Who's Marching Now?
What a difference a year makes. Last April, I was about to participate in the March for Women's Lives. My email inbox was filled with messages from participating organizations offering all of the reasons to travel to Washington. Here we are, one year later. The anniversary of the march passed with barely a whisper, let alone the fanfare of last year.
Reproductive rights are in even more danger now than they were a year ago. The re-election of President Bush has increased support for anti-choice measures federally and across the states. With the passing of the Weldon Amendment in December, the government extended the right to refuse to provide abortion services or refer for them to "any kind of healthcare facility, organization, or plan." This means any provider, hospital, healthcare professional, HMO, or insurance plan can refuse to perform, pay for, provide coverage for, or refer for abortions. Various versions of a "fetal pain bill" which require doctors to tell women that a fetus could feel pain at a certain point - for which there is no scientific evidence - and offer anesthesia are poised to be passed. In two states, the anesthesia would be mandatory.
And it's not just abortion that is under fire. Conservatives who believe that abortion should be illegal also refuse to support comprehensive health education for teens, distribution of condoms, over-the-counter status for emergency contraception and access to birth control. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, more than 770 measures relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights were introduced in state legislatures in the first quarter of 2005. Bills were introduced to allow pharmacists the right to refuse to provide contraceptives, including emergency contraception, on moral grounds. Funding has been increased for abstinence-only sex education, which has been shown to have little or no influence on teens having sex. The religious right has waged war on sexual behavior and the autonomy of women. And guess what, ladies? Women everywhere are losing.
Singer-songwriter Judy Gorman wrote a song for the march. The lyrics are "We won't back up and we won't back down." But our leaders are backing down--moving to a more neutral position on abortion. They are emphasizing a universal desire for fewer abortions, saying they believe it should be safe, legal, and rare. Senator Hillary Clinton further stigmatized abortion by calling it a "sad, tragic choice to many, many women." Howard Dean, the newly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been encouraging the party to embrace pro-life Democrats.
Lowering the number of people providing abortions may indeed make it "rare." One third of women of reproductive age live in a county with no abortion provider, and studies show that 25 percent of women receiving an abortion have traveled more than 50 miles to see a provider. Continuing the ban on federal funding also keeps abortion "rare." Additional studies have shown that 18-23 percent of Medicaid-eligible women who live in states that do not provide funding for abortions have been forced to carry their pregnancies to term. From the perspective of many women without access to basic reproductive healthcare, "rare" is not better.
According to a memo produced for Emily's list, the Political Action Committee that supports pro-choice women candidates, abortion was not a deciding factor in the election. Their study claims that while 22 percent of people did vote on "moral" issues, when asked to define those moral values, most did not list abortion. Study after study, poll after poll - they all have similar results. Americans believe that abortion, in some form, should be legal. And still Democratic politicians are shying away from the "A" word.
I believe it is time for the Democratic Party to listen to its constituents. It is imperative for our leaders to realize that young women - the precious "18-34 demographic" - believe in supporting the freedom and autonomy of women to make choices about their bodies and their lives. We believe that comprehensive reproductive healthcare should be safe, legal, and accessible for all women.