I know this topic can quickly become polarized and incensed. But before you read any further, I just want you to know that I am not here today to sermonize anger and hate. See, when many people find out that I consider myself a feminist and am also pro-life, they tend to end up fairly confused. I am here today to simply talk to you, and to describe how it is possible for me to hold both of these viewpoints.
First off, what does being pro-life mean? While it usually refers only to being against abortion, it actually also includes many life issues such as capital punishment, infanticide, human-trafficking, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia. So while we are often seen in the spotlight lobbying for anti-abortion legislation, we have many other social justice issues that we focus our energy on as well.
Secondly, what is feminism? Feminism is defined as the complete social, political, and economic equality of women to men. As a feminist, I believe in equal pay, education, the protection of women and girls from sexual assault, and many other important causes. But the one thing I cannot get on board with is abortion.
The main argument for abortion is that the woman has the right to do what she wants with her body. And while it is true that everyone has autonomy over their own bodies, I don't believe that anyone here on earth is allowed to decide who can live on it and who cannot. In other words, when a woman decides to have an abortion, she is making a decision for another human life besides her own. And whether or not you believe that a fetus inside of a womb is human--and I am not going to go into that rhetorical argument because it gets very circular very quickly on both sides--the fact remains that the tiny bits of tissue inside of the woman have the chance to be born into the world. Those tiny cells could end up winning a Nobel Prize or becoming the Prime Minister of England or a painter or a father. Deciding that we are not going to give the baby a chance to make his or her mark on the world is not our choice to make.
As a feminist, abortion concerns me. According to Live Action News, significantly more females are being aborted than males. Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen estimates that there are currently 200 million females demographically missing from the earth due to sex-selective abortions. And while many of us think of China's One-Child Policy or the conservative cultures of India or Pakistan that value males over females, the truth is that this disparity is occurring even in our own country. With the expense that sperm-sorting and embryo-selection techniques usually entail, many Americans turn to abortion to select the sex of their children. And what's more, sex-selection abortions are not even illegal in the U.S. It is undeniable that females are being victimized by abortion.
I understand that not all women who become pregnant are at a place in their lives where they are able to raise a child, or have no desire to do so. In any case, I strongly believe in adoption as a source of healing. No one is asking a 13-year-old victim of assault to drop out of school and a raise a child all on her own. But there are many individuals in the world who are looking to give a child a chance in our crazy, wonderful, terrifying world.
So, yes, I am a feminist and I am pro-life. I believe in giving people chances. I believe in hope. I believe in the creation of a better world.
