If we want to make meaningful societal progress on abortion, we need eliminate the conditions that make women feel like it’s their only choice. Before I left to study at Oxford, I had a dream that I got pregnant. In my sleep, my mind was racing. Since I wanted to keep the baby, how could I actually do it? Where could I leave my baby while I went to class? What about healthcare? Was it even possible for me to continue my studies, or would I have to give up this unbelievable opportunity to care for my baby here and now? My semi-conscious mind concluded that I’d have to choose. That didn’t seem like a choice anyone should have to make.
Then I woke up. Stunned, I immediately thought of how terrified I would be if I was less fortunate. If I worked two-part time jobs in retail or restaurants which didn’t offer paid maternity leave. If I couldn’t afford health insurance, much less childcare. If I was also going to school at the same time to get my first degree and move up the income ladder, but didn’t have extended family nearby to look after my kid while I was on campus. If I didn’t go to school, that would probably compound the scarce opportunities my child would face. For the women who are actually faced with this scenario, I imagine it must seem impossible. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Being pro-life to me means being pro-woman – pro women hustling to make a better life for themselves and their families. There are policy options to make this hustle a winnable battle.
Universal paid family leave – for both men and women; childcare that’s affordable and accessible to everyone; a healthcare system that covers children and pregnant women no matter their income; an equitable education system that gives even children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods a life of value after birth; a small stipend paid to every family to help with the expenses of raising a child — other countries have successfully implemented these policies and more.
Washington State recently took a positive step in this direction by passing the Family Leave Act *(to be implemented in 2020). Unfortunately, it is only one of 5 states to have a comprehensive paid family leave policy on the books.
More work is needed to advance social policies like this that could address the socio-economic conditions making abortion seem like the only choice available to women. As Marilyn Kopp, president of Ohio Feminists for Life, says, abortion is a symptom of oppression, not a solution to it. We can work together with lots of folks – including pro-choice Democrats – to eliminate the conditions that compound to make abortion into a necessity for many women.
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Bio: Bronwyn Clarke recently graduated with her Master’s in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford. Before that, she studied economics at the University of Washington Tacoma and interned at the Washington State Legislature. She is passionate about bringing a holistic human dignity perspective to politics and working towards a society where everyone has the capability to live a flourishing life. She currently lives in Lacey, Washington.
*Views are not necessarily those of Human Life of Washington.