Dear Feminist for Life,

Abortion providers speak in a compassionate-sounding way about women who are driven to abortion - by the loss of a job, lack of health care, low income, or lack of support from the father of the child, who may also be facing dire straits - but they do nothing to address the root causes that drive these women to abortion.

Women deserve better. We must do more than simply wring our hands and accept failures like these:

IN CALIFORNIA...A pregnant woman showed up at the medical center in flip-flops and in tears, after walking there to save bus fare. Her boyfriend had lost his job, she told doctors in Oakland, and now - fearing harder times for her family, she wanted to abort what would have been her fourth child. "This was a desired pregnancy - she'd been getting prenatal care - but they re-evaluated expenses and decided not to continue," said Dr. Pratima Gupta. (Newsday, March 25, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

ALSO IN CALIFORNIA...Shanie Scott, legislative director of Planned Parenthood-Shasta Diablo in California, said the center is seeing more clients who are unemployed and have lost their health insurance. (Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

IN TEXAS...[A] woman who terminated her pregnancy at 14 weeks - a mother of two whose husband is stationed at a military base in Texas - said it took time to find the money to pay for her abortion, which the family's military insurance did not cover. "I don't like the fact of an abortion," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published because some family members do not know she ended a pregnancy. "It's really not the easy way out." (Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

IN MISSOURI...Paula Gianino, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said the recession clearly was a factor behind the rising abortion numbers late last year at the six clinics she oversees. "Unfortunately we see women who are making decisions about terminating a pregnancy because of the severe economic crisis they're facing," she said. "They simply don't believe they can afford to bring another child into the world." (Newsday, March 25, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

IN ILLINOIS...Planned Parenthood of Illinois says that in January it performed the highest number of abortions in its history. (The agency has a policy against disclosing the actual numbers.) ..."These economic hard times are forcing people to make the tough decisions and ask scary questions of themselves," said Steve Trombley, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. "Should I pay the mortgage or put food on the table for my family?... Can I pay for basic health care and necessary medication? Can I afford to have another child?" (Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

NEW YORK...A young woman living in western New York said she searched for several weeks before securing financial help from a private group that funds abortions. With her fiancé out of work and their savings exhausted, the 24-year-old dental assistant said she had decided she couldn't afford to carry her pregnancy to term. "It [stinks] that it comes down to money," said the woman, who asked that her name be withheld. "But if we can't even support ourselves, it wouldn't be good for a baby." (Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

AND ACROSS THE NATION...Stephanie Poggi of the National Network of Abortion Funds said calls to the network's national helpline from women seeking financial assistance to pay for an abortion have nearly quadrupled from a year ago. "A lot of women who never thought they'd need help are turning to us," Poggi said. "They're telling us, ‘I've already put off paying my rent, my electric bill. I'm cutting back on my food.' They've run through all the options." (Newsday, March 25, 2009)

Women deserve better.^®

"The demand for funding has increased because of the economic downturn, because women are losing their jobs or the partners have lost their jobs and they've lost their health insurance," [Toni Bond Leonard, Board President of the National Network of Abortion Funds] said. "Or their bills are such that they don't have any additional income." (Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2009)

These women, and countless others like them, deserved better. The fathers deserved better, too.

And every one of these children deserved to be held and loved.

Abortion providers have failed to connect women to the help they need and want. We mourn with these women, and for the children they will never meet.

These women still face the same economic strife. They went back to work for the same employers who didn't accommodate their needs. They went home to the same husbands or partners who wouldn't or couldn't provide the support they needed and deserved.

How did abortion address any of these issues?

Did an empty womb and empty arms enrich their lives?

The feminist movement first began in response to discrimination and other injustices women faced. Feminists don't simply put up with injustice.

We seek and find solutions. We are there for our sisters, daughters, classmates and friends.

And we believe in the strength of women, and our capacity to work together to find holistic solutions.

While abortion providers simply bemoan the lack of health care for working uninsured and poor pregnant women - you and I can demand that all states utilize available funding under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

While abortion providers simply talk about women who are poor and need prenatal care - you and I can tell women in need that pregnancy resource centers help lead women through the maze of available resources, including how to access Medicaid funding and private sources of help.

While abortion providers simply acknowledge the desperation of women who can't pay their rent or utility bills or feed their families - you and I can help connect them to cost-effective, frugal and even free resources.

Feminists like you and me - who believe women and men are capable of working together for nonviolent, holistic solutions - we must lead the way.

Our next issue of The American Feminist^® couldn't be more timely - or more important: a new, expanded and improved edition of "Raising Kids Cheap."

As you can imagine, this tool will be a welcome source of support for parents as well as pregnant women who feel forced to choose between their children and their education or careers, which are vital to caring for their children!

This issue will help pregnant women, including birthmoms, as well as dads (like my own student father) whom we never forget.

Help us replace the despair so widely reported by abortion providers - with joy. We can replace fear with confidence, and the unknown with resources and support.

Because women deserve better,

Serrin M. Foster
President

P.S. The need to offer life-affirming options and resources is more critical than ever. FFL is uniquely positioned to respond in this time of crisis - all we need are the resources to lead women to a vast array of solutions. Please, renew your commitment to them today.