August 10, 2022
True freedom will NEVER come at the expense of another…
Feminists for Life of America is reacting strongly to the Vice President of the United States meeting with university presidents to promote abortion.
“FFL has been working for decades to help pregnant and parenting parents and birthmothers achieve their career plans, without having to sacrifice their children. With nearly 2.1 million single mothers also serving as student parents, now is not the time to go backwards,” said FFL President Serrin M. Foster.
“It is more than disappointing to see the emphasis on abortion by Kamala Harris and some administrators. It is regressive. They accept the false notion that having children is an obstacle to success, while we believe that motherhood in and of itself is a form of success. University and college administrators should not participate in pressuring women to eliminate their own babies, because it inconveniences the schools.
“Women are inherently different because of our ability to give life, and accommodating this gift is rewarding. Administrators should not send a chilling message to pregnant students that they are not welcome on campus. This is not the 1600s, where only childless men attended college. Instead, we should come together, especially as feminists. We urge administrators to look at their polices, resources and support, and communication strategies on campus, starting with orientation.”
Foster, the creator of FFL’s first Pregnancy and Parenting Resource Forum℠ in 1997 and author of FFL’s groundbreaking 2018 report, “Recommendations for Best Practices at Colleges and Universities Serving Pregnant and Parenting Students,” continued: “FFL is here to help, starting with our model Pregnancy and Parenting Resource Survey℠. Where is the affordable housing and child care? Feminists for Life been working collaboratively with key stakeholders on campuses across the country and as a result made real advances challenging the status quo. It can make a real difference to the future of families.
“We encourage Ms. Harris and administrators to understand and help meet the needs of struggling moms, often reported by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the National Women’s Law Center, and the Hechinger Report, who have documented the cycle of going back and forth between working to get the funds to attend college then the struggle to find child care. We identify and share solutions. That is what women need and deserve. Let’s raise expectations on campus and also for those working on campus and beyond. Bring fathers back into the picture, and support them in school, too. That is how we address the feminization of poverty.”
Foster, the creator of the Women Deserve Better® campaign, concluded: “Don’t underestimate women. True freedom will never come at the expense of another — including our own children. Women deserve better. We refuse to choose.”
