governmental Organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' Economic and Social Council.
FFL International
Feminists for Life International is the international organization beyond its national groups Feminists for Life of America, and Feminists for Life of Ireland, which focuses on global violations of women's rights, particularly poverty, sex trafficking, domestic violence and abortion.The Spring–Summer Edition 2002 of "The American Feminist" was devoted to monitoring crimes against women around the world including abortion, sex trafficking, bride burning, female genital mutilation, forced illiteracy, and sweat shop labor. Three other editions of the organization's newsletter were specifically devoted to monitoring sex trafficking.
Feminists for Life International also supported the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
by publishing a statement saying, "Feminists for Life believes that the Millennium Development Goals are life-affirming targets that if achieved will greatly improve billions of lives around the globe. Women and children will be freed from lives of poverty, hunger, death, disease, and despair. We support the promotion of these goals and work to ensure that all members of society, including the unborn, benefit from their promotion and achievement." FFL's international director and U.N. representative Marie Smith cautioned, however, that "[w]omen's advocates must unite and direct our full attention to addressing the unmet needs of women—life-saving health care and nutrition, eliminating poverty through education and work opportunities, protecting women and children from violence and exploitation. Abortion is a sign that women's needs have not been met, and women deserve better." "While Feminists for Life was gratified that the concluding document of the Summit was not compromised by the insertion of 'sexual or reproductive rights' (code for abortion), we believe caution must be taken with language that was adopted into the document. The inclusion, 'Ensuring equal access to reproductive health' is problematic. While 'reproductive health' has never been defined by the members of the United Nations to include abortion, proponents of abortion often use a broad definition of this term that includes abortion as a part of fertility regulation." "Political word games do not serve women. Word games distract us and delay our efforts to help those in greatest need."
Additionally, Smith published an editorial in 2005 in the Washington Times on the growing problem of sex trafficking of young Americans in the U.S. as a result of homelessness, child abuse, and poverty.
FFL of Ireland
Feminists for Life also has an international branch in Ireland, known as Feminists for Life of Ireland. The group was once headed by Irish feminist Breda O'BrienBreda O'Brien
Breda O'Brien is an Irish teacher, journalist and a critic of aspects of feminism. She writes usually for The Irish Times. She was also the founder of Feminists for Life of Ireland, in 1992, and as been a leading name in the pro-life movement....
, who was profiled by The American Feminists project "Herstory Worth Repeating".
Feminists for Life of Ireland is one of many pro-life feminist organizations in the area, and works with other groups such as Feminists Against Eugenics.
FFL New Zealand (1978–1983)
Originally founded in response to correspondence with American founder Goltz, Feminists for Life New Zealand (1978–1983) was founded by Connie PurdueConnie Purdue
Connie Purdue was a New Zealand trade unionist. Formerly a communist and a Labour Party member, she later became a conservative Catholic and a pro-life activist.-Early life:...
(who also founded the New Zealand National Organization for Women) and romance writer Daphne Clair de Jong, who, like their American counterparts Goltz and Callaghan, found themselves at odds with the feminist establishment's endorsement of abortion.
During this period, de Jong authored "Abortion and Feminism; the Great Inconsistency" and "The Feminist Sell-Out" for the New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
. The articles attacked pro-choice ideology as inconsistent with feminist principles and as a pandering to a male system devised by men, for men. However, de Jong soon drifted away from the organization, disheartened at the increasingly social conservative membership and wholesale anti-feminist agenda of the organization.
Feminists for Life of New Zealand no longer exists. After 1984, it was known as "Women for Life." Although it began as a pro-life feminist organization, the organization gradually changed from a secular liberal organization to a Christian conservative pressure group, which reflected the increasingly socially conservative views of its late founder Connie Purdue
Connie Purdue
Connie Purdue was a New Zealand trade unionist. Formerly a communist and a Labour Party member, she later became a conservative Catholic and a pro-life activist.-Early life:...
. It then changed its name to the "Family Education Network," which published "Off the Fence," until it ceased publication in 2003.