(Some) Women’s March: The Intersection of Feminism, Religious Freedom, and the Pro-Life Movement

March 28, 2017

On January 21, millions around the world marched to demand equal rights for minorities and underserved communities and to rebuke President Donald Trump’s remarks about women. With an estimated four million marchers in the United States alone, the Women’s Marches were hailed as the largest national protest ever organized. Despite the large number of attendees, not all women felt included. The march’s unity principles clearly advocate for “access to safe, legal, affordable abortion and birth control for all people.” Pro-life activists from New Wave Feminists were removed from the march’s list of partners after much backlash asserting that pro-life beliefs entirely contradict feminist beliefs.

If feminism is defined as the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, is it possible for individuals to be feminist and pro-life? Did the march need to take a position on the divisive issue of abortion in its unity principles? What are the implications of the fact that the march advocated for religious freedom (most noticeably through support of Muslim women), which, for many religions, includes the freedom to exercise a pro-life stance?

In the Series

Response: Language Barriers in the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Debate

Lauren Seminack
March 28, 2017

Response: Pro-Life Feminism Is an Impossible Falsehood

Erin Matson
March 20, 2017

Response: The Missed Opportunity of the Women's March

Claudia Winkler
March 13, 2017

Response: What Susan Said

Susan Gallucci
March 9, 2017

Response: A Commission or a Commandment?

Leah Farish
March 8, 2017